Okay, if you wish to follow along,
turn to Galatians chapter two. Galatians chapter two. I have
just two verses to read for the message for this morning. But
before I read those two verses, let me say this. We have looked
at, specifically from verse 16, that we're justified by the faith
of Christ. And then from kind of loosely,
you might say, from verse 16, last time we looked at Christ's
faith manifested. But now I want to read the next
two verses, verse 17 and eight. Paul, of course, is continuing.
And remember, he's continuing his words, his public words,
to Peter after Peter's great hypocritical act. And Paul writes
these words, but if, While we seek to be justified by Christ,
we ourselves also are found sinners. Is therefore Christ the minister
of sin? God forbid. For, for, do you
see that? For if I build again the things
which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. I would venture to say, I have
probably said it and heard other people say it, that passages
like those say in Romans chapter nine are some of the most hated
verses in the Bible. And there certainly is an element
of fact for that. But they're also some of the
most loved verses in the Bible as well. But I would venture
to say this morning that these two verses that I've just read
to you, are some of the least understood, and I am being very
polite when I say that, some of the least understood, though
they are clear in their language. They are some of the least understood,
and most misrepresented verses, and two of the most avoided verses
in the scripture. Because when Paul says, for if
I reconstruct, that's build again. For if I reconstruct, if I build
again the things which I, and then notice that word, destroyed. Destroyed, so whatever it is
Paul's talking about, he says I destroyed it. Not just set
it to the side. Not just gave it a little less
preeminence. What do you do with something
when you destroy it? You just tear it all to pieces?
Because it means nothing to you. Now listen to what I'm about
to say. May God give me the ability to say it clearly and succinctly
this morning. And may God give whoever hears
this this morning or at any other time the ears to hear and the
eyes to see and the heart to perceive the truth that is in
these two verses. But I'm gonna preface my message
with this statement with a few words here. Worry it not. for the total depravity of the
fallen human heart and will. Were it not for that, I'm not
trying to argue about, were it not for the total depravity of
the fallen human heart and will, the total man-centered, self-centered,
self-righteousness of fallen men and women, These two verses
would immediately shut down all legalism. Were it not for our
total lack of ears to hear. My eyes to see and a heart to
perceive. These two verses alone, alone
would shut down all legalism. Now, I'm gonna give you my title,
but this is a part of what I'm about, this preface to my message. This is my title, Legalism Makes
Men Sinners. You hear what I said? Legalism
makes men sinners. Now, let me be clear, it is not
the only source of men's sinnerhood, okay? I'm not saying legalism
is why all men are sinners. No, I didn't say that. I said
legalism makes men sinners. As a matter of fact, to be more
correct with Paul's language, legalism is how I make myself
a sinner. For if I build again the things
which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. Legalism makes
men sinners. It is not the only source of
our sinnerhood Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the
world and death by sin So death passed upon all men for that
all have sinned. That's the original source of
our sinnerhood The original source of it. I can't quote this one. It's the same The same chapter
Romans chapter 5 in verse 19 the first part for as by one
man's disobedience Many were made sinners You and I the whole
human race were made sinners when Adam committed that disobedience
in the garden Somebody says I don't like that then you don't believe
God. I That's right, you don't believe
God. You might believe in God, you
might believe there is a God, but you don't believe God, because
God says, for as by one man's disobedience, many were made
sinners. And not only that, listen to
what the book says about us in Colossians chapter one, and just
one verse there. And verse 21, and you that were
sometime alienated and enemies, now that's toward God. Granted
that extended toward each other. But it starts with God. Starts
with God. And you that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind, how? By wicked works. You see it? That's not the source of our
sinnerhood, but that's the outflow of our sinnerhood. And some of
our most wicked works are some of the most well-esteemed in
religion, because they are quite moral. They are quite moral. Isaiah, our brother Isaiah, put
it this way, that our best deeds, our righteousnesses, are as menses
cloths in God's sight. I don't care whether we understand
that or not. That's what God says about it.
We either believe him or we don't. You either believe him or you
don't. And if you believe him, then as time goes on, Jack, he'll
give you a little understanding of it. And you know how he does
that? Not by just opening up this book, but he'll let you
taste of what your good deeds are really like. He'll let you
do a few of them, and then let you see how they really, at least
to a degree, let you see how they really look in God's holy
sight. So again, don't get me wrong.
