Through the Bible - Galatians

Let's pray. Lord, we do come before You, thanking You for how awesome You are. As we just sang about Your love, we couldn't even begin to describe how incredible Your love towards us is. Yet, You have demonstrated it for us; while we were yet sinners, You came and died for us. As we take time to look at this great epistle tonight, the book of Galatians, I pray that You would speak to us, teach us by Your Holy Spirit, and give us insight, for we ask it in Jesus' name. All God's people said, Amen.

How many of you read through the book of Galatians this last week? It is a little bit easier to tackle, with six chapters. Many of you did read through it, and I'm sure as you did, you saw that there is a lot crammed into this little letter, the letter of liberty. When I first started teaching the Bible to the junior high group back in 1999, this was the very first book that I taught through. We spent about six weeks going through a chapter a week, and I was amazed at the different things that were in this book as I studied it verse by verse.

It's easy to skip over things when you read through it quickly. Sometimes, when we do our Bible reading in a year programs, we can overlook things that are very important. Covering this book tonight in just one night makes it absolutely impossible to grasp the great treasures found in these six chapters. I highly encourage you to go back through it and read it carefully and slowly.

As you read through the book of Galatians, you'll see that it is like the Bill of Rights for the Christian, the Magna Carta for the Christian, the Declaration of Liberty. Paul the Apostle, on his very first missionary journey, left in Acts chapter 13. You'll remember that he and Barnabas were separated for the work that God had called them to, and they ventured out on this mission trip. They took at least John Mark with them, and we don't know who else was traveling with them, but at the very least, they had John Mark. They went to the island of Cyprus.

And they ministered there for a while. After leaving Cyprus, John Mark went back to Jerusalem, while Paul and Barnabas went north towards the region of Galatia.

When we read the letter to the Galatians, it's important to note that it was not just addressed to a single church. Unlike the letters to the Colossians or the Philippians, which were written to specific congregations, this letter was written to a whole group of churches. It was in that region of Galatia that Paul first ministered, and Timothy was from Galatia as well. Some of the cities mentioned, such as Lystra and Derbe, are part of Galatia.

In Galatia, Paul faced opposition and persecution. In fact, in one of the cities, when the people first saw him, they exclaimed that he was like a god when he brought the word to them. However, these were fickle people. They dragged him outside of the city and stoned him almost to death, leaving him for dead. It is in this context that these churches were birthed.

Immediately after leaving, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch. There, they encouraged the body of Christ and shared how the Lord had opened the door to the Gentiles, resulting in many Gentiles coming to faith in the region of Galatia. While they were back in Antioch, it is believed that a group known as the Judaizers came into Galatia and seduced the church. They told the believers that faith in Jesus Christ was not enough for salvation; they insisted that they needed to follow the feast days of the Jews and be circumcised.

Word of this situation reached Paul, prompting him to travel with a group of men down to Jerusalem. There, at the Jerusalem Council, as recorded in Acts chapter 15, they discussed the gospel going to the Gentiles. They ultimately provided Paul and Barnabas with a letter to take back to the Gentile churches, encouraging them in their faith in Jesus Christ and affirming that justification is by faith alone.

Following this, Paul's second missionary journey began, during which he took these teachings back to the churches. It is believed that the letter to the Galatians was written around this time, just before Paul embarked on his second missionary journey. He writes to the church in Galatia because, as we will see in this letter, he is very concerned about what has happened there. He expresses his concern in Galatians chapter 3, verse 1, saying, "O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?" He continues in Galatians chapter 4, verse 11, stating, "I am fearful for you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." In verse 20 of chapter 4, he further elaborates on his concerns.

Now these are some heavy statements. When I read these things, I can see the passion of Paul as he looks at the church he worked so hard to establish, only to find it now seduced by false teachings. This was an eye-opener for the Apostle Paul. He even mentions in this letter how he once persecuted the church and sought to destroy it during his very first missionary journey. This was his initial experience in planting churches, and now the very churches he established are being torn down by others who are doing the same things he once did. It’s almost as if he is watching the work he dedicated himself to being dismantled, and he is deeply concerned about it.

He expresses his fear for them, saying, "lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain." We have discussed this before, but if you were a farmer, how would you know if you had worked in vain? What would be the sign? There would be no fruit. You would have plowed the ground, planted the seeds, and tended to the crops. Yet, when the harvest came, no fruit would appear. In that case, you would realize that you had put in so much work for nothing; you had labored in vain.

