"The Essence of the Christian Faith!"
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Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting.
Those who want to make a good impression in the flesh are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised—but only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
For even the circumcised don’t keep the law themselves, and yet they want you to be circumcised in order to boast about your flesh.
But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world.
For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation.
May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy even to the Israel of God!
From now on, let no one cause me trouble, because I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
We now reach the end of the letter to the Galatians.
So far Paul has been dictating to a companion, but now, as his custom was, he takes the pen from his secretary’s hand, in order to add a personal postscript.
I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand, which is an authenticating mark in every letter; this is how I write.
Usually this was a guarantee against forgery, or a final exhortation or benediction, but on this occasion, he writes several sentences in his personal handwriting.
(v.11) – “Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting.”
Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting.
Various suggestions have been made about these “large letters.”
· Perhaps he was referring to the untidy letters of an amateur (he wasn’t a scribe).
· Perhaps his letters were large due to his poor eyesight.
· MOST commentators consider that he used large letters for EMPHASIS!
Q: “WHAT DOES PAUL EMPHASIZE?”
A: The PRINCIPAL THEMES of the CHRISTIAN GOSPEL!
In these final sentences, Paul contrasts himself with the Judaizers, and the two religious systems they represent!
As he does so, he pinpoints two vital issues to the Christian faith that have been debated throughout Church history!
TWO QUESTIONS for our consideration this morning:
I. Is the Essence of the Christian Faith OUTWARD or INWARD? – (6:12-13, 15)
I. Is the Essence of the Christian Faith OUTWARD or INWARD? – (6:12-13, 15)
Is the essence of the Christian faith outward or inward?
In other words, is Christianity fundamentally a religion of external ceremonies, or is it something inward and spiritual?
The Judaizers of Paul’s day concentrated on the external—namely on circumcision!
Their battle cry can be found in (Acts 15:1)
Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
NOTICE their motives as described in (vv.12-13):
1. They “…want to make a good impression in the flesh” – (v.12a)
1. They “…want to make a good impression in the flesh” – (v.12a)
2. They did so “…only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ” – (v.12b)
2. They did so “…only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ” – (v.12b)
3. They desire to “…boast about your flesh.” – (v.13b)
3. They desire to “…boast about your flesh.” – (v.13b)
They were keeping an ‘ecclesiastical score book’! “How many have you circumcised?”
While circumcision was given to Abraham as a SIGN of their covenant, it never (in and of itself) had any spiritual power!
While not optional, (Genesis 17:10-14), it was the SIGN or SYMBOL, and not the SUBSTANCE!
The Judaizers equated circumcision with being salvation and insisted that no Gentile could be saved apart from being circumcision!
Paul’s SUMMATION is found in (v.15)!
He would later expand on this simple statement in both (2 Corinthians 5:17) and (Romans 2:28-29)!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh.
On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.
Circumcision and baptism are outward and visible ceremonies performed by men, but the new creation is the inward new birth performed by God!
This is not to say that the bodily and the external have no place!
What is in the heart needs to be expressed through the mouth!
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
What is inward and spiritual needs to have outward expression!
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But the ESSENCE is in the INWARD!
Outward forms are valueless if inward reality is lacking!
II. Is the Essence of the Christian Faith HUMAN or DIVINE? – (6:13-16)
II. Is the Essence of the Christian Faith HUMAN or DIVINE? – (6:13-16)
Is Christianity a matter of what we do for God, or of what He has done for us?
In their concentration on circumcision the Judaizers made obedience to the Law the requirement for salvation!
But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Paul CHALLENGES this teaching by pointing out their true motives (vv.12-13), and calling their bluff – (v.14)!
(cf. 5:11) – “Why is the cross so offensive? Why does the cross make people so angry?”
The CROSS tells us very unpleasant truths about ourselves, namely that we are sinners under the righteous curse of God’s law and that we cannot save ourselves!
(Galatians 2:21; 3:13)
The TRUTH IS, we cannot boast in ourselves and in the Cross at the same time!
If we boast in ourselves and our ability to save ourselves, we will never boast in the cross and in the ability of Christ to save us!
CONCLUSION: (6:16-18)
CONCLUSION: (6:16-18)
(v.16) – “May peace to all those who follow this standard, and mercy even to the Israel of God!”
Legalists have neither peace, nor mercy!
WHY? – They have no peace because deep down in their hearts they know they themselves not able to keep all the standards they impose on others. And because they know they are faking it, they assume no one else will make it either! They have no mercy because they themselves have not experienced the mercy of God!
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
(v.17) – Paul is saying, “I know the price you’ll pay for standing up to the Judaizers. I know that not everyone will be pleased with your message! There is a price for standing up for the Gospel”
(2 Corinthians 4:7-18) (Matthew 5:10-12) (2 Timothy 3:12)