When I say legalism makes men sinners, I'm not saying that's
how we become sinners, but we can make ourself a transgressor
by legalism. So as I say, it's not the only
source of men's sinnerhood, but it is certainly the most deceptive. Because it looks real good on
the outside. I mean, it looks real good. That
nice little black kitty cat that you see run across the road in
front of you when you're driving your car, he's just so cute,
but then he moves so that you see that white stripe from here
all the way down. And he's not just a nice little
kitty cat anymore, is he? It certainly is the most deceptive. In other words, of course, drunkenness,
murder, rape makes men transgressors. Anybody who denies that is just
plum full of pure idiocy. But folks, listen to me. It's
sad I have to say that in this day, but there's some, our society
and the society, this whole world we're living in is coming to
a place to where hardly anything is ever wrong anymore. About the only thing that's wrong
anymore is child molestation or murder, and even that is called
in question. I'm serious, you know what I'm
talking about, certainly. Certainly, these things, as I
said, drunkenness, murder, rape, makes men sinners. But what about
honoring your parents? What about honoring your mother
and father? What about not lying? What about
not committing adultery? Does that make men sinners? Hmm? Well, the book says not
to do these things, or to do these things, correct? Right?
And of course, the human mind says, this depraved, corrupt
human mind says, if I at least try to do these things, I'm doing
right. Am I correct or not? I mean,
even a part of me says, that's got to be right. Right? Preacher, you're not, They're
suggesting that these things could be wrong. For if I build
again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. I can only imagine how this message
today that I will preach will be taken by that same individual
that sat right back there several months ago. But what about that? What about
that? Does that make men sinners? It does if you do not keep all
the other commandments. It does. And we'll look at that,
God willing, here in a moment. It does. But I know the natural,
this depravity of our fallen self says that can't be right. God's at least got to at least
have some compassion and grace toward our best efforts. No. No. No. Feeding a starving child is the
worst thing in the world you can do if you do it for merit
before God. It will damn you as much as if
you took a knife and slit that child's throat. I'm not saying
one damns the other. I'm saying they both damn. They
both damn. It does if you do not keep all
the other commandments. It does if you think it gives
you merit, if you think it gives you justification, or if you
think it gives you sanctification. And we will see this here in
this very book. This book deals more with justification
by faith. It deals with justification by
Christ. Thousands believe in justification
by faith, but they got some other faith they're talking about.
This book talks about justification by Christ. This book talks about
merit by Christ. This book talks about sanctification
by Christ. If you begin the spirit, you
made perfect by the flesh. When you see a young baby, and
I will use this illustration probably later. You see a young
baby, say maybe just a little one, and it can smile, it's beginning
to be able to smile and laugh a little. You see that young
baby, and then you go away for a while, and you come back three
or four years later, and you see that little three or four
year old child there, walking, starting to vocabulize, say words. Boy, that child has surely progressed.
Is that what we say? Not unless you're an idiot. What do we say? That child has
grown. And I was reminded of that. I've
had this in my mind, but when Joe was preaching, the passage
he preached, grow, grow. The scripture says, add to your
faith these things, don't progress in them, add them. Why can't we stick with the words
of the book? Why do we feel we have to come
up with other words? Because we don't really believe
the book. That's why. Just growing and
adding can't be enough, Jack. We need to progress. Now I digress
in giving you that. I says it does. If you honor
your mother and father and honor your mother and father, you should. But if you do that for merit
or justification or sanctification before God, it will condemn you. Same letter, chapter three, verse
10. For as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse. The curse now, not the blessing,
the curse. For, here's the reason, for it's
written, cursed is everyone that continueeth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them, were it
not for the total depravity of man, that would shut down legalism
right now. Would shut down legalism right
now. Chapter five, first few verses, now I say. Oh, I'm in
four, sorry. Chapter five, stand fast, therefore,
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul,
say unto you that if ye be circumcised, what's wrong with being circumcised? Don't the law tell you to do
that? Didn't they even, Joe, practice that before the law? Right? But what does Paul say? Christ shall profit you nothing. Behold, I Paul say unto you,
that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing, for
I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he
is a debtor to the whole law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever you are justified by the law, you're fallen from
grace. Galatians chapter 3 But did it but here it is this
is not something Paul came up with That that new, you know
that new apostle that that one right at the end, you know Here's
what he says verse 11 of chapter 3, but that no man is justified
by the law of the sight of God It is evident Unless you're blind
I'm adding that unless you're black Unless you can't hear it. Unless you can't perceive it.
It is evident the just shall live, how? By faith. Somebody says that can't be enough.
It ain't unless it's the faith of Jesus Christ. If it's something
you and I gotta muster up, we're getting right back to law again.