As Paul reflects on this church, he says, "I went there, I plowed the ground, I planted the seeds, I tended the crops, I watered the ground, and I left hoping it would bring forth fruit." Yet now he hears that tares have been sown among the wheat. He reiterates his concern, stating, "I stand in doubt of you."

In verse 19 of Galatians chapter 4, he writes, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." He essentially conveys that he is worried he has labored in vain, but he is willing to labor again so that Christ would be formed in them. He intends to return and share the gospel with them once more.

This letter serves as a powerful declaration of the gospel. We see that the gospel of grace was given by divine revelation at the beginning of the letter. Then, we learn that the gospel of grace was approved by the council at Jerusalem when Paul and the rest of the group traveled from Antioch to Jerusalem. The Jewish believers there affirmed that the gospel is by faith and grace through faith, not of works. Furthermore, Paul vindicated the gospel by standing in opposition to the Apostle Peter. In essence, Paul stood against the pope, so to speak.

Peter was kind of getting mixed up in works salvation. He was afraid of what others might think if they saw him eating with Gentiles, which is living under the law. That is not the gospel of grace. Paul would confront him about this. The gospel was given to Paul, and it was not given to him in vain. As we saw going through the book of 2 Corinthians, he labored more abundantly than they all to ensure that this gospel truth was taken to the uttermost parts of the earth. He wanted to see people come to the knowledge of the truth.

Look how he opens this great letter in chapter 1, verse 1. He says, "Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead." He essentially gives his credentials here because he is about to rebuke this church. In several of Paul's other epistles, we see him say, "Paul, a servant," or "Paul, a slave," or "bond slave of Jesus Christ." Yet here, he says, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ." He lays out his credentials at the start because he is going to rebuke this church.

He continues, "And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches," notice that, "the churches," plural, "of Galatia." Even though he is concerned for this church and stands in doubt of them, he says in verse 3, "Grace be unto you, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ." He knew that this church had been seduced in some ways to works salvation, and he was concerned for them. Yet, he still wanted to extend unto them the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and peace.

As it is always important to do, when we look at these two words, we need to recognize that they are always from God. You cannot have grace or peace from any other source. You can't find it apart from Jesus Christ and God our Father. Grace always comes before peace because you cannot have the peace which surpasses understanding until you have received by faith the grace of God. So he says, "Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Then he begins to outline the gospel in verse 4. Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God the Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. In just two verses, he lays out a very concise and clear declaration of the gospel: Jesus gave himself for our sins.

Nobody took His life from Him. Remember, He says that to Pilate in John chapter 19. He laid down His life of His own accord. Jesus gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us, that He might redeem and ransom us, as you see as you go on through the rest of this book.

Yet, right after He greets them, right after He gives this declaration of the gospel, He says, "I am amazed, I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him who calls you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel." How quickly you've been deceived! Just a very short time after He brought the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ to this church, to this group of people there in the region of Galatia, they had been swayed. They had been pulled to another gospel.

He says it is not another gospel. There is no other good news besides the news of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection on behalf of our lives. There is no other gospel, no other good news. But there are some that trouble you, he says in verse 7, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. What has been taught to you by these Judaizers who come in is a perversion of the sincere and complete gospel of Jesus.

He states that though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which was preached, let that person be accursed. Just in case they didn't get it the first time, He says it a second time in verse 9: "As we said before, so I say now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed." The word for accursed in those two verses, 8 and 9, is the word "anathema" in Greek.

He emphasizes that this gospel of grace was given by divine revelation. It wasn't something that Paul made up, or Peter made up, or the other disciples or apostles. This was given by divine revelation: that Jesus came and died for our sins.

He said, "When God so deemed to do so, He called me and set me apart so that I might preach Him and the gospel unto the heathen." Immediately, he conferred not with flesh and blood. He didn't go and ask what everybody else thought about this. He didn't go to the disciples down in Jerusalem or ask Peter if he was okay with it. It was God who called him; it was God who ordained him. And so he went forth to preach the gospel.

Look down in verse 23. The people, when Paul went to preach the gospel to those in Antioch and minister among the churches, had heard only that he who persecuted us in times past now preaches the faith which he once destroyed. Isn't that an awesome testimony? That was the testimony Paul had among the churches he ministered to. They said, "Hey, that guy who used to persecute the church and sought to destroy it now preaches the very faith he sought to destroy." I think that's one of the coolest testimonies you could possibly have.

