All right, go with me back to
Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3. After God calls a sinner, after
God brings a sinner to a knowledge of Himself, calls a sinner. Is there something that sinner
must do to progressively sanctify himself? What that means is, is there
something that a sinner must do to grow holier in God's eyes? Can a sinner become more holy
in God's eyes? After they are revealed to be
in Christ, does it get any holier than that? The answer is no. Christ is our sanctification. Christ is our holiness. You cannot and I cannot become
more holy before God than the way we are in Christ. That's
as holy as a man can get. So Paul is going to tell us in
this text right here that sinners are completely justified, I mean
completely holy, as holy as they are going to get by faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ, by looking to Him to be our holiness and
to be our justification, totally looking to Him. That is as holy
as a man can get. Now he says in chapter 3 verse
1, Oh foolish Galatians, do you
know anybody who likes to be called a fool? Anybody? You know anybody who
is okay with being called a fool? The word means unintelligent,
unwise. Our Lord warned us about the
danger of just calling a man a fool. Over in Matthew 5, He
warned us about saying, vain fellow, calling a man a fool.
If you call a man that without just cause, you'll be in danger
of hell fire. It's when he was saying, you know, don't commit murder.
But I say unto you, if you've hated in your heart, you've committed
murder. Don't lust, but I say unto you, or don't commit adultery,
but if you've lusted in the heart, you've committed adultery. Well,
he warned to call a man a fool without just cause. He said that
that person is in danger of hell fire, so we don't just say a
man is a fool because we think he's a fool. God's Word declares
who the fool is. God's Word declares it, and it's
very serious and it's very dangerous. To be a fool in God's eyes. Very,
very dangerous. I want to prove that to you with
a couple of scriptures. Go with me over to Psalm chapter
5. Psalm chapter 5 verse 5 says, The foolish shall not stand in
thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. The foolish shall not stand in
thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. He's saying the foolish are committing
a great sin in God's eyes. The foolish are. And they will
not stand in His sight. What is that sin? What is the
sin they're committing? Our Lord said all manner of sin
that's committed against me shall be forgiven. But the sin of unbelief. Unbelief. in the Lord Jesus Christ. He called it the blasphemy against
the Holy Ghost, not believing the word that I've spoken. Look with me at Jeremiah chapter
5. Jeremiah 5 verse 1 says, Run
ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and
know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man,
if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth,
and I will pardon it. And though they say the Lord
liveth, surely they swear falsely. They're crying, oh the Lord liveth.
But he said they're saying that in lies. Verse three says, oh
Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken
them, but they have not grieved. Thou hast consumed them, but
they have refused to receive correction. They have made their
faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return. Therefore, I said, surely these
are poor. They are foolish, for they know
not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God." They're
foolish because they do not know the way of the Lord, nor the
judgment of their God, and they don't want to know it. They have
no desire to know it. Look right here in chapter 5
at verse 19. And it shall come to pass, when
you shall say, Wherefore doeth the Lord our God all these things
unto us? Then shalt thou answer them,
Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your
land. So shall ye serve strangers in
a land that is not yours. Declare this in the house of
Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, Hear now this, O foolish
people, and without understanding, which have eyes and see not,
which have ears and hear not. Fear ye not me, saith the Lord? Will ye not tremble at my presence,
which hath placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual
decree that it cannot pass? And though the waves thereof
toss themselves, yet they not prevail. Though they roar, yet
they not pass over it. He said, you don't fear me. You don't fear me. You will,
that's what he's saying, you will. Oh foolish people. Go to one more, Matthew chapter
7. And what all this is getting
to is, it is so foolish to try to add anything to Christ's work. That's what this is all boiling
down to. And that's the sad case for every man outside of the
truth. He wants to add something. Man
always wants to add something. Yeah, that's great, but I tell
you what, I've got something I'm going to add to this. I'm
going to put my touch on it. I've got two cents I'd like to
toss in. And it's a foolish, foolish thing
to do. Right here in Matthew 7, verse 24. Therefore, whosoever
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken
him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. And the
rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded
upon a rock. And every one that heareth these
sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish
man which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended,
and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that
house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. Great was
the fall of it. So what we need to find out is,
what does God's word say? What has God said? And after we see that, here's
our question tonight. Here's our title. Who is the
fool? He said, O foolish Galatians. I don't want to be a fool. I
don't want to be a fool. Go with me back to Galatians
3. Verse 1 says, O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you? Bewitched means fascinated. Who has fascinated you? Who's
put a spell on you? Who has tricked you? Who has
pulled the wool over your eyes? Who are you listening to instead
of God? That's the question every sinner
needs to be confronted with. That is the question every sinner
needs to be confronted with. Who are you listening to instead
of God? I know this is what God's word
says, but. That word right there is the
downfall of man. Great is the fall of him. I know it's what God's word says,
but. And when God says it, that's
the glory of the gospel. This is how you are, but. But God. But the question is, who are
we listening to instead of God? Who are we listening to and following
instead of God? Why would we listen to anybody
other than God? Anybody? Why will we listen to
a man who's been on this earth for about 50 years instead of
the God who created the earth with no beginning? Why would
we do that? All of these religions, I love
the fact that you can trace them back to like 1832. I'm thinking,
why would you do that? Really? So, you know, this man
started this. Why would I want that? Why? Why will we listen to a man who
says he has obtained wisdom instead of wisdom himself? The one who
is wisdom. Why would we do that? Why would
we listen to a man who is clearly aging and dying from sin? Men love gray hair. You start
to get a little distinguished. People will listen to me now.
