Galatians chapter two. Let's begin reading in verse
17. Well, let's begin reading in verse
15. I think it'll make more sense that way. We who are Jews by nature and
not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not 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. 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 if I build again
the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
For I, through the law, am dead to the law. that I might live
under God. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. And 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, I do not frustrate the grace of God,
for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead
in vain. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that your
God and beside thee is none else. We thank you for who you are.
We thank you for your glorious attributes. We thank you for
the gift and the sacrifice of your son. Lord, we stand amazed at the
greatness of your grace. We ask in his name that you would
be pleased to speak to each heart here according to your will. Lord, if you speak, what more
could we ask? Be with all your people wherever
they meet together. Lord, those of our number that
are traveling, we pray for your grace upon them. Those that are
hurting and sick, we pray for your grace upon them. Be with all your people. I know
it's your word. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Now, I've entitled this Paul's
conclusion to Peter. Now, remember, this is Peter
has left tables and Paul has began to talk to him about that.
And this speech ends here. Look in verse 11, this is what
this was about. When Peter was come to Antioch,
I withstood him to his face. because he was to be blamed for
before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles. But when they were come, he withdrew
him. He withdrew and separated himself,
fearing them, which were of the circumcision. And other Jews
dissembled likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was
carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they walked
not according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter
before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner
of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compelst thou the Gentiles
to live as do the Jews?" Why are you making a double standard? Why are you requiring of the
Gentiles to live as the Jews, but you don't live as the Jews?
He was calling this hypocrisy. He says in verse 17, but if while
we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners,
is therefore Christ the minister of sin. Now what's he mean by
that? Is he saying if we seek to be
justified by Christ, does this make a justification for sin
and sin's okay? God forbid, but that's really
not what he's saying. Look up in verse 15. We who are Jews by nature. He's speaking to Peter. Peter,
we're Jews by nature and we're not sinners of the Gentiles.
Now, is he saying we're not sinful men and only the Gentiles are? No, he's not saying the Jews
are not sinners, but Gentiles are. This is just the prejudice
the Jews had toward the Gentiles. We're a supreme race. They're
sinful, not us. We're a supreme race. I mean,
it's racism is what it is. It's some form of racism. We're
something They're not. And that's what he means by sinners. He's not saying that we're not
sinners. He's just talking to Peter about his racism. Peter
was practicing racism when he moved tables. He was saying,
you're better off as a Jew. They're a superior race. I'm
leaving the Gentiles at this time and going to the Jewish
table. This was racism. And that's what
he's talking about. Now verse 17, but if while we
seek to be justified by Christ, Peter, me and you, if we seek
to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners. We're like the Gentiles. If we're
going to be saved, we're going to be saved the same way the
Gentiles are saved, not by grace. We're not going to be saved because
of any, uh, inherent qualities in us as Jew or better than the
Gentiles, we're going to be saved by grace just like they are. We're going to be saved the way
the sinful Gentiles are saved. There's really no difference.
That's the way we will be saved. But if while we seek to be, verse
17, if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also
are found sinners. And what he's saying is we're
going to have to be saved the same way the Gentiles are. Now, if that's the case, is therefore
Christ the minister, the deacon, the ministrant of sin? God forbid,
and verse 18 gives the key to understanding what he's saying,
for if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself
the transgressor. What did he try to destroy? Salvation
by law. Salvation of the Jews. Salvation
by works. Now, I've sought to destroy this
thing of salvation by works. And if you believe the gospel,
you're doing the same thing. You're seeking to destroy any
hope of salvation by law. Now, if I try to build that again,
that which I destroyed, all I do is make myself a transgressor.
If I go back to salvation by works in any level, to any degree,
and if I go back to law, now remember law means salvation
dependent upon something I do. I cannot be saved unless I first
do this or stop doing that. I've got to get this taken care
of before God would save me. That's what law is. Salvation
dependent upon law. Now if I Go back to law in any
way, all I do is make myself a transgressor because all the
law does is expose sin. The strength of sin is the law. That's such a powerful statement.
The strength of sin is the law. Verse 19, for I, through the
law, am dead to the law. I'm not trying to bring back
up law. I, through the law, am dead to the law that I might
live unto God through Jesus Christ keeping the law for me and being
punished for my sin that the law demanded my punishment. I
am dead to the law. It has nothing to say to me. Isn't that wonderful? Free from
the law. Oh, happy condition. Jesus has
died and there is remission. Cursed by the law. Slain by the
fall. Christ hath redeemed me once
for all. The law has nothing to say to
a dead man. I am crucified with Christ. I through the law am dead to
the law that I might live unto God. Listen to this scripture
from Romans 614. Sin, he's speaking to the believer. Sin shall not have dominion over
you. Why? Because you're not under
law, but under grace. That's the only
reason sin doesn't have dominion over you. Now, somebody is thinking,
well, it seems like sin's got a lot of power in my life. Well,
you're old man, it does. I realize that. When you're under grace, you've
got a heart that you didn't have under law. You have a new heart
that loves God, that believes the gospel, that's in a state
of continual repentance. If you're not under grace, that
means sin has complete dominion over you, complete control over
you, and one of the things that proves it is you don't see it.
