If you have your Bibles this
morning, open them to Galatians chapter 4. The book of Galatians
chapter 4. I do hope you have a Bible handy
because the things I will be dealing with this morning necessitate
that you follow along in the Scriptures. Now, it is not my
desire this morning to pick on any particular denomination. I dislike the term Baptist that
is associated with the name of our church. I dislike that term
and only keep it because people know who we are when you mention
the name. But I want to address some who
may be listening who are religious, who attend religious services
and are confident you may be confident that you are keeping
the law, or that is, living according to God's holy law, doing the
things commanded by God in the law. Let me ask you what Paul
asked the Galatians here in Galatians chapter 4. Look at verse 21. Tell me, ye that desire to be
under the law, Do you not hear the law? In chapter 3 of Galatians,
verse 10, reads this way, As many as are of the works of the
law are under the curse, for it is written, Cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things which are written in the book
of the law to do them. Did you hear that? Paul says,
tell me you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear
it? Did you hear what chapter 3 verse 10 called the law? A curse. He said, cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things which are written in the book
of the law to do them. All things, not just what you
know, not what you think or what an elder interprets as the law. But all of it, A-double-L, all
of it. In chapter 5 of Galatians, verse
3, he says, I testify to every man that is circumcised that
he is a debtor to do the whole law. James even said, in James
chapter 2, verse 10, that if you offend in one point, you're
guilty, of breaking the whole law. All right. You are a debtor to do the whole
law, all things written in the law, every jot and tittle, every
ordinance, every holy day, every precept. Now, do you hear the
law? You that desire to be under it,
you must keep it all, every point. You can't just take what we like
in the law and leave the rest. You can't just keep this point
and leave off that point. Now listen, like I said, I'm
not trying to pick on anyone in particular, but I do hope
this touches someone where they are. There's some I know, and
I called them friends, nice people, sincere people, as Paul said
concerning his kinsmen or the Jewish people. They desire, they
have a zeal for God, but it's not according to knowledge. And
there's some that I know who obviously endeavor to be like
the Levites of old, Levitical priests, to the point of dressing
like them, even with their hair and their beards and so forth.
But wait. If we endeavor to be like the Levites, we'd better
be doing all that the Levites do. You can't just take what
you want and leave the rest. You better be doing exactly what
God said to do for the Levites, every jot and tittle of the Levitical
law. But there's one thing you better
be doing if you're going to be a Levite, a Levitical priest. You'd better be sacrificing lambs. Oh, but someone may object, well,
that was done away with. Where does it say that? Where
in all of the Bible does it say that? that it was done away with. Oh no, on the contrary, I read
concerning every single ordinance that God gave, every law that
God gave, he said this afterward. He said, it shall be an ordinance
forever. Forever. Well, then there are
some who may say, well, we know that, we're more knowledgeable
than that. It's not necessary to keep the
Levitical law or the ceremonial law, but you better keep the
moral law. And one law in particular that
we're very observant of is we better keep the Sabbath day. This is most important. And by
Sabbath, by Sabbath, the Sabbath day, that is, is meant Saturday. Saturday always has been the
Sabbath day. Not Sabbath, but the Sabbath
day. So that some say, well, we know
we're not to keep the Levitical or ceremonial law, but you better
keep the moral law, especially the Sabbath day. Better do that.
It's law. Well, to those I say, turn with
me to Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. Now listen,
Paul said in Romans 7, verse 14, he said, the law is spiritual. The law is spiritual. That is, it has a primary spiritual
meaning. Alright, Christ said in John
4, verse 24, He said, God is spirit. They that worship him must worship
him in spirit and truth. Now, Galatians 5 verse 18 says
this. Read it with me. Verse 18 says,
If you be led of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, you are not under
the law. What law is he talking about?
He doesn't say, does he? It means all. the law. If led by the Holy Spirit, you
are not under any law as a covenant of salvation, as a covenant of
works. That is, if you do this law,
God says, I will accept you. No, no, you're not under the
law as a covenant of works. that God says, if you do this
or do not do that, then you will be considered righteous or holy
by me. No, sir. You're not under any
law as a covenant of works. Salvation is either by works
or grace. Look at Galatians 2 with me.