As he continues, he begins to give a great case for the gospel, especially in chapter 2, starting in verse 16. Remember, he's speaking to a group of believers who have departed from the simplicity of justification by faith alone. He says in verse 16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ."

Before he had seen Christ on the road to Damascus and was knocked off his donkey, Paul was trying to justify himself by his own works. He was doing whatever he could in the law to make himself right before God and fully believed he was doing exactly what God had called him to do, even in killing Christians. Just as Jesus had foretold in the Gospel of John, He prophesied that there would come a day when people would kill you thinking they do the service of God. Paul was that exact guy; he fulfilled that prophecy.

Now, he wasn't the only one to fulfill that prophecy, but he was one of those who did. He said, "I sought to destroy it thinking that I was doing what God had called me to do." He thought he was perfect. We'll see that when we get to Philippians in a couple of weeks. In Philippians chapter 3, he says, "According to the law, I was blameless when I was a Pharisee. I was perfect as it related to the law." So he sought to justify himself by the works of the law, but man shall not be justified by the works of the law.

But by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Would you underline that at the end of verse 16? By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

You see, the church in the region of Galatia had been duped and deceived into thinking that now that they had put their faith in Jesus Christ, if they really wanted to have a right relationship with God, then they had to do A, B, C, D, E, F, G, all the way down the list. They created this whole long list. If you really want to be right with God, then this is what you need to do. And that's not what God had called them to.

So, Paul is seeking to explain the simplicity of the gospel once again to these people who had been deceived. I have found that a lot of times new believers get into a time or a pattern of legalism. It seems that many Christians go through phases, especially early on in their walk with the Lord, where they come up with some sort of standard. They think that if they just keep this standard, if they just do these things, then they will be righteous and right before God.

We don't really call it law; a lot of times we say, "Well, I have standards," or "I have things that the Lord has told me to do." That's fine and good, and I'm sure that the Lord has, by His Spirit, said, "This is the way; walk ye in it." However, when you begin to consider yourself righteous based on the things that you have done, then you've moved into a place of legalism.

When you begin to point the finger at others and say that a person is not righteous because they don't do these things, then you have most certainly moved into legalism. This church had become divided because that kind of thought pattern had come in. Not only did it come in, but it was being taught to them that if they did these things, then they would do well. Yet, that's not what the gospel of grace is all about.

The gospel of grace is about the fact that you and I could not have done anything, and because all of our good works are as filthy rags before God, as Isaiah 64:6 says, we have to fully and completely trust in and rely upon God and the work that He did on our behalf there on the cross 2,000 years ago.

He says, "Man shall not be justified by the works of the law." But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. He says, if you're seeking to be justified by Christ and yet you find that you still fall into sin...

And if you still walk in sin, does that mean that Christ has caused you to sin? Absolutely not. For if I build again the things which I have destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. This was exactly what Peter had fallen into, and that's why Paul rebuked Peter to his face when Peter came to Antioch to see the church that was going on there.

You see, Peter had no problem eating with the Gentiles when he was around certain people. When it was just a group of Gentiles, Peter would hang out with them. Remember, he had seen that cloth lowered from heaven with all these unclean beasts on it. God said, "Rise, kill, and eat." Peter replied, "No, not so, Lord. I haven't touched anything unclean since my youth." He saw this three times, and the Lord said, "Don't call that unclean which I have called clean." There, God was releasing him from the bondage of trying to do these things to make himself righteous.

So, when Peter was among a group of Gentiles, he had no problem eating pork with them. But when Jews of high regard showed up, Peter would separate himself, saying, "I can't be around those Gentiles. I have to stay away from them." He had once again bound himself. Paul states in verse 18, "If I build again the things that I have destroyed, then I make myself a transgressor."

For I, through the law, am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. The whole purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we might live unto God, living in Christ, with Christ in us, living out the life that He has called us to. A great verse that many of you have memorized is verse 20: "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives within me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith, by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

I have been crucified with Christ. As Romans chapter 7 reveals, we are dead to the law and also dead to sin. Now, that doesn't mean that we don't seek to follow the Lord in obedience, but it's not so that we can win righteousness; it's from the position of righteousness. We do good works not to gain righteousness; we do good works to bring glory to our Father. Remember, just as Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, "That they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

No, I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness came by the law, then Christ died in vain. If there was any way for you and me to be saved by the law, then Jesus' death on the cross was not necessary. But obviously, the fact that Jesus had to come...

