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Donnie Bell

"The Truth of the Gospel"

Galatians 2:1-10
Donnie Bell October, 8 2025 Video & Audio
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Galatians

The sermon titled "The Truth of the Gospel" by Don Bell focuses on the doctrinal significance of justification by faith alone, apart from works, as illustrated in Galatians 2:1-10. The preacher emphasizes the importance of maintaining the purity of the gospel amidst false teachings that advocate for the necessity of law-keeping and circumcision for salvation. He references the apostolic conference in Acts 15 to argue that salvation is obtained solely through Christ's grace, which empowers believers and liberates them from legalistic bonds. The practical significance of this doctrine centers on the assurance of salvation through faith in Christ alone, which frees Christians from the bondage of the law and enables them to live in the liberty afforded by the gospel.

Key Quotes

“The issue that we have to deal with is salvation by grace or salvation by works.”

“If salvation is not accomplished by Christ, my ministry, my message is absolutely in vain.”

“God does not care who you are and what you are or what you've done; your position or your power does not impress God.”

“The truth of the gospel might continue with you.”

What does the Bible say about justification by faith?

Justification by faith teaches that we are declared righteous before God solely through faith in Jesus Christ, not by our works.

The Bible clearly establishes that justification is a gift from God, granted through faith in Jesus Christ alone. In Galatians 2:16, Paul emphasizes that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. This doctrine is pivotal in Reformed theology, asserting that our works cannot merit God's favor; instead, it is only through trusting in Christ's perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice that we are declared righteous. This truth was central to the Reformation and remains essential for understanding the gospel today.

Galatians 2:16, Romans 3:28, Ephesians 2:8-9

How do we know the gospel is true?

The truth of the gospel is evidenced by the transformative power it has in the lives of believers and the consistent testimony of Scripture.

The gospel's truth is affirmed through its historical foundation, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, and the transformative work it accomplishes in the lives of those who believe. In Galatians 2:5, Paul emphasizes the necessity of maintaining the truth of the gospel. It is also supported by the Holy Spirit's work, who applies this truth to the hearts of believers, confirming its validity through regeneration and sanctification. This internal assurance coupled with external evidence makes a compelling case for the gospel's truth.

Galatians 2:5, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Why is grace important for Christians?

Grace is essential for Christians, as it is the basis of our salvation and empowers us to live the Christian life.

Grace, defined as unmerited favor from God, is fundamental to the Christian faith. In Galatians 2:21, Paul declares that if righteousness could be achieved through the law, then Christ died for nothing. This means that grace is not just the means of our initial salvation but also the sustaining power in our daily lives as believers. It enables us to persevere in faith and obedience, reminding us that our acceptance before God is based solely on Christ's righteousness. Moreover, this understanding fosters humility, as we recognize that we contribute nothing to our salvation, thus motivating our love and service toward others.