Somebody that is totally dominated by sin, they don't see it, that's
how blind they are. When God saves you, when he reveals
himself to you, that's when you see the strength of sin as the
law, that all you do in and of yourself is break God's law.
I think of the strength of sin as the law, as long as there
are 10 commandments, all those commandments say unto me is I've
broken them. Right now? Right now. Thou shalt
have no other gods before me. You ever put anything before
God? The commandment against idolatry, false views of God,
making a God that you feel more comfortable with that will justify
you in your ways, taking his name in vain. Have I realized
that God is so holy that every time I even take his name in
my mouth, I'm taking his name in vain. I'm not practicing the
proper reverence. Rest. Have you ever completely
rested in Christ? That's what the Sabbath is about.
Now, I know the new man does, but you always have torture. I'm not resting as I should.
Honoring your father and mother. Honoring authority. Oh, every
one of us have authority problems. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt
not murder somebody's character. Thou shalt not murder somebody
by innuendo or have you done there. Thou shalt not commit
adultery. Perfect sexual purity in mind. Thou shalt not steal. That's
more than shoplifting. You're not gonna take glory from
God. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Thou shalt not covet. All the commandments tell me
is that I've broken them. If you can look at one commandment
and say, well, I've kept that one, you're blind to the law,
to the character of God, and to the character of yourself.
That's what he means when he says the strength of sin is the
law. But how thankful I am, he says
in verse 19, for I through the law, the law was kept. Christ kept it for me. All the
demands of the punishment of the law have been meted out.
I, through the law, am dead to the law, God's holy law, which
I love. I would never speak disrespectfully
with regard to God's holy law. I love the law of God. But I
am dead to the law, it has nothing to say to me anymore than the
law has something to say to somebody that's in the grave. The law
has no more jurisdiction over them. I through the law am dead
to the law that I might live unto God. Turn with me for a
moment to Romans chapter seven. Verse one. Know you not, brethren? For I
speak to them that know the law, hath the law hath dominion over
man as long as he liveth. Somebody says, well, I'm not
going to put myself under that dominion. You don't have any
choice. You're under God's law and you can't get yourself out
from under. There it is. Law has dominion over man as
long as a man liveth. For the woman which hath a husband
is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth. But if
the husband be dead, she is loose from the law of her husband.
A woman is married to a difficult man. Well, I'm done. I'm not going to deal with him
any longer. Law won't let you do that. You're bound by the
law to your husband. Well, I'm disappointed in the
way he was. Doesn't matter. I'm bound by the law to my husband. For the woman which hath a husband
is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth. But if
the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
He's died, she's now free. So then, if while her husband
liveth, she be married to another man, she'll be called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, She's
free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she
be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you
should be married to another, even to him who is raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Being married
to the law, all he does is find fault. How would you like to
be married to somebody that all they can do is condemn you? Every
move, every move, all they can do is find fault and condemn.
And once again, I'm not speaking disrespectfully of God's law,
but by the works of the law, there shall no flesh be justified
in his sight. That's so clear from the scriptures. Wherefore, my brethren, you also
become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should
be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in
the flesh, no new man, the motions, the
passions of sins, which were by the law that the law exposed
did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death, but now
We are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were
held that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in
the oldness of the letter. Now go back to our text, verse
20, Galatians chapter two. He said in verse 19, for I through
the law being completely honored, the righteous demands fulfilled,
the demands for punishment against sin fulfilled, I'm now dead to
the law that I might live unto God." Now, he makes this amazing statement
in verse 20, I am crucified with Christ. Now, he didn't say Christ
was crucified for me. He said, I am crucified with
Christ. In the beloved, I went to the
tree. I am, this is what every believer
can say, not just Paul, every believer. I am crucified with
Christ. Now, how can that be? Because
I was in him. I was in him. When he went to the tree, I was
in him. I was chosen in him before the
foundation of the world. When he became flesh, I was in
him. When he kept the law, I was in
him. I did too. What he did, I did.
When he was crucified and nailed to that cross, I was in him.
I was crucified with him. When he died, I was in him. I
died too. When he went into that tomb,
I was in him. When he was raised from the dead,
I was in him. I was raised too. As he ascended back to the Father,
I was in him. I'm there too. seated in the
heavenlies with him. Now Paul makes this amazing statement,
I am crucified with Christ, nailed to the cross with him. Nevertheless,
I live. Even though I died with him,
nevertheless, in spite of all that, I live. Just as Christ lives because
I live, you shall live also. I live. Now, I'm crucified. I'm dead, buried, sin put away. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. Now, this is such an important
and incredible I live, but I know why I live. It's because Christ liveth in
me. It does not have anything to
do with the power of my nature. It's Christ living in me. I do look to Christ and I know
why Christ liveth in me. I do love God, and I know why.