That he had to die. When Jesus called out in the garden of Gethsemane, three times he said, "Father, if there's any other way, let this cup pass from me." And what did he hear? Silence. There is no other way. The silence from heaven was an indication that there was no other way. Three times, as he came before God the Father, he asked, "Is there any other way?" The answer was no. This is the only way.

Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? Before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you? You see, there was no other way, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ proved that there was no other way. This only I would learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Oh, are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, that you are now made perfect by the flesh?

You see, when you came to Jesus Christ by grace through faith, it was a work of His Spirit in you that caused you to be born again. In John chapter 20, it is said that Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." What was happening there? Jesus spoke with Nicodemus in John chapter 3. He said to this very learned religious man, who probably followed the law and was a member of the Pharisees, "Unless you're born again, you shall not see the kingdom of heaven."

Nicodemus responded, "What is this all about? Shall I enter into my mother's womb a second time and be born again?" Jesus replied, "That which is born of flesh is flesh, but that which is born of Spirit is Spirit." Then He said, "You must be born again." We must be born by the Spirit of God.

It is Christ who does the work. If you receive the Spirit by faith, are you now going to perfect yourself by the flesh? There is no possible way. You and I couldn't justify ourselves in the beginning by the works of the law. How do we possibly think that we can make anything better between God now that we've come to Him by faith and by the work of His Spirit?

Have you suffered so many things in vain, if it be yet in vain? He, therefore, that ministers to you the Spirit and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? That's a great question. Paul says, "When I came to you, I ministered among you, and I even performed miracles in your midst."

Do you think I did that by the works of the law? Was it the works of the law that caused me to be able to heal the sick? Or was it the hearing of faith? Was it the Spirit of God? Obviously, they had to say that it is not something done by the works of the law.

Then, Paul goes on to describe how even in the Old Testament, prior to the law, Abraham was justified by grace through faith. In Genesis chapter 15, verse 6, it says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him as righteousness." Even as Abraham believed for righteousness there, in verse 6 of Galatians chapter 3, Paul reveals his excellent knowledge and understanding of the Old Testament. One after another, he uses verses from the Old Testament like a machine gun.

Here, he goes back to Genesis chapter 15, verse 6, just as he had done in Romans chapter 4. He uses the same argument for the church at Rome, knowing that those who are of faith are the same as the children of Abraham. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him as righteousness. Today, you and I are grafted into Abraham by grace through faith, by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.

The Jews put such an emphasis on the fact that they were children of Abraham. Remember, even as they spoke with Jesus, they said, "We are children of Abraham." He responded, "God is able to make these stones into children of Abraham." So, obviously, just being of the bloodline of Abraham doesn't mean anything. Remember, Ishmael was of the bloodline of Abraham, yet he was the child by the flesh, not the child of the promise.

As Paul shows in this passage, he uses the illustration of Hagar and the flesh, and the ultimate outcome, Ishmael. He also mentions the promise that God gave through the barren one, his wife Sarah. Those who are of faith are the same as the children of Abraham. Just as Paul says in Romans chapter 9, not all Israel are Israel. This means that not all those who come from the bloodline or from the family tree of Israel or Abraham are really governed by God, but those who, by faith, are children of Abraham.

The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all the nations be blessed." Those who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Those who come to God by faith receive the same blessing that Abraham did.

The blessing of the promise of salvation in God is profound. One after another, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy, Genesis, and Leviticus, going down the line and referencing various verses from the Old Testament. He also draws from Isaiah, demonstrating his excellent knowledge of the Old Testament, as revealed in many of his letters.

However, we read in verse 11 that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God. It is evident. How is it evident? Even in the Old Testament, Habakkuk chapter 2 states, "The just shall live by faith." Those six words have transformed millions of lives. Upon those six words, reformations have been started and revivals begun.

Martin Luther, the Catholic monk in Germany, was studying the Scriptures in Wittenberg when he read Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 4, and also Romans chapter 1, verses 16 and 17. The phrase "The just shall live by faith" completely and radically transformed his understanding of the righteousness of God that is imputed by grace through faith. From that revelation, the Protestant Reformation began.

Not only did the Protestant Reformation occur during Martin Luther's time, but John Wesley, who believed himself to be a Christian and performed many different works, would have faced a dire fate had he died early in his life. He would have stood before God, saying, "Lord, Lord, have I not done marvelous works in your name?" and God would have replied, "Depart from me, I never knew you."

It wasn't until years later, after Wesley had failed miserably in trying to keep the law and uphold his standards, that he attended a small Bible study on Aldersgate Street in London. A man read from the preface of Martin Luther's commentary on the book of Romans, and Wesley felt that his heart was strangely warmed as God transformed him through the words, "The just shall live by faith."

We see these words not only in Habakkuk chapter 2 but also in Romans chapter 1 and Hebrews chapter 10. It is interesting that these three New Testament books that quote Habakkuk chapter 2 focus on different aspects of these six words.

In Romans, we see that the just shall live by faith, as stated in Romans 1:17. The book of Romans focuses on the just and how you and I are justified. When we get into the book of Galatians, the emphasis shifts to living; not only are we justified by faith, but we also need to live and walk by faith. Faith is the key component even after we've been justified by grace through faith. We still need to walk and live by faith.

Hebrews focuses on the concept of "by faith." The just in Romans shall live in Galatians and by faith in Hebrews. When we reach Hebrews, especially in chapter 11, we see an entire chapter dedicated to those who lived by faith and not by the works of the law. The just shall live by faith, and the law is not of faith; the man who does them shall live in them. Paul reveals his excellent knowledge of the Old Testament here. Leviticus 18 states that if you are going to keep one of the laws, you must keep them all. You and I cannot be choosy about the law of God.

Typically, this is what happens with a legalist. They may have five or six laws that they think, if kept, will make them righteous, while neglecting the rest of the law. Jesus dealt with this among the Pharisees of His day. He said to them that they tithe on their mint and cumin, as if they take their salt shaker out and count nine pieces for themselves and one piece for God. They are so meticulous about certain laws, yet they disregard the weightier matters of the law: love, justice, and mercy. He said they should have kept these and not neglected the others.

It is always in man's sinful nature to pick out the laws they like and discard the ones they believe God didn't really intend for them to follow. Even today, people say we must keep all these commandments, but we don't need to worry about the Sabbath because Jesus never talked about that. The church is still choosy about which laws to follow and which to ignore. However, if you try to keep all the law or just a few laws to justify yourself, you are in debt to God to keep it all. If you break the law in just one point, then you are guilty of everything.

So, what is the purpose of the law? If we are justified by grace through faith apart from the law, why did God even give us the law?

We find the answer to that when we get down to chapter 3, verse 24. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. What was the purpose of the law? Verse 19 also says it was added because of transgressions. The law was given so that we might clearly know and understand that we are sinners before God and that we need a Savior. Not only do we want a Savior, but we need a Savior. For without the law, there is no knowledge of sin. The law brings the knowledge of sin, as stated in Revelation 3, verse 20.

Paul says in Romans 3:20, and in Romans chapter 7, he states, "I would not have known sin if it were not for the law." If the law did not say, "Thou shalt not covet," I would not have known that I was a sinner. Therefore, the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Why? Look at the end of verse 24: that we might be justified by faith. The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Jesus Christ so that we might be justified by faith.

However, here's the problem. The Jews and many other very religious people get stuck and focused on the law. It's as if you said to your kids, "We're going to take you tomorrow to Disneyland." You pile the kids in the car and drive all the way up to Disneyland. The whole way is filled with great anticipation of riding the rides, like Peter Pan and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride—actually, don't go on that one; it's dangerous.

Then you drive, pull off the freeway at Catella and Anaheim, and you drive up right to the sign. You say, "All right, kids, we're here." You get out and just sit down in front of the sign for the next six hours, looking at the sign. "Isn't it a beautiful sign? Look at all the colors on that sign. Oh, let's look at it from a different angle. It's a wonderful sign, isn't it? Oh, Disneyland. Oh, I love it." Yet, you never enter into the park to experience the joy of the rides. You just get focused on the sign.

That is what religion is all about. People get focused on the law and not the fulfillment of the law. The law was the schoolmaster to point them to Jesus. It was the sign that pointed the way, and they got so hung up on the sign, marveling at its beauty, that they never entered into the fullness thereof. Thus, the law was our schoolmaster.

To bring us to Christ for the intended purpose that we would place our faith in Jesus Christ and be justified, we must understand that the law was weak and could not justify us. It is not that the law was weak; the law is holy, just, and good. However, the law exposes our weaknesses, showing that we cannot fulfill it. There is no way that we can keep it.