I got some gray hair. You know what that gray hair
is? The evidence of sin. That's all it is. Oh, we're going
to go hear the old wrinkled one. That just means he's been a sinner
longer than I have. That's all it means. Why would we listen to a man
who is clearly dying from sin instead of the God who punishes
sin? Why would we do that? He said
in verse 1, O foolish Galatians who have bewitched you that you
should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath
been evidently set forth crucified among you. Who has stolen you
from the truth of salvation? Who has stolen you away from
the truth of salvation? The truth that has been evidently
set forth in this word. concerning the death of Christ.
This word has been clearly declared to you. That's what Paul is telling
these Galatians. Concerning the death of Christ, the only true
salvation there is. And what he's ultimately saying
is, how is it that you don't understand what happened on that
cross? That's what he's getting at.
How is it? Look back a couple of pages at
2 Corinthians 11. This is one of my favorite verses. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 3, but
I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through
his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity
the simplicity that is in Christ. The simplicity. Men love to impress with complicated
doctrine and it does not impress me. I don't have time for it. If it is not simple, it is not
me. Oh, I love the simplicity that's
in Christ. And what he's saying is why would
you leave Christ and go back to the law? The simplicity of
Christ, the singularity of Christ. Who hath bewitched you to leave
freedom and go back to bondage? Why would you leave freedom and
go back to bondage when who Christ is and what he has done and why
he suffered and where he is now has been evidently preached to
you. After you heard the gospel for
so long and professed to believe it and rejoiced in Christ, why
would you ever want to go back to the poverty and the bondage
of the law? Why? Look with me back at Galatians
3. Verse 1 says, O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth,
crucified among you? This only would I learn of you.
He's saying this is all I want to know. Verse 2, he said, Received
ye the Spirit, God's Holy Spirit, God's quickening Spirit, Received
ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of
faith? What a great question. What a
great question. This was really special to me. This is an eye-opening question.
When did God set you free? When did God speak peace to your
heart? Has God ever spoken peace to
our hearts? Have we ever heard peace from
God in our hearts? Isn't the gospel so relieving?
You know what I love about the gospel? It's whosoever will. And knowing that I won't, knowing it's all that he will,
but here's what I love about the gospel. The gospel is clearly
for sinners, and that is the one category I know I fall into. And every time I hear that, I
know this is for me. I know it's for me. If it was
not so clear so clearly for sinners, I would really, I know God chose
a people. He either elected me or He didn't
elect me. And if I did not know that He chose sinners, I would
never fully believe He chose me. I would bow to the fact if
He didn't choose me, that's His right. But I would be so sad. I'd go through this life with
no assurance that I belong to Him. But He said He came to save
sinners. He chose sinners. He didn't come
to call the righteous. He chose me. And therefore I
know that He's forgiven my sin. He's purchased me. And He spoke
in peace to my heart. Peace with God to my heart. I've
experienced peace with God from Him. And here's the question
Paul is asking. When did God set you free? When did He speak that peace
to your heart? When was redemption made known
to you? Was it while you were trying
to work the works of the law? Or was it while you were hearing
His gospel message preached? When did it come to you? I think
that's wonderful. Did it come by the deeds of the
law or did it come by the hearing of faith? Which one did it come
by? You can turn or listen to Ephesians 2. We know these verses
so well. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by
grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. God
has never spoken peace to a sinner's heart through works. Never. A sinner has never heard peace
from God through the workings of the law. Never. Turn with
me to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13 says,
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth. Whereunto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. He called you by our gospel.
He spoke that peace. He said, come by the gospel preach. So Paul said, this thing didn't
start with works and it sure is not going to finish with works.
Go with me back to Galatians 3. Galatians 3 verse 3, he said,
Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now made
perfect by the flesh? Why is it that we can't help
it? Our flesh really does try to
attach something to the work of Christ. That is just the way of the flesh.
Look at chapter 4, Galatians 4 verse 9. It says, But now,
after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how
turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto
you desire again to be in bondage? He said, Are you so foolish as
to believe that you begin in the Spirit But you're made perfect
through baptism. This whole thing started in God's
Spirit, but we're going to finish it out in baptism. You begin in the Spirit, but
you're made perfect by keeping a certain day. You're made perfect by keeping
a certain ritual. You're made perfect by wearing
a certain thing or not wearing a certain thing. You begin by what God does. You're made perfect by what you
do. He said, that's foolish. That's
just foolish. God starts it. God finishes it. That's all there is to it. Look
with me at first Peter chapter one. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3 says,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are the you? Verse 5 says, who are kept by
the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time. God begat us, God keeps us. He keeps us all the way. We don't
keep ourselves. We don't do anything to keep
ourselves. We're kept by the power of God. Just listen to
this one. This one is Philippians 1. Verse
6, it says, being confident of this very
thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform
it until the day of Jesus Christ. God starts it, God finishes it. We don't add anything. to his
work to make ourselves more holy and acceptable in his sight.
