Good morning. We remind everybody
announced in our bulletin that we will not not have service
on Wednesday night this week. Don't forget that. And if there's
anyone that is not here today, remind them. If you're talking
with them, remind them of that. Let's ask our Lord to bless this
gathering to begin with. Our most gracious and merciful
Heavenly Father, we do pray, Lord, that you will be with us
this morning. I ask that you'll send your Holy
Spirit, be with our brother, Walter, as he stands to declare
your holy glory in thy name and thy strength, help us, Lord. In everything we do, make us
to know that you are the one that provides all for us. Make
us to be ever thankful for everything that we have and that it comes
from you. And everything that we do is
nothing of ourselves. Pray, Lord, that you'll be with
our pastor as he travels this week. And give him the same liberties
that we're asking for our brother here. Ask that you give him many
traveling mercies to bring him back to us safely. We ask the
same thing for all of your people, wherever they may be. I ask for a special prayer for
our brother, Larry Crisp, that you would Lift him up. Strengthen
him, Lord. Put him back in the pulpit that
he may proclaim thy holy name, thy glory. Forgive us of our
sin, Lord. In the holy name we pray. Amen.
I told Walter, he's a familiar sight here now. I think everybody
knows him. I don't feel like I need to introduce him, but
we should anyway. I want to welcome him once again,
Walter and Penny. and Paul and Paula from Sovereign
Grace Chapel in Crowe, West Virginia. I'm sure that we will all get
a blessing from his message this morning. Walter. Good morning, everyone. Turn to Paul's epistle to the
Galatians, please. Paul's epistle to the Galatians. I will begin reading in chapter
5. We'll read the first 10 verses of Galatians chapter 5. Here the Apostle Paul is continuing
with his letter about the free and reigning grace of God in
Christ, and he says these words, that he is a debtor to the whole
law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you. Whosoever of you are justified
by the law, you are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait
for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. Ye did run well. Who did hinder
you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh
not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump. I have confidence in you through
the Lord that ye will be none otherwise minded. But he that
troubled of you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be." We
begin here, and I should rather say Paul begins here in what
we have as chapter 5 with the inspired admonition and its counterpart. The inspired admonition is concerning
the freedom of Christ wrought liberty. This is what he says,
Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free. But then its counterpart is this,
the law's entangling, yoking bondage. See the admonition and
its basis here in these three words. Paul begins it, Stand
fast, therefore. Be resolute. Stiffen your upper
lip. Draw your heart near to the truth
of God. Stand fast. Don't move. Don't budge. Don't give. Stand fast therefore. See the admonition? Stand fast. In other words, hold your ground. I'm reminded of a movie, and
the movie doesn't matter because I'm not here to promote a movie,
but it's a movie concerning things in the Revolutionary War, and
then usually, generally, two armies stood face to face. I'm
reminded of a scene in one movie where, in the movie, where one
group of people are standing there, and that's got to be a
tough way to do battle, and the enemy is charging. And the commander
keeps crying, hold, hold, hold. I'd want to run, wouldn't you? I'd want to run, but hold. This
is what Paul's talking about. Stand fast, be resolute, hold
your ground. But here's the basis. Stand fast,
therefore. Now when he says therefore, I
know this is probably cliche, it means to go back and look
at what he's just said, but it's much more than just the last
several verses. Paul is talking about the whole
of his letter. Remember, this was a personal
letter written by a man inspired of God without doubt, but a personal
letter written by the apostle to a group of churches, just
as if I would sit down, although I'm not inspired and would write
a letter to you all. Stand fast, therefore. Paul is referencing the free
and reigning grace of God. And let me try to summarize the
whole book up to this point in four things. Number one, the
grace of Christ is a singular message. You can go back and
look at chapter 1, read all the way through verse 12. Paul says
it is so much so. That is the message of the grace
of Christ is so singular that if anyone else, anyone, even
an angel from heaven, preached any other gospel than that which
Paul had already preached unto them, you know what Paul said?
Let him be accursed. That is serious. That is serious. Secondly, stand fast therefore. Why? Because the grace of Christ
works a change in the individual's lives. Look at the Apostle Paul. Look at where he was before,
standing resolute, John, for the law. But when grace came
and conquered his soul, he now stands resolute for the grace
of Christ. And you can go back and read
that in chapter 1, verses 13, all the way through chapter 2,
verse 20. That is, the grace of Christ works a change in the
lives of those that it conquers. And he kind of gives us a summary
of these first two things in verse 21 of chapter 2, if you
want to read it there. Look at what he says, I do not
frustrate the grace of God. Now look at this serious statement.