Getting right back to law again. You see, again, I say, legalism
makes men sinners. Now let's see how God puts it. Pardon me. Just two things this
morning. And that does not mean we're
about done. Let's note the words. If I as a believer, I'm paraphrasing
now. This is verse, get back to verse
17. If I as a believer, if I as one
who seeks justification by Christ alone and nothing else, if such
a one as that, me, a person engaged there to be justified by Christ
alone, if such a one is found to be a sinner, Is Christ then
a party to, a contributor to our sin? And the answer is absolutely
not. Absolutely not. Two things here. This is true in every sense. I think Joe said it. When we're wrong, we get to blame. And we cannot blame Christ. And
if there's any right anywhere, By anybody, in anybody, Christ
gets all the honor and glory. Even the great philanthropy that
unbelievers do toward one another in this world, there is some
out there. Paul said it's in him we live and move and have
our being. It's God that's enabled them
and moved them to do that thing. Or else we would be killing one
another like the wild beasts of the forest. and we can turn
on one another on a dime. Like that. We're not even looking
for it. Like that. This is true in every
sense. Christ can never be blamed. But
here's the second thought. That's not Paul's meaning here.
You gotta stay with the context. knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we, we Jews, us learned
people, us Bible believers, right? Good old fashioned fundamental
soul-winning Bible-believing folk. 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. But if while we seek to be justified
by Christ, there's your context. We ourselves are found to be
sinners. Is Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. God forbid. Somebody said, I
don't understand that. Then you still just ain't had the eyes
open yet. I've been preaching for right
at 40 years or maybe just a little more, and I didn't see that for
a long, long, long time. It's right there in black and
white. That's the context. It's not, again, this is true,
this verse, these words are true in any sense, but it's specifically
true in the legalistic sense. If we're, in believing Christ,
we're also saying, I refuse to try to be justified by byworks
of a law. That goes right along with trusting
Christ only. And if I'm doing that, if I'm
seeking to be justified by Christ, if I'm found to be a sinner,
if I've sinned, Is Christ the cause of that? God forbid. That's true in every sense, but
it's specifically true in this sense, the sense of the context. It's specifically true of legalism. Legalism makes men sinners. Christ
is not to blame. It is building, again, a legalistic
practice. the very practice we destroyed
and tore down and rejected. Paul in one place called it D-U-N-G. How much do you hold that? I'm not trying to be brash. What do you do with it? You give
it up. Right? You don't set it up in
the corner of the house in your parlor, do you? Only a fool would
do such a thing. And yes, that's what we're doing
when we try to, even if we're seeking to be justified by Christ,
but I've got to do this, or something bad might happen. No, we just
do something because it's right. for no merit, no anything. And
even, as has already been said, we're told to confess when we've
done all that we've done, all of it. And how many of us could
really say we've done what is our duty to do? We are but unprofitable
servants. There is no merit in our best
deeds. We know there's no merit in our
immoral, ungodly, unrighteous deeds, right? But there's none
in our righteous deeds either. And that is the hardest thing
to get a hold of and not let go. But it's always, it's easy to
grab a hold, stay a hold of one hand, but still reach for that
old, well, I need to do this. Somebody said, are you saying
we should break the law? I'm saying we do break the law. Yes, sir. That's right. We do
break the law. That's just the way it is. There
is no trying to compartmentalize this thing. There's no trying
to use philosophical language, employees. We are lawbreakers. It's what we are by nature, lawbreakers. You see, Christ is not to blame. What does it say? For if I build
again the things which I destroyed. What did Paul destroy? Let me
tell you something. Paul did not believe, once God saved him,
Paul did not believe that the law could give him life. And
he says so right here in this letter. For if there had been
a law given which could have given life, verily, truly, righteousness
should have been by the law. Somebody says, you're throwing
down the law. No, I'm throwing down us, that's what we keep
doing, it's us. We're the problem. The law's
not the problem, we are. When you're saying, preacher,
if I could keep the law, that's the whole point, you don't. If I could keep the law, I don't
need to be justified, I would be justified. Do you understand
the difference? If you always do what's right,
but preacher, nobody can do that. I hope you really catch hold
of what you just said if you said that. You mean just
one stain is enough for God to damn us forever? Let's listen
to what our brother James says. Now let me find it here. James
chapter two if you wanna read it. James chapter two. Even verse nine, but if ye have
respect to persons. You ever did that? Anybody here
ever showed favor to one kind of person above another? Or rather
than another? Or one, how many, come on now.
