Sermon Tone Analysis

Passionate

What are you passionate about?

Your marriage, your family, your grandchildren?

Your God? Jesus, Your faith?

Your belief?

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In a speech at an antislavery meeting in 1852 Wendell Phillips said

(Slide) “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty!”

As valid as that was, as passionate as he was in the time when slavery was a hot topic; in the time that Paul is writing this, yes there was huge slavery, but the slavery he is speaking passionately about is spiritual.

It takes spiritual vigilance to defend your faith, your belief.

Paul is passionate about the Gospel and his ministry and in our section today he lets the passion rip and introduces the big theme of the book of Galatians

(Slide) Freedom: Justification by Faith

What we do needs to line up with what we say or it avails nothing at all except division.

Paul see’s something that does not line up and is quick to jump in to handle it before it gets out of hand.

I. Reason for Opposition

A reminder of Jerusalem Counsel

Ga

There were some issues in Antioch and Paul and Barnabas go back to Jerusalem to seek advise.

After much debate Peter spoke up.

- Turn and read Act15:7-11

Agreement was reached by the counsel

Act15:

so now it is sometime later and Peter comes to Antioch where Paul and Barnabas are ministering again

Gal2:11-1

So we see the problem, Peter slipped back to old says because of fear.

Peter already enjoyed freedom in Christ Jesus, he had fellowship with all believers both Jews and Gentiles; now certain men come and he separates himself.

Peter was raised in a Jewish culture, in a Jewish world and had teaching from Jesus how things were going to be different (Mt15:1-20).

Then the Holy Spirit taught Peter and sent him to the home of Cornelius (Act10) and the Jerusalem counsel agreed Jews/Gentiles saved by faith and Peter was the chief witness at the counsel but now stands opposed by his actions some time later.

Now don’t go condemning Peter, we need to examine our own lives to see if we let some biblical doctrines (teaching) slip by and not adhere to them.

Easy to do when we are all together, but in the world may not be so easy as we see with Peter here today.

What was the cause?

(Slide) FEAR!

Do you ever have fear what someone may say or think and let it keep you from doing or saying what you know is right?

Peter stood up for the Gentiles in Act11; now the courage is gone and fear back in it’s place.

It can happen to us just as it happen to Peter and it was in fear of happening in the churches of Galatia.

(Slide) Two point to make about Peter’s slip (or fall)

(Slide) Made him a hypocrite - he was not living by his words, he had just stood boldly about Gentiles and the gospel of grace (Act11) now he does does.

We too can be hypocrites can’t we? Say one thing here and do something else out there when fear may get involved.

(Slide) He lead others astray too - leadership, Peter was leadership and by his example others followed, the rest of the Jews and Barnabas (v.13) - we need to be careful where we go and how others may follow, remember we don’t want to stumble our brother.

A concept shown in Rom14.

and even Jesus spoke of little one’s to fall, or stumble

Anytime anyone does not act on conviction but on the basis of what someone else may think or say is hypocrisy.

The true reason for the opposition of Peter by Paul is that it was not a ma matter of personality or preference but an issue with the “truth of the Gospel” - Paul felt he had to say something, do something, and that goes hand in hand with Jesus teaching (Mt18) though we don’t know if Paul spoke to Peter privately first or not, but the issue is bigger than just Peter, isn’t it?

Paul’s Defense (or rebuke)

(Slide) Let’s read Gal2:14-21 together

Where the rebuke ends and the letter to the Galatians continues has been debated but it does not change the fact of the matter that the matter at hand is about Christian Liberty, freedom was at risk and Paul was going to defend the freedom.

Peters actions are doing several things that are detrimental to the church then and can be to the church today.

(Slide) Destroy the unity of church (v.14) - As a Christian we are a part of the Church, just as Peter was and by separating himself from the Gentiles he was causing a division and that brought disunity to the church.

For there is no division within the church, no distinctions within the church

Think about it, hey Peter you are Jew living as a Gentile but now you want the Gentiles to live like the Jews?

All of this after saying.

(Slide) Destroy Justification by faith (vv.15-16)

In these verses we have the introduction of the word justification, and justification by faith.

I want to unpack on this for a few minutes for it is such an important doctrine and it was a key to the reformation movement.

Though in some sorts it has been twisted at times.

Now it is not a new word to the Bible for Job used it.

Job9:2

and then there was

This concept is developed in Rom1, Gal3:11; Heb10:38

Justification is not “just as if I did not sin” though it is said by many, and it is how God see’s you.

but it is being declared righteous, or justified in the eyes of God through the blood of the Son.

The guilty sinner is still guilty but Jesus took on the guilt on the cross.

It is instant at the moment of salvation when you put on Christ.

Justification is not an act of man, but an act of God

The law was given to reveal sin and cannot redeem us

But God’s righteousness, justification comes through Christ and is imputed on the believing sinner

Justification declares the believing sinner righteous but does not make him righteous - that is where our changed life comes into place and maturing in Christ happens.

The changed life including good works mentioned in Eph3:20, and Jam2.

The justified sinner God remembers the sins no more.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Lk19:10) and it is the sinners the lost people, the ungodly that God justifies

Justification is because of your faith, your heart pierced, convicted, broken that is obedient to the Gospel call that is declared righteous.

Peter, by separating himself from the Gentiles was telling them that faith, obedient faith to the gospel was not enough, that the Jews were better because they were living to the law too.

But the law, any law not just The Law cannot save you.

So Peters actions.

Destroy Freedom from the Law (vv.17-18)

Peter spoke of the bondage, the yoke the law put on man at the Jerusalem counsel (Act15:10) but not he is putting himself under that same yoke, the yoke that Paul will bring up again in Gal5:1

Imagine Paul saying “Peter, Peter, Peter, my brother and my friend, you are blowing it.

You and I, well, we are Jews and we could not be justified under the Law, or really under any law at all or it would not be grace.

So what are you doing?

Why are you reverting back to something in appearance that could not save you in the first place?

Peter, don’t be a hypocrite, you preached grace, you were walking in grace, you were saved by grace now you are building up what you already tore down, the law and any system of law that discounts grace = justification by faith.

Don’t let your actions make you a legalist, the dividing wall is down, we are one people so grab your friends from Jerusalem and come join us for a meal.

Paul was using Peters own history as a defence of the grace of God and justification by faith.

Because of Peter’s action he was really even.

(Slide) Destroying the very Gospel itself (vv.19-20)

The crucifixion is a crux point of the Gospel message, Paul had previously said “it is first importance” in 1Cor15:1.

We cannot be justified by the works of the flesh, the works of the law, we died to the law and works of the flesh when we submitted to God’s grace by faith.

Our death is illustrated in Rom6:3ff; we live in the newness and walk in the newness of life, under the power of the Holy Spirit (Act2:38; Gal5:16-17) and with that power we sure don’t need the law.

For if we were to yoke ourselves to the law, or any system of law, we then join Peter and

(Slide) Destroy the grace of God (v.21)

Let that verse sink in, let’s read it again.

Peter’s actions were saying the grace of God is not sufficient, we need the Law too and if that were true than Christ came, lived, suffered, died for no reason at all.

Christ’s words on the cross would not be true.

Jn19:30’

and Paul’s words to the Ephesians would not be true

So what do we do with all this?

Justification by faith and Peter’s actions?

Remember I started tonight about looking, taking a s:6-9)elf examination?

Here are some things to consider tonight.

(Slide) What is my response to the truth of the Gospel?