For if righteousness come by the law. I almost shudder even
to read the words. But yet we know they're inspired
words. They're here for a point. They're here for a reason. For
if righteousness come by the law, think of the gravity of
it. If righteousness comes by the law, Christ died in vain. Amazing. The third thing, therefore, stand
fast, therefore, is that the grace of Christ and law are not
enemies, though. Don't misunderstand. They're
not enemies. And we can read that in chapter
3, verse 1. all the way through chapter 4
and verse 7. The grace of God and the law
of God are not enemies. They both have their rightful
place. God's people don't hate God's
law. We would love to be able to keep God's law. But I can't. I can't. And that law is a law
of glorious death and condemnation. Glorious! Death and condemnation. And it is, as Paul says, he calls
it this, entangling and yoking bondage. And that's what it's
meant to be. That's what it's meant to be.
So remember, the grace of Christ and law are not enemies. Go back
and look at it again. Chapter 3, verses 1 through chapter
4, verse 7. So then, number 4, so then, they're
not enemies, but they cannot be courted. And I mean courted
simultaneously. You can't date and marry the
law and date and marry Christ at the same time. And I know
that's a little loose word, but you understand what I'm getting
at, I hope. These two are not enemies, but they're never brought
together in us. They are brought together only
in the person and work of the Son. Then Paul gives us another summary. And you want to see this. These
two things, it's grace and law, can't be courted simultaneously.
Go back then and read chapter 4, verses 8 through 31. So much
so that then Paul gives us another summary, and let me just find
the right spot I want to read here. Look at chapter 4, and
let's look at the last two verses. Remember, they cannot be courted,
entertained, worshipped simultaneously. Chapter 4, verse 30 and 31. Nevertheless,
what saith the Scripture? And Paul is referring to the
Old Testament Scripture. Don't let anyone ever deceive
you into thinking that the Old Testament was about salvation
by law, the New Testament is about salvation by Christ. All
of the Scripture is about salvation by Jesus Christ. Look at what
it says. Nevertheless, what saith the
Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her
son. For the son of the bondwoman
shall not be heir with the son of the free. So then, brethren,
we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast,
therefore." You see it? He's brought it all up to this
final head now. And he's going to begin to summarize
in his letter. Let us hear the apostolic wisdom
and the apostolic authority. and the solemnity of His warning. See it? Behold, I Paul. When Paul spoke, when he wrote
these words, he was speaking as an apostle. I don't know how
to say it. I wish I had a better way to
say it, but when Paul spoke, God was speaking. When Paul wrote, God was writing. He being moved by the Spirit
of God to write down precisely that which honored God's person.
Stand fast, therefore. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you,
that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. See that warning? Christ shall
profit you nothing. Paul is not against the law.
He's saying the law has served its purpose. The law is to show
you and I how bad we really are. That's what the law is for. That's
why the law was given. The law was given to show me
that I am nothing but a sinner. And even today, as a person saved
by the grace of God, even today for me as a pastor who am standing
here giving you instruction from God's word, when I look at myself
in light of the law, even today, if I look at it strictly in light
of the law today, I'm still a sinner. Still. sinner. And that's all
the law was meant to do. To show me not just that I am
a sinner, but how bad of a sinner I really am. So see that warning. Then the Apostle Paul gives us
three reasons for this solemn warning. Look at it. See the
three fours? Four in verse three, four in
verse five, and four in verse six. So he's summarizing now.
