Glory in the Cross
Galatians • Sermon • Submitted
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Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make a fair shew 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. 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. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And 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.
Introduction
Introduction
The whole letter that Paul has written is now concluding, but before it does he takes a moment to summarize his message. He has spent several pages of ink and paper writing in defense of the gospel message and of its power to both save and to sanctify. He has torn down the idea that a man can be something more for God by working in the flesh to uphold certain standards. In fact, those who have been led into this error have been “bewitched” and are in real danger of severely stunting their growth!
There is however a rule or as we might say “a principle” that we are to live by and Paul draws our attention to it in these closing verses.
But before he does he reminds us of....
I. Pauls Personal Investment
I. Pauls Personal Investment
Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.
For Paul this was personal - he was so concerned with the wellbeing of these Christians and the threat of legalistic teaching that he penned the letter himself. He put his own personal wellbeing on the line to deliver the truth. The religious crowd that he had once been a part of would have hated him for his outright contempt for their false doctrine.
II. Summary of the Legalists Motives
II. Summary of the Legalists Motives
As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
“Make a fair shew in the flesh” - A show is exactly what some are after - when you build a ministry on the flesh and the manipulation of others what you inevitably produce is a bunch of outward conformity with a complete lack of inward transformation. This is completely antithetical to the true gospel and the result is nothing but a show! It's nothing but a religious carnival!
“constrain you” - the message of the gospel is liberating not constraining. Legalism is constraining! Paul was not advocating for lawless behavior unbecoming of a Christian and the balanced and thoughtful minister in our day would not be either. But when you have to strong arm people with manipulation tactics in order to get them to behave a certain way so that you can impress your buddies in more influential positions you have missed the mark.
“lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ” - The Cross was offensive in Paul’s day and it is offensive in ours as well. The Cross signifies the death of religion and religion equates to power over other men. If these teachers in Galatia would have submitted to the truth of the Gospel they would have been ostracized by their countrymen. They would have suffered like the rest of the Christians suffered in the first century. Instead what they did was negotiate with the religious crown to offer some extensigns of the Jewish religion into the Christian faith. It's was compromise for the sake of expediency. It was pragmatism for the sake of self preservation and the cost fell on those who were being led into the error.
For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
“neither they themselves…keep the law” - if there is one inditement that rises above all others in relation to the Church and the surrounding world its the charge of hipocracy. There is not much tolerance for it and in many cases its charge is baseless. In this case however, it was clear as a ringing church bell. The Mosaic law was never kept by anyone. Paul has made this point abundantly clear throughout the entire letter.
Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
III. Summary of Paul’s Motives
III. Summary of Paul’s Motives
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. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
In contrast with the motivation of the Judaizers which was to brag about what they had accomplished (getting a bunch of Christians to adhere to the law), Paul lays out for us his motivation. He said that he had nothing to brag about except the cross!
People are not trophies for ministers to brag about! Ministries are not built to Compare to other ministries. The root of the problem can always be traced to a problem of pride.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Instead of bragging about his subjects…Paul kept his focus on two things - the Cross and Christ
A. Paul kept his focus on the Cross
A. Paul kept his focus on the Cross
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross...”
Paul has preached to these people the Gospel and has said clearly that he has no right to brag about any righteousness that is produced. He has nothing to gain by leading them to the Cross. The only thing he is going to glorify is the sacrifice of Christ.
How could Paul glory in something so aweful?
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Quote: But the cross has a very practical application. It is the watershed, the Great Divide, that separates the carnal believer from the spiritual believer. A proper vision of the cross will put an end to compromise with this wicked world in which we live because the cross was this world’s answer to Christ. He "went about doing good." He healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, cast out demons, raised the dead, and fed the hungry multitudes. He loved people, all kinds of people - good people and bad people, religious people and ungodly people, people who loved Him and people who hated Him. He rejoiced with those who rejoiced, wept with those who wept, and prayed for those who despitefully used Him. The world had never known a man like Jesus - absolutely good, unfailingly gracious, the visible expression of the invisible God. And what was the world’s answer? A cross. - Phillips
B. Paul kept his focus on Christ
B. Paul kept his focus on Christ
“…in Christ Jesus”
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
The Cross is the great equalizing force. We are living in a world that is crying out for equality and justice. We are living in a world that divides men for the purposes of conquering and controlling men. The answer to it all is found in the fact that men are full of sin and are equally guilty before God. The answer is a humble walk to the foot of a rugged cross where the ground is level. The answer is to be “born again through the Spirit of God” and to become a “new creature”
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
IV. The Genuine Principle
IV. The Genuine Principle
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Paul had deconstructed the whole idea of law keeping as a way to justification and sanctification. Instead what he did was lay down a rule (a principle or standard) that we should glory in the Cross and keep our eyes on Christ. His whole letter was a slap in the face of legalism and religion.
A. The Rule
A. The Rule
If we want a rule to live by then here we have it!
B. The Result
B. The Result
The resulting fruit from a walk in line with this standard is a life of peace and a life of mercy.
Peace - the man pleasing oppressive law keeping can never bring true peace to the soul of the believer, but a true and genuine life lived at the foot of the cross can. A life that is matured by the Spirit of God is a life of peace. This does not mean there will never be oppression and persecution. In fact Paul was a man who had lived with both consistently.
Mercy - When we walk with the rule that Paul is presenting not only will we have peace but we will be partakers of Christ’s mercy.
Conclusion
Conclusion
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.
Paul concludes with positive reinforcement as he reminds us that men will try and cause us trouble for our stand on truth. In Paul’s case he literally had scars from physical beatings. But going forward he was not going to be troubled with it and he was encoraging the believers in Galatia to live the same way.
The Grace of God
The Grace of God
We must live by the grace of God! It must be our overarching theme. “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit”