Galatians: True Grace
Notes
Transcript
Text: Galatians 2:11-20
Theme: True grace is no respecter of persons.
Date: 06/28/2020 File Name: Galatians_02.wpd ID Number:
The passage before us is a testimony to the importance of getting certain doctrines right. In this case it’s the doctrine of grace. True grace, according to the Apostle Paul, is always grace alone, or as the Reformers rendered it, Sola Gratia. Sola Gratia means grace at the start, grace to the end, grace in the middle, grace without fail, grace without mixture, grace without addition. Grace allows no boasting, and excludes all glorying but in the cross of Christ. Salvation is either all of grace or none of it is of grace. Adding anything to the grace of God, nullifies the grace of God. As Martin Luther said, "If any man ascribes salvation, even the very least, to the free will of man, he knows nothing of grace, and he has not learnt Jesus Christ aright." The passage under consideration this morning reminds us that this is such a foundational doctrine, that it’s worth going toe-to-toe over, when others would deny it.
I. CONFRONTED BY TRUTH
I. CONFRONTED BY TRUTH
1. in Antioch of Syria, Jewish and Gentile Christians were one in Christ
a. Antioch was where the first serious attempt was made to evangelize Gentiles
1) the revival that broke out there brought a massive influx of Gentiles into the Church
2) in Antioch Peter the Apostle enjoyed a close fellowship and cooperation with Gentile believers
b. in Antioch Jewish and Gentile Christians worshiped together ... they prayed together ... they fellowshiped together ... they ate together ... they took communion together
2. this breakthrough—and it was an incredible breakthrough—was due to the gospel
a. a gospel that taught God’s grace was for everyone
A. TRUE GRACE BRINGS SINNERS TOGETHER
A. TRUE GRACE BRINGS SINNERS TOGETHER
1. in his letter to the Christians at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul writes of the dividing wall of hostility that existed between Jews and Gentiles
ILLUS. That hostility can be heard in a Jewish prayer called “The Three Blessings” that a Jewish man recited every morning. “Blessed are you O God, King of the Universe, Who has not made me a slave, a woman, or a gentile.” Conversely, the Jews were perceived by the Gentiles as self-righteous, arrogant, and contemptuous toward all things Gentile.
a. there was a wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile ... socially, religiously, etc.
b. the Apostle writes that God’s grace, revealed in the cross of Christ, has broken down that wall of hostility
“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” (Ephesians 2:11–16, NIV84)
c. the Apostle writes that God has made the two one ... who is he referring to?
1) he’s referring to two people groups; Jews and Gentiles
a) as far as the Jews were concerned those were the only two people groups in the entire world
b) there were God’s Elect people; i.e. Israel, and then there was everyone else, i.e. Gentiles
c) even though the Jews anticipated the Gentiles, at some point in history, coming to the Messiah, they thought that meant the Gentiles essentially becoming Jews
d) but Christ accomplished something totally unexpected
d. through the shedding of his blood on the cross, Christ has created a whole new humanity—a third race—neither Jew or Gentile, but Christian
1) everything that separates us from God was abolished in Christ’s flesh
a) our sin ... our iniquity ... our transgressions ... our trespasses ... the depravity of our character and conduct were all nailed to the cross
2) equally, everything that separates us from fellow believers was abolished in Christ’s flesh
a) our social status ... our ethnicity ... our economic status ... our political persuasion ... our educational level ... all loose their power at the foot of the cross
3) this reconciliation is accomplished in this one body—Christ’s body—that we now call the Church
ILLUS. For many years now we’ve enjoyed a time of fellowship during our worship time. It’s usually noisy and chaotic, and sometimes even hard to regain control. It’s not merely a meet-n’-great moment, although it is that. It is also a deeply theological moment where we forget our differences—our different opinions, our different backgrounds, our different heritage, and we recognize that we are one body united by the blood of the Savior.
2. true grace brings sinners together
B. TRUE GRACE MAKES US ONE IN CHRIST
B. TRUE GRACE MAKES US ONE IN CHRIST
1. true grace brings sinners together, because true grace makes us one in Christ
a. unfortunately, some traditions die hard, and some Jewish Christians in the 1st century continued the legalistic tradition of refusing to eat with Gentiles—even though they were brothers and sisters in Christ
2. vs. 11-14 point to one of the saddest events in the early life of the church
a. the Apostle Peter allows fear, and peer pressure to determine who he will fellowship and worship with
ILLUS. The verb draw back in vs. 12 is significant. The word was used of furling the sails of a boat. Peter, the former fisherman, was expert at that. Now. he was “trimming his sails” in a controversy that involved Jewish freedom from the Mosaic law which had been set aside at the Cross.
1) the church was split wide open on the issue
2) fellowship is ruptured, cooperation ended
3) the Jews at Antioch are attempting to re-stitch the Temple curtain that God’s invisible hand ripped in two at the moment his Son announced from the cross “It is finished”
b. Peter knew full well that God had included the Gentiles in his redemptive work
1) he had seen it with his own eyes years before in the city of Caesarea
2) the story is recounted in the tenth chapter of the Book of Acts
Cornelius, a Roman centurion and a God fearer, receives a vision from an angel of God who instructs Cornelius to send for a man called Peter who is residing in Joppa ... he even tells him whose home Peter is dwelling in; Simon the Tanner.
The next morning, representatives from Cornelius head south to Joppa.
As they are heading south, Peter is heading up to the roof of Simon’s home to pray.
Since it’s noon, Peter is getting hungry, and has food on his mind. But he falls into a trace, and sees a great sheet descending that is full of all kinds of animals, some of them kosher and some not. A voice says, “Rise, kill and eat.” Peter refuses to do so, not wanting to eat anything common or unclean. Peter is determined to maintain the strict Jewish dietary codes.
Twice more this happens and twice more Peter refuses to eat. Each time this happens Peter hears a voice say, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” Peter is thoroughly perplexed.
After the third time, Cornelius’s friends are at the door asking for Peter. They explain Cornelius’s vision and ask Peter to come with them. The next morning they leave for Caesarea. Expecting Peter the centurion has called together all his family and close friends. When Peter arrives, he explains his vision, and tells Peter that they are ready to hear all that God might command.
Peter then “gets it” ... he understands the meaning of his own vision with the clean and unclean food. God’s message is that the Gospel is for the gentiles, too.
“So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34–35, ESV)
c. Peter then preaches Christ crucified, buried and risen, the Holy Spirit falls on Cornelius and all who heard the word
1) this is a tremendously important turning point for Peter, and indeed, for the mission of the church, and for world history
2) when Peter’s friends in Jerusalem criticized him for entering a Gentile’s home, Peter responded ...
“So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”” (Acts 11:17, NIV84)
3. so then, as we come back to the situation at Antioch, Peter knows in his heart and mind that the gospel is for all people, Jew and Gentile, and that Christ makes us all one
a. that’s why the episode of Galatians 2:11-14 is so sad
1) the social crisis in the church of Antioch was exactly the same as the crisis faced by the churches in Galatia: Gentile Christians were being forced to live like Jewish Christians in order to be acceptable to Jews
2) behind the social crisis was a theological issue—God’s true grace is at stake
3) is the truth of the Gospel or the legalism of the Law the source of fellowship between Christians?
b. Peter knows that he is one in Christ with the gentile believers in Antioch, but when certain men came from Jerusalem he began to draw back (can you spell b-a-c-k-s-l-i-d-e) and separated himself from the gentiles
c. Paul says that Peter is afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group
1) this would not have been so bad if it had been Peter alone, but his hypocrisy caused the other Jews in the Antioch Church to withdraw fellowship from the Gentile believers as well
2) even Paul’s partner in ministry, Barnabas, is led astray
3) Paul confronts Peter over his hypocrisy, literally standing toe-to-toe with his fellow apostle vs. 14
ILLUS. This face-off with Peter was, as we say, In front of God and everybody. And in going after Peter, Paul is reprimanding Barnabas, and all the other Jews who have followed Paul’s lead.
4. Peter’s behavior is a threat to the fellowship of the Body of Christ, and denial of true grace that brings together those that were once divided into mutual love and fellowship
II. JUSTIFIED BY GRACE ALONE
II. JUSTIFIED BY GRACE ALONE
“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.” (Galatians 2:15–18, ESV)
1. Gal. 2:16 is perhaps the most important verse in the entire epistle
a. in it, Paul focused on the ongoing struggle for the true gospel in which he was engaged
b. this verse emphasizes the heart of the gospel—grace alone saves sinners
2. it’s a struggle even today to maintain that message
ILLUS. Just over 50% of American Christians agree that they partly contribute to earning their place in heaven with the good deeds they do.
a. but if a sinner even partly contributes to their salvation, then grace is ceases to be grace
b. Luther is right, that person “ ... knows nothing of grace, and has not learnt Jesus Christ aright.”
A. WE ARE NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW
A. WE ARE NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW
1. here is Paul’s first use of the word justified in this epistle
a. he will use it seven more times in this brief letter
b. it is a word that means to make right
2. spiritual trouble makers have followed behind Paul telling the Galatian Churches,
“Look, Paul is well-meaning, but he’s not given you the full story. If you really want to be made right before God, faith in Christ alone is not enough. You also need to obey this list of rules we have, practice these rituals, and observe these holy days. If, and only if, you do can you be saved”
a. these folks were attempting to change the Law into grace and grace into Law, Moses into Christ and Christ into Moses
3. but Paul’s point is clear—obeying the law, participating in religious rituals, developing good character and conduct will never make the sinner right before God
a. in his Sermon on the Mount Jesus, himself, helps us to understand the futility of perfectly keeping the law
b. remember his but I say unto you statements?
ILLUS. In each, Jesus open with “You have heard that it was said ... “ after which Jesus quotes one of the Ten Commandments. For instance “You have heard it said, ‘You must not murder.’” Well that’s easy. If you’re a typical American there’s a 99.6% chance you’ll never murder anyone. I like those odds. I can be rather smug in the assertion that I’ve completely kept that commandment, and will most likely die having perfectly kept that part of the Law.
But then comes the, “But I say unto you.” This is where Jesus starts meddling. “But I say unto you, that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement. Insult him? Go straight to hell ... do not pass “go” so not collect $200. If you are a typical American there is a 100% chance that, before your life is over, you will hate someone, or be angry with someone, or call someone a fool.
4. sin is more than merely an evil behavior—sin goes way down to the core of what we are—sinners at birth, fallen in Adam, incapable of keeping the letter of the law, let alone the spirit of the law
a. Paul never wavered in his belief that the law always condemns, and can never, ever justify the sinner before God
B. WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
B. WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
1. the word translated faith in vs. 16 means to be firmly persuaded ... so persuaded that you’re going to act on the information you have
a. Paul is referring to a faith-commitment to Christ that brings God’s grace-gift of a new, right standing with God
1) saving faith comes when we are firmly persuaded that in Christ alone our hope is found
b. Paul writes the even we ourselves have believed in Jesus Christ
1) this is the Apostle’s emphatic way of saying that all sinners—whether Jewish sinners or Gentile sinners—everyone is saved the same way
2) God does not save Jews one way and Gentiles another way
3) all are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone
2. the ungodly (you and me before our salvation) were not justified by “mere faith”
a. you see, so often these days, we hear from the secular crowd, as well as the liberal church, “All that really matters is that you have faith. Faith in something. The something really doesn’t matter. God honors faith, so that’s what you need to have.”
b. the Bible reminds us that the object of your faith is what matters, not just that you have some kind of nebulous faith that passes itself off as a vague spirituality
ILLUS. That’s “Oprah Religion.” In 2015 Oprah told an audience at Stanford University that “A meaningful life comes from a deep sense of awareness about who you are and why you’re here. It comes from being in touch with, on a regular basis, the appreciation and the holy gratitude that should fill each of our hearts on a regular basis, just knowing what a privilege it is to be here and to be human. (OK. Does anyone have a clue as to what she just said?) She continued, “Spirituality for me is recognizing that I am connected to the energy of all creation, that I am a part of it—and it is always a part of me. Whatever label or word we use to describe "it" doesn't matter.”
1) well, “May the Force be with you!” (yes, I’m being sarcastic)
3. the bible tells us that the it matters and the It is Jesus Christ, and if your it ain’t Jesus Christ, if you’re not trusting in God’s justifying act in Christ’s death and resurrection, than any other it your depending on ain’t It
4. we experience God’s true grace through true saving faith in a Savior who truly died for us
III. CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST
III. CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST
“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 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. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”” (Galatians 2:19–21, NIV84)
A. TRUE GRACE TRANSFORMS OUR LIVES
A. TRUE GRACE TRANSFORMS OUR LIVES
1. verse 20 is packed with meaning, so let me try to unpack it for you
2. 1st, in Christ the Believer Is Dead to the Law
a. believers are beyond the reach of God's law
1) we are no longer under its curse
2) it no longer condemns us
3) we are no longer under its death penalty
b. in Christ, we are dead to the law
“So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.” (Romans 7:4, NIV84)
c. Paul astonishes his listeners when he says, "I am dead to the law, but alive unto God"
ILLUS. Let me try to explain it to you this way. A man who commits murder is caught and arrested. He is indicted, brought to trial and witnesses are called, and all with one voice testify to the man's guilt. The defense sums up its case; and the prosecutor sums up his. The prosecutor demands the death penalty. The jury is dismissed to deliberate the case and within an hour returns with their verdict. The defendant stands before the judge and hears the verdict, "You have been found guilty." During the sentencing phase of the trial the judge says, "The law decrees that, having been found guilty of the grievous crime of capitol murder, you shall be executed by electrocution.”
The appointed day arrives. The man is led to a room with a single, large wooden chair with electrodes attached. He is strapped into the chair and a black hood is placed over his head. At the signaled moment a lever is thrown and a powerful surge of electricity is applied to his body. Two more times the power is sent surging through the criminal’s body. The physician enters and pronounces him legally dead. It is so recorded in the law books. The law has been fully satisfied now. Justice has been served. It can do no more, and it will ask no more. The case is closed.
1) this man is now dead to the law; the law no longer has jurisdiction over him because laws only apply to living people
2) this man is also dead through the law;
a) it is through the law that his crime was declared illegal
b) it is through the law that he is apprehended, tried and condemned
c) it is through the law that he is put to death
ILLUS. Cont. But something strange happens. A few days later you meet this same man walking alive on the streets of your community. At first, you cannot believe your eyes, so you look again. Yes, it's the same man. You ask around. Yes, others have seen him, too and his life is totally different from before.
You rush to the police to tell your story. The man they have so recently executed is alive and well and loose! But the police are unimpressed. They say, "Wait a minute until we look up the record." They open the books and discover that, yes, there is no mistake, the man is legally dead. He was tried, convicted, sentenced and the penalty carried out. The fact that the man rose from the dead after a few days is of no concern to the law.
The law did not anticipate a resurrection. It made no provision beyond death. The police say, "We're sorry, the man is legally dead. He has paid his debt to society. We find nothing in the law which can judge a dead man, nor do we find anything in the law whereby we can execute a man twice for the same crime."
d. this story illustrates what Paul means when he writes, For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God
3. 2nd, The Believer is Dead to the Law Because He Has Died With Christ
a. Paul speaks of the power of grace to transform our lives—he died in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, by identifying himself with Christ through faith
1) Jesus met all the demands of the law
a) in Christ, Paul also has met all the demands of the law
b) in Christ, you have met all the demands of the law
2) Jesus paid the penalty for sin, and died under the law's curse
a) in Christ, Paul also has paid the penalty for sin, and died under the law's curse
b) in Christ, you paid the penalty for sin and died under the law’s curse
b. this grace transforms the life of Paul
1) before meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul is enslaved by the demands of a law that requires a perfectly righteous life
2) he is a proud-hearted man who will not accept God's grace, but would rather try to save himself by his own goodness and works
a) after meeting Jesus his chains are gone, he’s been set free, his God, his Savior has ransomed him, and like a flood God’s mercy reigns; Unending love, Amazing grace fill Paul’s life
b) after meeting Jesus, your chains fell off, you’ve been set free, your God, your savior has ransomed you, and like a flood God’s mercy reigns in your life
4. 3rd, We’ve Crucified With Christ, but We Live In Christ and Christ Lives in Us
a. as Jesus hung on the cross, men saw only a man—a human body with nails through his hands and his feet
1) God looked down upon His Son and saw far more than a physical body
2) God also saw a spiritual body—a mystical body which the Scriptures call the Body of Christ, that is, the Church
3) in His Son, God saw people—myriads upon myriads of individuals who would, through the centuries, give their heart and life to Jesus
4) as God looked down upon His Son on the cross, He saw you and He saw me
5. here is the great and marvelous mystery of the gospel of grace
a. through grace Paul was IN CHRIST as he hung on the cross of Calvary
b. through grace you are IN CHRIST as he hung on the cross of Calvary
6. this is the true grace of the gospel at work
Are Christians to be a people full of Good Works? Yes! But the works we do are the fruit and not the root of our salvation.