Do you see it? Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you nothing. Forward, as will give us a reason,
right? Here's why I said what I just said. Then again, he gives
it to us, another reason in verse 5, forward. And then he gives
us another reason in verse 6, forward. So let's look at those
three reasons. The first reason, and this is
simple enough. It's simple enough. And yet my
mind, by nature, is so corrupt that we cannot receive even simple
things apart from the enablement of the Spirit of God. I will
summarize and we'll read it. Think of just one law effort,
just one. Just one law effort in an attempt
to find justification before God. Just one law effort, one
law deed, just one in trying to seek righteousness before
a holy God binds me to have to keep all. the law. Isn't that
what he says? Look at it. Verse three, four,
I testify again to every man that is circumcised. And this
is not just someone who was physically circumcised. Remember people
were circumcised. Most of them by law, when they
were eight days old, every male was, they had nothing to do with
determining that he's talking about. If you're looking to that
for righteousness before God, if you're looking to that act,
that was done to you, think about that, that was done to you as
righteousness or justification before God. For I testify again
to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to the whole
law. And I have been told, I don't
know, I would not even sit down and try to count them up. I wouldn't
know whether I would be linking two together when I should be
separating them. But most people seem to think they have this
opinion that there are the Ten Commandments. Well, there is
the Decalogue. Those Ten Commandments sum up
everything in the law. And even our Lord came along
and said two of those sum up everything else. But I am told
that in the law there are well over in between six and seven
hundred commands. That means every seventh year,
if anybody's ever given you anything, you have to turn it back over
to them. That's what it says, isn't it?
That means every Friday evening at sundown, it's time for you
to go sit down and not do anything until Saturday evening at sundown. That's the Sabbath. You see,
again, to expect righteousness, or justification by the law,
even by one law effort, binds you to keep all law effort. And think about it. Circumcision
was not even originally a part of the law. It was before the
law. But because it was incorporated into the law, that makes it a
part of law. Therefore, if you do anything,
I'm going to love my neighbor as myself. If you do that, you're
going to do everything else perfectly. perfectly. That's simple enough.
And you would think that would be reason enough to cause any
man or woman to flee to the feet of Jesus Christ. Wouldn't it? That's a good thing. It's not
a bad thing. Paul's not against the law. He's saying the law's
done its job. It shows you how bad you are. And if you're trying
to keep one law to be right in God's sight, you've got to keep
it all. Here's the second reason. True
spirit wrought gospel conversion waits and expects that righteousness
will come from without. You hear what I'm saying? Righteousness
will come from where? From without. Righteousness for
us does not well up in here. It has to come from out here
somewhere. That's it. It has to come from,
look, for we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness,
how? By faith. The hope of righteousness
lets me know this, because Paul says, if a man already has something,
why does he hope for it? You know? So that righteousness
is not down in here. It's coming from God out here.
I have to believe Him for it. Follow me around, you'll see.
And I'm not bragging about this. Follow me around, you'll see
I'm not a righteous man. I desire to be. I desire to be,
but I'm not a righteous man. Here's how serious it is. Now
let's go back to the first one again. For I testify again that
every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to the whole
law. Think of this solemn, solemn warning here now. Christ is become
of no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are justified
by the law, ye are fallen from grace. Four. Four. You see, that's why he gives
the second one. Four. You see, to expect justification
by law effort is to abandon Christ. You cannot be joined to both.
That's called spiritual adultery. You cannot be married to the
law and married to Christ at the same time. That's like a
woman being married to two men. And that is against the law.
That's against the law. And grace comes along, and in
Christ Jesus, all the law's demands as my husband have been satisfied. And all of its righteous demands
have been laid to rest, and he is justly buried in the grave. Now I'm free to be married to
Christ. But if I turn my back on grace,
I am turning my back on Jesus Christ. Think about that. Do not underestimate or ignore
this warning. Paul here is not trying to scare
some folks back into the right doctrine. God help us as pastors sometimes,
I'm sure we do that, but that's not what Paul's doing here. He
means it. Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law. Now this
is expected justification. No one is ever justified in God's
sight by the law. But some men have been convinced
that they can justify themselves in God's sight by the law. And
if that's what you're truly seeking, you've fallen from grace. You've
abandoned Christ. You've abandoned God's way. And
then that's why he says, for we through the Spirit. Here is
where God's people truly live. For we through the spirit wait
for the hope of righteousness by faith. And then the third
reason. It is not law effort, nor its
lack. And I'm glad both of those are
put there. It is not law effort, nor its lack. Here's what it
is. To be in Christ is to have that
faith which is energized by love. You see it? Four. There's the
third reason. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision
availeth anything, but here's the thing, well, I'll just disobey
the law as much as I can. Well, you will. You will. But that ought not be our intent.
That ought not be our design. Look, for in Jesus Christ neither
circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith
which worketh. And that word means energized. Here's why some people fall from
grace, why they abandon Christ. They don't truly love Him. You
see, when you love something, when you love someone, if you
start to abandon Him, the conscience will scream. The heart will melt. You know, it's kind of like this.