Galatians chapter 2. Now, this is very serious. Paul said, you who desire to
be under the law, Those who endeavor to keep it, though you're sincere,
you may be under the curse of the law. How serious is it for
a person to try to keep the law and be accepted by God? Well,
this is how serious it is. Galatians 2 verse 21 says, Paul
said, I do not frustrate the grace of God, the gift of God,
salvation by grace. He said, I don't frustrate it
if righteousness That is, if holiness, if acceptance with
God comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. That's how serious it is. If
you're trying to keep the law to make yourself acceptable to
God, to account yourself righteous before God, then Jesus Christ
didn't need to come to this earth. That's how serious it is. Now
listen, Paul said in Philippians chapter 3, he said he thought
he was righteous concerning the law when he kept the law as a
Pharisee. Yes, Paul strictly observed the
Sabbath day, Saturday. Now, the Sabbath day was so strict. You desire to keep the law. I
don't know if you've heard this or not, But you better study
it. The Sabbath day was so strict
that one man was stoned because he picked up sticks to start
a fire on a Sabbath day. You can't even pick up sticks.
You can't start a fire. You can't cook food. No, sir.
Let me ask you out there in our modern day, do you use a microwave
oven on Saturday? Do you drive a car? If so, you're
guilty of breaking the Sabbath day. Well, Paul said he found out
the law was spiritual. He said he thought he was righteous
and kept the law, but he found out it was spiritual and the
law was a curse to him. He said the law was only added
because of transgressions. And Paul, who wrote the book
of Hebrews, said in chapter 4 of the book of Hebrews, he said,
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Let me
quote that again to you. From the book of Hebrews, chapter
4, verse 9 says, There remaineth therefore a rest to the people
of God, a keeping of the sabbath, a sabbath, a rest to the people
of God. And the next verse says, For
he that is entered into his rest, whose rest? Christ's rest, the
rest that is in Jesus Christ. He that has entered into the
rest which is in Jesus Christ, he also hath ceased from his
own works as God did from his. Not just quit working on a certain
day, but because God didn't quit working. God didn't quit working
on the Sabbath. Why? He upholds all things by
the word of his power. If God quit working, If God quit
acting, the world would have shut down. But what it means
when God rested from His works, He was saying that there's nothing
left to be done. It's finished. It's complete.
And when Christ Jesus hung on that cross, He said it's finished.
And those who believe and trust Christ, they say it's finished. They rest from their works. They're not trying to do anything
to be saved or considered holy by God. They've entered into
the rest that is in Christ. This rest, this Sabbath to the
people of God is not Sunday either. It's not Saturday or Sunday.
It's not any day. It's not a law. It's a person. Rest is in a person. Jesus Christ
said, Come unto me and I will give you rest. He said, Take my yoke upon you
and learn of me. I am meek and lowly. And you'll
find rest for your souls. John 1, verse 17 says, "...the
law was given by Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ." Grace. That means the gift of righteousness. Acceptance with God is a gift
given to us by Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift. It's not
something we work toward. It's a gift. And only Jesus Christ
can give it. Grace and truth. Truth. The true way to worship God.
Christ said, I am the truth. He said, you'll know the truth
and the truth shall set you free. He said, if the Son shall make
you free, you shall be free indeed. Not in bondage to the law. The
weak and beggarly elements, Paul said, but free. Free from sin. Free from the law. It's cursed.
free from men, free from denominational decrees by legal men. If there is anyone listening
right now who is depressed and downcast and struggling in your
religion, no peace in your religion, trying to keep the laws and rules
and regulations that are told to you, come to Jesus Christ
and find rest for your soul. And my advice to you, from God's
Word is, get you a Bible, open it to the book of Galatians,
and start reading. And ask God to show you where
rest is found. It's in Jesus Christ. May God
give you that rest. Until next Sunday, good day.