Freedom: From Law or Faith?
Freedom: Justified by Faith • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsArguments and defence by Paul regarding faith vs. law
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Arguments
Arguments
Paul in making a defence for the gospel of grace through faith vs. the Law he will start with a series of arguments that start her in Chapter 3 and run into chapter 4. Each one is meticulous so even the simple (or in this section foolish, stupid, idiots as it says in some translations) could understand.
Arguments don’t always have to be bad, they are be enlightening, here the arguments are reminding.
(Insert illustration of arguments with parents when child; benefits later)
(Slide) Today we are going to look at two of the arguments.
(Slide) Argument from the Galatians personal experience (vv.1-5)
(Slide) Argument from faith of Abraham (vv.6-9)
I. From personal experience
I. From personal experience
1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
Paul brought the message of salvation by grace through faith to the Galatians a few years before. He was with them when they received and accepted God’s gift so drawing from personal experience (theirs) is a good place to start.
Don’t we all have experiences? In this passage the key word is suffer found in(v.4) but when translated it means experience. Now subjective experiences need to be balance out with objective teaching, receipt of God’s Word. We have two subjective arguments today, then we get to some objective arguments.
Have you ever had anyone tell you what you experienced was not true? Bet you stood up for it didn’t you. Your experiences are that, your experiences, well to the Galatians they had the Judiazers coming in and trying to tell them that their experience with God was not enough, the death of Christ was not enough, it was not sufficient.
Interesting fact about (v.1)
1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
In NASB it says “Foolish”
In Phillips it says “O you dear idiots”
Here is is foolish Galatians
1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
In New English “You stupid Galatians”
They had heard the gospel message from Paul, they believed the message and they had obeyed the message. They believed in Christ crucified. Paul has displayed to them through his words a crucified Christ which was God’s means of salvation.
(Insert a slide showing placards)
The Greek word was phrographein in which the word placard comes from. In those days it was a common word where as a father would post a placard stating he was no longer responsible for his sons debts. The placard before us is one that the Father is will no longer be responsible for our debts.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
But that through the cross of Christ our debts were placed on Christ and He paid our debts.
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
I hope that we strive to fully understand the significance of this on a personal level, to Paul this was more than just salvation, this was sanctification and growth. It was not be lured to something that could not save them in the first place.
The defence continues
Christ crucified
(Slide) How did you receive the Spirit? (v.2)
(Slide) Chose one. - leave it as one slide.
Works of law?
Hearing by faith?
(Slide)The Spirit and works in salvation
(Slide) Spirit convicts and reveals (Jn16:7)
(Slide) If yield to Spirit you are born again (Jn3:1-8)
(Slide) We are baptized by Spirit into one body (1Cor12:12-14)
We are filled, or should be filled with the Spirit.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
EPh
There is filling and there is proof and there is responsibility too.
Our responsibility when it comes to Spirit
We are to walk in the Spirit
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
We need to obey and not grieve the Spirit
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
We do not want to quench the Spirit
19 Do not quench the Spirit;
This quenching is holding the Spirit back from what the Spirit wants to accomplish in you and through you. Could it be denying the Spirit and hence walking away from your salvation, it could be, thank God I’m not the judge. What we do know is the Spirit can be quenched and we don’t want that.
So having obtained the Spirit Paul continues
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
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They could not save themselves in the first place, they believed Christ could and they obeyed that. Don’t be a fool, the power is in the Spirit not in self.
Have you gone through so much for nothing?
4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
I mentioned suffer was a key word in this passage but in this passage suffer does not necessarily mean persecution, but experienced. Have you experienced all this for no reason?
By denying the saving and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that has been clearly displayed you are turning to a system of works that cannot save you.
5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
(Slide) God the Father provided and ministers through the Spirit to work miracles, is it by law or faith?
The Holy Spirit enters the believers life because of the grace and working of God not by the working of the law.
Since our salvation, and theirs was through faith and not the law we need to continue that way.
(Illustration) when a child is born he has all that he needs for life. When a person is born again, born into God’s family he needs nothing further either, let me paint a picture.
For a human birth there is requirement of two humans, male/female to create. For the Christian to be born of Spirit of God and the Word of God.
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jn3:
6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Jesus own works say you must be born again by the Spirit, but also says water.
Water oftentimes in the Bible means word.
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
1Pt1:23
So born of the Spirit, the Spirit given at baptism. born of the Word that is alive and sharper than a two edge sword.
Now that brings us to Paul’s proof, or next part of his defense, argument.
II. Argument from Abraham
II. Argument from Abraham
6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
In short, Abraham who was before the law (some 430 years or so) was saved by faith. The promises made to Abraham, even before the covenant of circumcision (Gen15)
In short on this, Abraham who was before the law of Moses by some 430 years had a promise from God that included the Gentiles and Abraham believed and it was accounted him righteous. Before the covenant of circumcision (by the way is the Judiazers big issue) Abraham was justified because of his faith. So their argument of law is gone, their argument of necessity of circumcision is gone with using Abraham as the example.
Think about this, Abraham had God’s righteousness credited to him. The divine righteousness of God. The same righteousness that is imputed on us today, to those who believe God will give His righteousness through the Son so that we may become the righteousness of God.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
In Him, in Christ Jesus we are born again; in Him we have the right, the ability to become the righteousness of God by our transformation into the likeness of the Son (thinking of Rom12:2)
The real sons of Abraham are those who believe, not by heritage but by faith.
Now gen
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
All the families, all people are blessed by God. He gives us provision, air to breath and life itself, but it is those who are of faith that are justified.
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Summary / Invitation
Justification will come more into play with the letter in the near future, but the blessing is justification because of faith.
Paul
All people are blessed, but all people are not justified. only those who are of faith are justified. Not by works of the Law or any law or system of law, but by God’s grace freely given through His Son so that we may be born again.
Paul used logic in their own argument to make a defense of his claim of justification by faith going back to Abraham and still holds true today
(Insert a slide: Justification by faith picture)
- - - - lead to invitation - - - - -