It's not because of any love that came out of my flesh, but
Christ liveth in me. Great is this mystery, Christ
in you. The hope of glory. I want you to think about this.
If you're a believer, Christ lives in you. Now somebody says,
how can he do that if he's seated at the right hand of the Father?
I don't know, but he does. He said, when he was looking
at the Pharisees in John chapter three, he says, no man has descended
down from heaven except the son of man who's in heaven. He said,
well, I'm talking to you right now, I'm in heaven. And Christ,
you say, how can he be at the right hand of the God and be
dwelling in my heart? Well, by spirit, but it's Christ in you. He says I'm crucified with Christ
nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life
which I now live in the flesh. Now don't miss that. We have
this treasure in earthen vessels. that the excellence of the power
may be of God and not of us. We have this treasure in earthen
vessels. I'm living in the flesh, and
there's nothing good about the flesh. Amen? Do you believe that? I'm living
this life, the life of the Christ living me, it's being lived in
this body called the flesh. The life which I now live in
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. Now I want
you to notice what he did not say. He didn't say I live by
faith in the Son of God. Well, I do live by faith in the
Son of God in the sense that my only standing before God is
seen in what faith teaches, the gospel of faith. But I live by
the faith of the Son of God. Now, the reason I live is because
of his faithful obedience to the law. Somebody had to believe
God. He believed God perfectly. I'm living because of his faith,
not because of my faith. I'm living because of his faith. And that's what I believe. Don't
you have to believe? Yeah, you got to believe that.
I live off his faith. I live off his faithfulness. I live by the faith of the Son
of God. And look what he says next. I
live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave
himself for me. Now, when John called himself
that disciple which Jesus loved. I want you to think about that. He didn't say the disciple that
loved Jesus. Every disciple does love the
Lord Jesus, but that is not what we find our comfort in. Not our
love to him, but his love to us. Every disciple, you know,
when John called himself that disciple that Jesus loved, every
believer can say this about themselves. I am that disciple that Jesus
loved. I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how he could love me, a sinner,
condemned, unclean. He loved me. And what did he do in loving
me? He gave himself. He gave himself for me. Now, chew on that. How amazing. He gave himself
for me. Amazing love, how can it be that
thou, my God, would die for me? Now, he loved me and gave himself
for me. Can somebody that he loved and
gave himself for be in hell? No. No, that's the importance
of Christ's effectual atonement. To think that he could love somebody
and give himself for them and they end up in hell, that would
make his love meaningless. That would make his death meaningless. Everybody he loved and gave himself
for is going to be with him eternally. Now he makes this amazing statement
in verse 21. There's not a more powerful statement
about the grace of God than this statement in verse 21. He said,
I don't frustrate the grace of God. Now, by frustrated, it doesn't
mean that, well, grace is frustrated. It doesn't have its way. Oh, I'm frustrated. No. What
the word means is I don't nullify. I don't make meaningless. I don't render the grace of God
as meaningless. And then he makes this statement.
Here's how you would. I don't frustrate the grace of
God for if righteousness is by the law. And let me remind you. The law,
particularly in Galatians chapter 4, is there something I must
do before God can do something for me. That's all. For God to do something for me,
He's going to have to respond to something I've done. Done
this, therefore God must do that. That's salvation by law. I've
quit this, I've conquered this sin, therefore God will now have
mercy on me. That's salvation by law. That's
all it is. If there's anything you must
do before he can do something for you, that is law. You're under the curse of the
law. You never bowed the knee to Christ. If salvation, If the
forgiveness of sins comes by the law, there's something I
must first do, then what Christ did was a waste of time. Now
that's what he's saying. If salvation is in any way dependent
upon something I must do before God can do something for me,
then the death of Christ was meaningless. It was a waste of
time. What he did was in vain. Now, the grace of God. Defined by
every attribute of God, that's the best way to define grace,
eternal grace, righteous grace, saving grace, gracious grace,
sovereign grace, omnipotent grace. Omniscient grace, every attribute
of God described as grace. Now, if righteousness came by
the law, if there's something I must do, then I make the death
of Christ meaningless. Now, let's close by looking at
one verse of scripture in John chapter 19. If righteousness came by the
law, Christ died in vain. When the Lord was hanging on
the cross, listen to his words before he
said, Father, into thy hands, I commend my spirit and gave
up the ghost. John chapter 19 verse 30, when
Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. There's nothing in vain about
that. It is finished. That disciple that Jesus loved,
every believer, their salvation is finished. Amen.