Now, after faith has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster, for we are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Jesus. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ. If you belong to Christ, then you are all Abraham's seed and heirs according to the same promise. You and I receive the promise that was given to Abraham thousands of years ago as we place our faith in Jesus Christ. This is the desire and intended purpose of God in giving the law.

For 2,000 years, He allowed man to try and do it on his own, from the time that Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden until the law was given under Moses. Then, for another 2,000 years, He allowed man to try and do it according to His perfect law. The whole purpose was to show that we cannot do it on our own, nor can we do it His way. Therefore, we need to follow Christ; He is the only one who can do it. We can only be justified in Christ by faith because of the grace that He has given.

Yet, this church had been bewitched, and so Paul says, "I'm afraid for you because I think I've labored in vain." He expresses his determination to travail again until Christ be formed in them, as he stands in doubt of them. These were hard words for the church at Galatia to hear, and I am sure that when they read these words, it broke their hearts. However, we have proof as we read through the rest of the New Testament that this church received the word. When Paul visited them once again, he was greatly encouraged by what he found, as we see in the book of Acts.

He gives them a great exhortation in chapter 5: "Stand fast therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free."

And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Stand fast in the liberty that Christ has given to us. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

You see, that was one of the key things that they were being told: you need to keep the feast days. You need to follow these Jewish traditions and ordinances, and you need to fulfill the right of circumcision if you're truly to receive the promise of Abraham. Remember, God gave to Abraham the sign of the covenant in Genesis chapter 17, which was circumcision. But prior to that, before God gave him the sign of the covenant, He gave him the covenant and the promise in Genesis chapter 15.

So Paul says it's not in circumcision, because if you're circumcised, then you're a debtor to keep the whole law. You can't just keep one of them, as Leviticus chapter 18 says. Christ has become of no effect unto you, whosoever you are justified by the law. You are fallen from grace. I am fearful that there are people in the church today in America who have fallen from grace.

That doesn't specifically mean that they're not Christians anymore; it just means they've become entangled again in the bondage of legalism. They have some sort of set standards that if they just do these things, then they will be righteous. They think, "I can't smoke. I can't drink. I can't chew. I can't run with those people who do." If they just keep these things, then they'll be okay. But God never said that.

Now, just as Paul said in 2 Corinthians, some of those things are not edifying. Some of those things are not helpful; they're not expedient. They don't aid me in coming closer to Jesus Christ. So he says, "I'm not going to be entangled with those things either."

God didn't say that if you're doing these things, then if you don't do these things, you'll be righteous. We have this idea that people who have tattoos must be unrighteous, or people who smoke must be unrighteous. But the unrighteous are those who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Remember, our righteousness is not according to our works; our righteousness is according to His work on our behalf.

He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. He makes us righteous because of what He did on our behalf. Through the Spirit, we wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. We are earnestly waiting for, as we see in Romans chapter 8, the manifestation of the sons of God.

Are you and I practically righteous today? Are you? What do you think?

Are we practically righteous? Meaning, do we live perfectly in righteousness today? No. We are positionally righteous because we're in Christ. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. However, we all still sin. There is coming a day, though, when this corruption will put on incorruption, and this mortality will put on immortality. That's what Paul says. We are earnestly waiting, in hope, for the righteousness that is by faith. We are waiting for that practical righteousness one day.

In Jesus Christ, neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which works by love. You did run well. Who hindered you that you should not obey the truth? You started out well, yet now you've been tripped up, entangled, and brought back into bondage by the works of the law. This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. This desire or idea did not come from God; He did not call you to this. You set this upon yourself. You have entangled yourself with a heavy load and a heavy yoke that you cannot bear. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

I have confidence in you through the Lord. I still have confidence that God is going to finish the work that He started in you, just as Paul did in the church in Philippi, as stated in Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. Yet, Paul was concerned that these people had been derailed.

For brethren, you have been called unto liberty. We have been called unto liberty to be set free in Christ, no longer under the bondage of sin and death. Only use your liberty not for an occasion of the flesh. He says don't use your liberty as a license to sin. This was the concern of many Jews; they worried that if you tell Gentiles they have the grace of God, they will run off and continue in sin. But that puts no faith in God, who is able to sustain, carry, sanctify, and cleanse us.

So, Paul says, don't use your liberty as a license to sin, but by love, serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: that you shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another. This I say: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts or desires of your flesh. Here’s the key to the life of righteousness: walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of your flesh.

It wars against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. These two are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you desire or the things that you would. Circle that word "cannot" there. It's not that you just won't; it's that you cannot do the things that you desire.

If you are living in the flesh and walking in the flesh, yet you have a new heart from God that desires to obey Him, you will never fulfill the things that you desire. You will always fail. I think every single one of us has met, or maybe even been in the place of, a Christian who says, "Gosh, I want to serve the Lord, but the good things I want to do, I don't do, and the bad things I don't want to do, that I practice." This reflects Romans chapter 7. They have a desire to follow God; the will is present with them because God has given them a new heart that desires to obey Him. However, if they are walking in the flesh, they are trying to do it in their own strength.

We need to walk in the Spirit, for the flesh wars against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, so that you cannot do the things that you desire. But if you are led of the Spirit, as stated in verse 18, you are not under the law.

Now, the works of the flesh are clearly seen; they are manifest. We know what they are: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (which means unbridled lust), idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envies, murders, drunkenness, revilings, and such like. Of these, I tell you before, as I have told you in times past, they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

This verse has been used to greatly destroy many believers because they will say, "Hey, well, you did this, so you're not going to inherit the kingdom of God." However, the word "do" there is in the present active tense in the Greek. It’s not just if you fall into sin; it’s if you practice such things and are in the present position of actively practicing these things. Just as Jesus says, "Yeah, you did good works, but depart from Me; I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness." It’s in the same present active tense that Paul speaks of there, or that Jesus says there.

He states that those who do such things are presently and actively doing these things and practicing them. This is only proof that they are not truly children of God. Why? Because if you are a child of God, you are going to desire not to practice these things. It doesn't mean you might not fall into such a thing, but your desire will be to turn away from it.

If we fail, we are to confess our sins, and He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. However, if you can practice these things and have no conviction, and no desire to turn away from them, you are not a Christian. If that describes you tonight, you need to repent. If you can practice sin and feel no conviction, and you can practice sin without a desire to walk away from it, we will labor again until Christ is formed in you.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Against such, there is no law. The fruit of the Spirit is completely in line with the law of God. If you want to live according to the law of God, fulfill the law of God, and be a glory unto your Father in heaven, walk in the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit fulfills God's law every single time. There is no law that says you cannot have love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, temperance, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, or self-control. You will never find a law that says, "Thou shall not have joy," unless it is man's law. Among God's laws, the fruit of the Spirit always obeys the truth of the Word of God.

Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, or envying one another. Brethren, if any man is overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.

If you are going about your Christian life and see another brother or sister fall into sin, falling into some of the fleshly things mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21, then you who are spiritually minded should go and restore such a one, but do so with a spirit of gentleness and meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Sometimes, when we try to help someone who is in sin, we look down upon them, thinking, "How horrible is that? I'll help you up, but you should have never gotten yourself into this trouble in the first place." Take heed when you think you stand, lest you fall, and always approach others in a spirit of gentleness and meekness.

Because you probably will be tempted in that very thing, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Now, it's very interesting because in verse 2, Paul says to bear one another's burdens, but in verse 5, he says every man shall bear his own burden. That's where the English translation fails sometimes; that's where you need to go back and look at the original language.

When we read in verse 2, "bear one another's burdens," the word for burden there is heaviness or trouble. However, the word for burden in verse 5 is totally different; it just speaks of your weight, your load, or your lot. You carry your own lot, but if any man is overtaken in a trespass, you who are spiritual should go and restore him, bearing his burden and so fulfilling the law of Christ, the law of love.

For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. That's a good verse for us to memorize, especially for us guys. If you think yourself to be something when you're nothing, you've deceived yourself. But let every man prove his own work, and he shall have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.

Let him that is taught the word communicate unto him that teaches in all good things. We'll talk about that another time. But verse 7 says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap."

Now here we have the law of reaping and sowing, or sowing and reaping, I should say. Don't be deceived; God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. You know that old saying that a man likes to go sow his wild oats on Saturday night and then wake up Sunday morning and pray for a crop failure? He says here that if you sow to the flesh, you shall reap corruption. God is not mocked; you're going to reap the consequences of your actions.

Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. If you sow to the flesh, you'll reap corruption. But this is also true in Christ: if you sow to the Spirit, you shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life. This law of sowing and reaping works both ways. We can sow to the flesh and live according to the desires of the flesh, and you're going to reap destruction and corruption. It's going to be the works of the flesh, which are evident.

However, if you sow to the Spirit, you shall of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Let us not be weary in well-doing; let us not grow weary.

In planting good works, why? Because in due season, you shall reap if you do not faint. Sometimes, you meet people who say, "I've been trying to walk in the Lord, and I just feel like I keep failing. I'm ready to give up." He says, "No, sow to the Spirit. Keep walking in the Spirit; you shall reap everlasting life. You're going to reap of the Spirit everlasting life. Don't grow weary in well-doing, because if you don't, in due season, you shall reap if you faint not."

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them of the household of faith. We should look for opportunities to serve one another and do that which God has called us to do. Then Paul finishes out his letter, saying, "You see with what large letters I have written unto you with my own hand." This is a letter that Paul actually wrote; the first manuscript was written by himself, his own hand. A lot of Paul's letters were written by dictation. Just as you read in the book of Romans, in Romans chapter 16, there was Tertius who wrote the letter as Paul dictated it to him while he was in the city of Corinth. Many of Paul's letters were done that way, especially since it is believed, even from this very letter, that Paul had some problem with his eyes. He says here, "I've written with large letters." He didn't have good bifocals or transition lenses back then; he had some real problems with his eyes, it would appear.

Notice what he says in verses 12 and 13: "As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." He refers to a group of Judaizers who come among you, telling you that you need to be circumcised or keep the law. The only reason they are telling you this is because they don't want to be persecuted by the Jews. But Paul did not consider his life; he was willing to lay down his life. As he prepared to go to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey, he stopped there in Acts chapter 20. We see that they came out to him and said, "Don't go to Jerusalem; you're going to be bound." Yet he says to them, "None of these things move me, neither do I count my life dear to myself."

Paul wasn't concerned; he wasn't worried about persecution. In contrast, this group of Judaizers was afraid of being persecuted. Listen, there are Christians today, maybe even in this room, who are afraid to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ because someone might say something bad about them at work, or they might tease them, or they might ask a question that they don't know how to answer. But Paul was the great example in this.

That he didn't count his life dear unto himself. He said, "I'm going to preach Christ even if it means persecution." Yet these Judaizers, the whole reason that they wanted these people to be circumcised and follow the law of the Jews, is because they were afraid of the Jews and didn't want to be persecuted. Neither they themselves, who are circumcised, keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised that they might glory in your flesh.

He said, "Sure, they're circumcised, but they don't keep the whole law. They just have an appearance of righteousness but not true righteousness." That's what religion is all about. Ultimately, if you're going to live a legalistic religious life, there are two things that will never be in your life: joy and humility. You'll never have joy, and you'll never have humility. If you're trying to live up to the law of God, you're always going to know within your own heart that you fail.

As a result, you're going to be a person who has no joy, but you've got to maintain a certain appearance before men and pretend like you've got it all in order, so you never have any humility either. Religion, well, it's not a good thing. Ultimately, religion doesn't lead people to the truth of the righteousness of Christ; it's only found by grace through faith. That's what this letter is all about. It's about grace and the peace that comes from God as we place our faith in Him.

He gives us liberty in Christ and sets us free to live unto God—not to go out and sin, but to live to God as we desire to do. Remember, when you're born again by the Spirit of God, He gives you a new heart that desires to follow and serve Him. That's one of the first indications that a person has been born again: they have a new desire that was never there before, a desire to serve and follow the King of Kings.

Let's stand and pray. Father, I thank You for this great book, just a very small letter, and yet so packed with truth. Lord, I pray that if there be among us tonight in this small group any who have found themselves bound by legalism, trying to do this long list of things to make themselves righteous or to make themselves holy, Lord, I pray that by Your word they would come to the truth, the understanding that righteousness...

Is only found in You by grace through faith. We thank You that You have given us Your righteousness. We are clothed tonight in Your righteousness because of the work that You did on our behalf.

I pray, Lord, that You would set us free to live towards You, to walk in the Spirit, not fulfilling the lust of our flesh. I pray that the fruit of the Spirit would be evident in my life and in the lives of my brothers and sisters here: love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.

Lord, as we walk in the Spirit, may we be doing just what You have called us to do—obeying the truth of the Gospel. I pray that You would give us an opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel with those in our family, those we consider our friends, our neighbors, or our co-workers—those who don't know You. Would You give us boldness to speak the Gospel of peace?

For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank You.