So as we come to the end of this
letter that the Apostle wrote to the Galatians, we see how
he comes to this most important statement and addresses the Galatians
with this great truth, explaining what he desired himself. And he says, but God forbid that
I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of
course by that he didn't physically mean the cross of wood, he meant
all that it represented. And of course what it represented
was that the Lord Jesus Christ did die on that cross at Calvary
and his death was so important it was so necessary because in
that death he shed his most precious and valuable blood which would
take away the sins, cleanse the sins of all his church. And so here the Apostle wanted
to not glory in anything else And it's a glorious example for
us in our lives today. And he desired that he wouldn't
be allowed to. He says, God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And how good
it is for us today if we have a similar desire. There are many
things naturally that we might want to glory in, the things
that we've done ourselves, our own abilities. But you see, all
these things are really irrelevant. They really are insignificant.
And they fall away. And yet you see, the things concerning
the death of our Lord Jesus Christ are vital to every single believer. If the Saviour had not died,
if he had not atoned for our sins, We would have had no hope
of eternal life in glory. We would be lost forever. And
so it is a wonderful thing to be able to glory in what the
Lord Jesus Christ did. It was a wonderful work. It was
a glorious work. And the more we think about it,
and the more we meditate upon it, the greater it becomes, the
more glorious it becomes, when we realise the Lord of life and
glory himself, the second person in the Trinity, was so willing
to come into this sinful world and to die, that you and I might
receive the great, wonderful, glorious gift of eternal life. So surely it's not surprising
that the Apostle here has this great statement and great desire,
and may all of us join with him and say, 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.' He means there
that the world really meant nothing to him. We can read of course
of his expression really when he wrote to the Philippians and
in the third chapter in the In that epistle, he gives us a little
insight into how he viewed himself. He said, though I might also
have confidence in the flesh, if any man thinketh that he might
trust in the flesh, I more circumcise the eighth day of the stock of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as
touching the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting
the Church, touching the righteousness which is in the Lord blameless.
And then he says, but what things were gained to me, those I counted
lost for Christ. It hadn't always been like that
in his life. Because when he was a Pharisee
and going about seeking to condemn people to prison, he thought
he was doing God's service and he was pleasing himself and really
bolstering his own pride, but by the great grace that he had
received. from God himself, we see that
he now counts all things but dung and dross for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. What a wonderful change
there was in the life of the apostle. And there is a wonderful
change in the life of his people because the change means that
rather than seek our glory, We desire that we only glory in
the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why he says, by whom the world is crucified
unto me, and I unto the world. Well, we know the apostle did
not have an easy life, but he had a Christ-exalting life. and he was led blessedly by the
Spirit and his desire was to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified
and to be led more and more into that communion and union with
his Saviour. Christ was the most important
person, the most important thing in the Apostle's life for me
to live. He says, is Christ, and to die
is gain. Well, what a wonderful thing
it is if all of us can speak in those terms and truly rejoice
in Christ our Saviour. And then he goes on to tell us,
for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth anything,
nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. He just really draws
the attention to the Galatians in the subject which he's been
discussing so greatly with them, and just lays it in this position
to say, well, neither of those things really count. The most
important thing is, and he says, for in Christ Jesus, there is
that new creation. There is that new person. And
that's a necessary thing. It doesn't matter about all the
outward things of the flesh, all the outward ordinances and
performances, as it were. The great question was to possess
the new life, the new man, the new creation, the God-given blessing. And so the Apostle is able to
speak to these Galatians and of course the Lord speaks to
us today. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth
anything nor uncircumcision but a new creature. And as many as
walk according to this rule peace beyond them, and mercy, and upon
the Israel of God. That means seeking the things
of God, seeking the honor and glory of God, seeking the blessing
of God in our souls, so that we may be partakers of that spiritual
food, that we may eat the flesh and drink the blood by faith,
by meditating on him, the Son of God, what a glorious occupation
and how fulfilling it is and what lifts us up above all the
poor temporal things of this life. And so he says, from henceforth
let no man trouble me. There had been those things which
had troubled the Apostle. That's why it had come and written
to the Galatians in the way that we've gone through. He was concerned
about how they were viewing the doctrine of justification and
not having the true living faith and then following the duty and
trying to combine the old Judaism with Christianity. And he pointed
out all these things so clearly to them. And now he says, from
henceforth let no man trouble me. And he just draws their attention
to himself. He says, for I bear in my body
the marks of the Lord Jesus. And he did indeed bear the marks
of the Lord Jesus. He had had to suffer greatly. He gives us a whole list of those
things in the second epistle of Corinthians in the 11th chapter. We won't go through the whole
list, but just to, if you like, draw a summary when he says,
are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I am more
in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons
more frequent, in deaths oft. of the Jews, five times received
I 40 stripes, save one." So the apostle had suffered greatly.
And so he tells us, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord
Jesus. Not, of course, the nail holes
in his hands and feet and the spear hole in his side, but these
are the marks which he'd received being a follower of his Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ, and never avoiding any opposition that
faced him. He endured as seeing him who
is invisible. Well, we're thankful that we
have the Apostle as an honest man, able to tell us the truth
of God. And then finally, he says, brethren,
you see, there were those that he had to speak against, But
nevertheless, he counts them as brethren. And he says, brethren,
he desires then the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
your spirit. And surely that should be the
concern of the true Church of God as we pray for one another
and speak to one another that they may each indeed receive
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that it may be with our spirits
now and forever. And then he says, Amen. So be
it. Well, I hope we've been thankful
to have been able to meditate in this epistle of Paul to the
Galatians. There's been much teaching. There's
been much to elevate the Saviour and much to put us in a right
place. So may God truly bless his word.