Come on now. But if ye have respect to persons,
ye commit sin. And are convinced of the law
as what? Transgressors. But look, for
whosoever shall keep the, now James comes at it from a different
angle. Still the same truth, but a different angle. You see
it? For whosoever shall keep the
whole law, and yet offend in one point. He is guilty of all. Somebody says, I don't, I don't,
I can't comprehend that. God's not telling you to comprehend
it. He says, believe me, this is the way it is. This is the
way God sees it. Do you believe him or do you
believe yourself? And it is that simple and yet
that impossible for us to do in the flesh. But if while we seek to be justified
by Christ, we ourselves are found sinners, is therefore Christ
the minister of sin? God forbid. What do we do when
this legalism comes in? We make ourselves transgressors. You set up a law, you set up
a rule, what's gonna happen? You're gonna break it. You're
gonna break it. Somewhere along the line, it
will be broke. It will be broke. I mean, you
could tell this in our flesh. Somebody could be doing the right
thing, doing the right thing, and all you gotta do is even
suggest a rule, even suggest something, and it'll go one of
two ways. Oh, they'll be so happy to earn
the reward of doing that. Or it's, I'm not gonna do that.
That quick. Because law makes men what? Transgressors. the law entered that the offense
might go away. Abound! All you got to do to start screwing
up is put yourself back under the law. Yeah, that's what he's
saying. For if I reconstruct the things
that I tore down, here's another thing he tore down, he's not
tearing down the law But he is tearing down the law for life
because he can't give life. He is tearing down the law for
righteousness. He's tearing it down. But preacher,
if you could keep it, you'd be perfect. You wouldn't need justification. You wouldn't need sanctification.
You wouldn't need righteousness. You would be these things. And
anybody who thinks they are, are what? Blind can see, but can't see. Again, let me read the words.
For as many, as many, that means all. That's another way of saying
all. For as many as are of the works
of the law. Remember, James says it has to
be all of them. He can't even foul up in one
point. For as many as are the works
of the law are under the what? That's how you make yourself
a transgressor. Under the curse. Because this is what the law
really says. Here's what's written. Cursed is everyone that continueth
not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
them. Christ Jesus freed us. And he didn't free us to serve
self, he freed us to serve him. And when we don't, we're to blame. Not him. And if we build again
those legalistic things, those ritualistic things, if you will,
those ceremonial things, all of those are included in the
law, right? Morals, rituals, ceremonies,
right? Laws concerning land, laws concerning
people, laws concerning animals, laws concerning everything. The
law deals with every aspect of living in this world. Notice
I did not say life. I intentionally meant to say
living in this world. But as God's book gloriously
declares, the law is a glorious condemnation of death. And that's what God meant it
to be. And let us honor it in that. I'm glad it is that, Ella. I'm glad it is that. So here's number two. Let's note
the teeth. The teeth of grace. Hell is. Now here's the question I need
to ask myself. God help me to consistently, always keep asking myself this
question. or God at least keep bringing
that question up to my mind. Maybe that's a better way to
state it. How is sin, how is transgression, how is iniquity
dealt with by God? How is it dealt with by God?
Does God say just repent? Well this Bible talks all through
it about repentance. Is that all we need? We can't
repent enough to deal with our sin, our transgression, and our
iniquity. Is it faith? The just shall live
by faith, but your faith will not cancel out your sin, your
transgression, your iniquity. Is it by righteous living? This
book commands us to righteous living. It does, it commands
us to righteous living. Is that how our sin, our transgression,
our iniquity is dealt with? No, you can't make something
bad good by doing something good. Is it by ceremonies? Is it by
rituals? No. These are dealt with by Christ
and Christ alone. Turn to Colossians 1. Turn to Colossians chapter 1. Now this is one verse, Colossians
1 verse 14. In whom we have redemption. So immediately we know this is
a person. Here's the question, is that
person me or somebody else? Right? In whom we have redemption,
through his blood, whoever this person is, is that me or somebody
else? The context says it's somebody
else. Look, even the forgiveness of
sins. So where does my forgiveness
of sins lie? Where's it at? How's it dealt
with? Christ. Christ. But what about transgression?
Look at chapter two. Verse 13. And you, being dead
in your sins, and uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together with There's that person again with him. Look at the context. It's Christ Quicken together
with him having forgiven you all what? trespasses So I see
that Christ dealt with my sins Christ dealt with somebody says
what's the difference? What does it matter? You got all three?
It ain't understanding them. It's gonna get you away from
them. It's Christ dying for them and disbelieving him for it You
don't have to understand the difference between the three.
Believe him. He'll show you the difference
as time goes on. And you being dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, having quickened together
with Christ, having forgiven you all trespasses. Look at Romans chapter four. Romans chapter four. Just a few verses here, Romans
chapter four, verse five. But to him that, what's that
next to it? Worketh not. Now is he encouraging
us to not work? Yes, hold on now. Yes, in this
context he is. Yeah, see how I might, oh I might,
I can't get rid of that. I don't want to dare say I don't
work. Now come on, I did the same thing when I first asked
that question when I was writing these notes. Does he encourage
us not to work? Yes, you don't work for this.