We don't add anything. Now back in Galatians 3 verse
4 says, Have you suffered so many things in vain, if it be
yet in vain? Like anybody who takes a stand
for God's truth, the Galatians suffered persecution for it.
The Lord said, you'll be persecuted for my name's sake. And they
suffered loss for it. Paul said, I suffered the loss
of all things. And he's asking them, did you
endure all that in vain? Did you lose all that in vain?
Verse five, he said, he therefore that ministereth to you the spirit. That's Christ. Christ gives the
spirit. He therefore that ministereth
to you the spirit and worketh miracles among you. That's Christ. Everything comes from him. Doeth
he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? The
miracles that were performed. He asked them, were they performed
along with the doing of the law or the hearing of faith? Did
they confirm the works of the law or did they confirm the preaching
of the gospel? Our Lord said, this is what our
Lord told the apostles. He said, you go into all the
world and preach the gospel. And he said, these signs, I'm
going to send these signs along with you to confirm the message,
to confirm the message of the gospel. So God confirmed the
hearing of faith. That's what he confirmed. Verse
six, even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him,
for righteousness. The same way that Abraham was
counted righteous, that's the same way a sinner is counted
righteous today. The exact same way. Now I'm going to, let me
just read this to you, okay, because I'm going to wrap this
up quickly. Genesis 12, this is proof of
Abraham's righteousness. Nothing added to God's work and
God's calling. In Genesis 12, this is what it
says. The Lord said unto Abram, get
thee out of thy country from thy kindred, from thy father's
house unto a land that I'll show thee. He called him. And he said,
I'll make of thee a great nation. I'll bless thee and make thy
name great and thou shalt be a blessing. He blessed him. He made a promise to him. And
I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abraham
departed as the Lord had spoken unto him. Lot went with him,
and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out
of Haran. He was seventy-five years old when God called him
to himself, called him out. He went by faith, seventy-five
years old. He made His promise to him. He
gave His blessing to him at the age of 75. Now, when God reveals
Himself to a sinner and reveals the promise and reveals the blessing
to a sinner, that's salvation. That's the moment of salvation.
Now it says, don't turn, but it says in Genesis 17, When Abram was ninety years old
and nine, ninety-nine years old, twenty-four years later, it goes
on down to say, God said to Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant therefore,
thou and thy seed after thee and their generations. This is
my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and thy seed
after thee. Every man child among you shall
be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh
of your foreskin. It shall be a token of the covenant
between me and you, the one I promised you 24 years ago. So God's promise came. God's calling came. And then
way after that, he said, now here's a token of that covenant. That's all this is. That's all
circumcision is. So Abraham, he didn't add anything
to that. Turn with me over to Romans chapter four. Romans chapter 4 verse 9, and
what I just described to you is what Paul is talking about.
Verse 9, he said, cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision
only or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was
reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it reckoned? When
he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Did God send
him that when he was circumcised or uncircumcised? He said, not
in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision
as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet
being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them
that believe. though they be not circumcised,
that righteousness might be imputed unto them also." And then in
verse 21, he said, being fully persuaded that what he had promised
he was able also to perform. Therefore it was imputed to him
for righteousness. Now it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom
it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our
Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised
again for our justification. So he said that happened to Abraham
to show us it's the same thing for us. is the same thing for
us. We're not justified by the deeds
of the law, by faith in Christ alone. So back in Galatians 3
verse 7 says, Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the
scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee
shall all nations be blessed. What does that mean, in thee?
Shall all nations be blessed? God said, in thy seed shall all
nations be blessed. And right here in this chapter,
verse 16 says, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises
made. He saith not, and to seeds as
of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Thou shalt be saved. He that
hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Salvation is not in anything
we do. It's not in anything that we think we are. It's in the
blood of Christ. Totally in the blood of Christ.
Verse 9 says, So then, they which be of faith are blessed with
faithful Abraham. Those who have all of their hope
and all of their trust and all of their rest in Christ alone,
not adding anything to it, not taking anything from His word,
those people are not fools. That's the point. They are not
fools. They are not bewitched. They're
blessed. They're blessed. They're going
to receive the same blessing Abraham did. They're going to
be blessed with faithful Abraham. What a promise that is. What
a promise. Let's believe it. Let's believe
it. And let's cling to that. I mean,
let's cling to that alone. Christ alone. And let's never,
if the Lord will allow it, by His grace, let's never veer from
it. Let's never veer from that. It's Christ alone. Alright, let's
stand together.