If I tell my wife I love her and I don't want to be around
her, she will know I'm lying to her. If I tell my wife I love
her and she realizes I spend most of my time and money and
effort on me, she's going to know what? I'm lying to her.
Even more than that, if I tell my wife I love her and she sees
me out here giving that same affection to some other woman,
she's going to know I'm lying to her. This is serious. But then look, look, ye did run
well. This thing is a race. It is an
effort. There's a part of me today that
would crawl back under the law and live under the law. That's
the flesh. I know most people, when they
think about falling from grace, they're thinking about a Christian
backsliding and getting back into immorality. That's not what
Paul's talking about here. That's certainly not a good thing.
If you're a believer in Christ and you fall into some immoral
way of life, that's not good. God will deal with you. God chastens
every son he receives. But this is not what Paul, Paul
is talking about trying to be a moral person to get God to
accept you. It's actually opposite of what most of religion talks
about when they talk about falling from grace. He said, you did
run well, who did hinder you? The word here, and I heard a
pastor, my pastor Earl Cochran say years ago, it's like, who
threw you a body block? It's like that running back in
football, and I don't know much about football, so if I state
something a little improperly, forgive me. But it's like that
running back in football. When he's headed that ball, he
has a route he's supposed to run in accord with what everyone
else on his team is doing. But every now and then, John,
somebody on the other team slips through and throws him a body
block. You know what I'm saying? You did run well. Who did hinder
you? Now look, that you should not
obey the truth. There's where it all boils down
to. The faith and love Paul speaks of is toward the truth. Not just
religion. It's the truth. But someone threw
you a body block. Someone hit you. Paul then rebukes
the excuse of blaming God. Because he knew it would come
up. Well, but God's sovereign. You ever done that? You ever
done that? Look, this persuasion cometh
not of him that calleth you. Now our God is in absolute sovereign
control of everything, but we cannot blame Him for our errors
and rebellion and sin. Paul knew our flesh would say,
but isn't God sovereign after all? This persuasion cometh not
of him that calleth you. Here's the problem. A little
leaven, leaven us the whole lot. Now, most of you ladies probably
understand this a whole lot better than I do. Have you ever baked
bread or a cake or whatever it is? I probably already showed
my ignorance in that already. Paul warns that the worst compromise
always starts with just one. It always starts with just one.
Well, if we give in just a little, maybe more people come and hear
the gospel. If we just slacked up a little
on that truth, on that particular aspect of the person and work
of Christ, maybe at least more people would come and maybe more
people would hear the gospel. But when you begin to compromise
the gospel, Paul starts out with this letter to us. We've already
compromised it all. We've perverted the gospel of
Christ. And John, I think that's why
he starts right there where he starts. The worst compromise to where
a person abandons Christ and His grace always begins with
one little compromise. A little leaven, leaveneth the
whole lump. So what does Paul then do? Does he mark them all
off? No. That's not what he does,
does he? He doesn't mark them all off. Well, you're all going
to hell then. Is that what he says? No. Does he mark nobody
off? This is just the way it is. No,
he doesn't do that either, does he? No, Paul then leans right
back on the very grace of Christ that he was declaring from the
get-go. See it, verse 10? I have confidence in you. How? Through the Lord. That seems simple enough, but
that is profound. He's saying, if you're one of
God's, God will keep you. He'll turn your mind back to
where it was supposed to be. That's what he's saying. If not,
now look, And I have confidence in you through the Lord, that
ye will be none otherwise mine. Now somebody's throwed you a
body block. Somebody in one place has said they bewitched you,
they tricked you. But look, but he that troubleth you, he shall
bear his judgment, whosoever he be. And you know what? That's
pretty much where we just have to leave it lay, don't we? We
just have to leave it lay. Paul then goes on and finishes
out this letter. He said, don't let anybody trouble
me anymore. I don't want to deal with this
again. You see, it's clear cut. It's
either Jesus Christ has all my affection or he has none of my
affection. All of my faith is toward him
or none of my faith is toward him. It doesn't matter what you're
leaning on, religion, law, whatever it is. Christ is at the center
of everything God's doing as he's saving his people. The whole
means is not just that we go to glory one day, thank God we
will, but it's that we worship and adore Jesus Christ and we
love him and believe him right now. And that's right. That honors God, Father, may
this lesson encourage us, warn us, support us, keep us from
falling. And Lord, when we do, may it
turn us right back to thy son, in Christ's name. Thank you.