Huh? Now does the Bible encourage
us not to work? No, no. But look, but to him
that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth who? Just
own it. And you don't get saved and then
you can disown it, you gotta keep owning it. The ungodliness is still there. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness. Now somebody gives this, explain
that. Not at this time, I won't. God says it is, believe him. That's a whole part of the belief.
It's not just believing the facts. It's taking God at his word for
what he says. Even as David, that was a man
under the law, was he not? Born under the law, served under
the law. But his salvation wasn't by law.
But even, rather, as David also describeth the blessedness of
the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
saying, blessed are they whose iniquities, there's the third
one, you see, whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are
covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. Though he's ungodly in himself. That's grace. Somebody said it
can't be that simple. It ain't simple. It took the doing and the dying
of the Lord Jesus Christ to make this a reality. That's the teeth
of grace, folks. And the flesh hates it. Hates
it. Hates it. To build Again, legalism
is to say, this is what it's saying, Christ is not enough.
That's what it's saying. That simply stated is that profound. Christ is not enough. And that's why Paul goes on,
and it's in the same context with this. I do not frustrate
the grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. You can stake your eternal soul
on that. And I'm not afraid to say that.
It's okay, as Tim James said, it's okay to believe God, brothers
and sisters. It'll help you live in this world.
Yeah? For I through the law am dead
to the law that I might live unto God. I am crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by
the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for
me. He was able to bring me out of the grave. You don't think
he's now able to sustain you? That's unbelief. Anything opposite
than that is what? Pure, unadulterated unbelief. Unbelief. One more verse. I've
done read it to you. Or not one more verse. I've done
read it to you. Let me read it to you one more
time. Just listen. Stand fast, therefore. Hold your ground. There's something to do. Yeah,
there's something to do. Stand fast in the liberty. Not liberty to sin, liberty to
serve. You still got your sin in you?
It's all over you. It permeates you everywhere.
Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free. Not you'll be free if He's made
us free. Just plant your feet there. Plant
your feet there. And be not entangled again with
the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you
that if ye be circumcised, just circumcised. What's wrong? Preacher, we circumcise everything
if you do it for merit before God. If you do it for righteousness
before God, it'll damn you. Christ shall profit you nothing. There's a danger here. It's not
just, oh, I might backslide. There's a danger here because
an apostasy, a full falling away, always begins with one slip.
Now, do you understand what I'm saying? A believer falls seven
times. Right? A believer can fall seven
times. He'll not be what? Utterly cast
down. But the apostate, he fell one
time. Wait a minute, the believer fell
too. Why? Because it's a difference.
God's grace and God's mercy or that sinner left to himself or
herself. That's where it's all at. My
only hope of rescue is God himself in the person of his son. For I testify again to every
man that is circumcised that he's a debtor to the whole law.
Oh God, help us to keep remembering that. And let's not, here's how
bad we are. We start making up laws that
are not a part of God's law. At least that's not God's law.
It's not law, it's grace. No matter what kind of law it
is. Christ is become of no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are
justified by the law, you're fallen from grace. For we through
the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness. How? By faith. Just believe God. And if you
believe God and he tells you to build a boat, guess what you'll
do? You'll build a boat, right? Go back to Hebrews chapter 11.
It's by faith all of our brothers and sisters were ever able to
do anything. Not by self, not by law, but
by faith. For we through the Spirit wait
for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by faith. If I could just live every moment
of every day in light of that, my life would be a whole lot
less complicated. But I can't. Not where I want it. Joe, I'm
like this. At best. Don't hold me to this. I'm like this. A lot of times
it's maybe like this and then. You understand what I'm saying
though? I'm not telling you, you got
to be like this. It's like maybe a little in this. Maybe a little bit in this. Why
does God leave us like this? Why? So we'll just rest in Him. Believe the record He gave His
Son and just trust Him. And when we get the glory, it
ain't gonna matter no more. Everything we went through in
this world, It won't mean, and I know this ain't good English,
or even probably proper English, it won't mean squat. Because
we'll be like him. It's gonna happen for every one
of us somehow some way here. You believe Christ? We'll be
like him, for we'll see him as he is. As he is. Heavenly Father, we're so prone
to failure, so prone to rebuilding, re-erecting. God, make us tear it down. Make us tear it down. Make us
continually tear down our righteousness as any sense of merit before
you. God, help us to trust your son
in his name. Amen.