Galatians 2:21, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 12:9

Sermon Transcript

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Good evening. Let's all stand together and sing hymn number 497. 497. When I can't read my title clear to patients in the skies, I'll bid farewell to every fear and Wipe my weeping eyes And wipe my weeping eyes And wipe my weeping eyes I'll bid farewell to every fear and wipe my weeping eyes. Should earth against my soul engage and fiery darts be hurled, Then I can smile as Satan's rage and face a drowning world. And face a frowning world And face a frowning world And I can smile at Satan's rage And face a frowning world Let cares like a wild deluge come in, storms of sorrow fall. May I but safely reach my home, my God, my heaven, my all. My God, my heaven, my all. My God, my heaven, my all. May I but safely reach my home. My God, my heaven, my all. There shall I bathe my weary soul, And cease a heavenly rest, And not a wave of trouble roll Across my peaceful breast. Hey, cross my peaceful breast. Cross my peaceful breast. And not a wave of trouble roll across my peaceful breast. Be seated. We'll sing hymn number 450. 450. There will never be a sweeter story The story of the Saviour's love divine, Love that brought Him from the realms of glory, Just to save a sinful soul like mine. Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, wonderful, Wonderful, oh, isn't the love of Jesus Something wonderful, oh, wonderful it is to be Boundless as the universe around me Preaching to the farthest soul away, Saving, keeping love it was that found me, That is why my heart can truly say, Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful, it is wonderful. Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful it is to me. Love beyond our human comprehending, Love of God in Christ, how can it be? This will be my theme and never ending. Great redeeming love of Calvary. Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful, wonderful. Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful? Wonderful it is to me. All right, open your Bibles with me to Galatians chapter 2. with Galatians. The last message had to do with God teaching Paul the gospel by revelation. How he didn't go and confer with flesh and blood. Talked about how he was a strong, strong in the Jewish religion. God had mercy on him, saved him by his grace, pleased God to separate him from his mother's womb and called him by his grace to reveal Christ in him. But now let me read these first 10 verses of chapter 2, see if we can get through them this evening. Then 14 years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation. and I communicated with them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run or had run in vain. Neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised, and that because of false brethren, unawares, brought in, who came in privately to spy out our liberty. which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage, to whom we gave place by subjection. No, not an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. But of these who seem to be somewhat, whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me. God accepteth no man's person, for they seem to be somewhat in conference, added nothing to me. But contrarywise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter. For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles. And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship that we should go unto the heathen and they unto the circumcision, only they would that we should remember the poor, the same also which I was forward to do. Our blessed, blessed God in heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ, your God over all, And you're blessed forever and ever. And, Lord, we come, as we always do, a people have no confidence in the flesh. And we know that in this flesh, well, it's no good thing. But, Lord, when we come to worship, it comes with us. So, Lord, please enable us for just a little while. Leave the world out. Leave this flesh out. Come and take our minds and our hearts, take our understandings, take our ears and our eyes, and oh, Lord, open the eyes of faith and the ears of faith and the heart of faith, and may we be blessed tonight to worship our Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we need you. Oh, how we need you. We need your power. We need your grace. We need your forgiveness. We need your strength. We need to realize that without you, we can do nothing. And so, Lord, please be with us tonight. Bring glory to yourself in the gospel. And our blessed Savior, I pray now for those among us who are going through trials. We have people here that go through trials. They're being tried very severely in some ways. And, Lord, you know who they are. You know what they're going through. You know the weakness of their bodies. You know the weakness and troubles that they go through at home. And Lord Jesus, we continue to pray for Debbie and Jim and also for Rick and Helen. Lord, these dear saints, God, they need you. Oh, how they need you. And they look to you. I know they do. They trust you. They look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And I know that's where they look. And so meet with us tonight, have mercy upon our lost loved ones, and do it for Christ's sake. Amen. Number 357. 357, we'll omit the third verse. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee, Even though it be a cross that raiseth me, Still all my songs shall be nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee. Below, like the wanderer, the sun goes down. Darkness be over me, my rest a stone. Yet in my dreams I'd be nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee. In with my waking thoughts, bright with thy praise. Out of my stormy grief, Bethel I raise. So glad my voice to be, nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee. Or if on joyful wing cleaving the sky, Some moon and stars or God upward I fly, All my songs shall be nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee. I hope you're still in Galatians 2. Let me get my things in order here. I was looking at them and got them out of order. Let me get them back in order here. My subject tonight is the truth of the gospel. The truth of the gospel. And that's what he says in verse 5, to whom we gave place by subjection, know not for an hour that the truth of the gospel might continue with thee. Now I'm going to go through these 10 verses that I've read. And what Paul is doing, he's establishing some points in a letter to the Galatians. And everything that takes place here that we're reading tonight took place in Acts 15. That's why he went up to Jerusalem because of the argument and the issue of whether a man can be saved and not keep the law of Moses and be circumcised. They had a first Bible conference over that first conference over that issue. And that's what this issue is about. And he's telling us and teaching that justification by Christ alone, apart from any works, apart from any ceremonies, apart from any Levitical law, apart from any Sabbath day, apart from any holy day, apart from anything, Christ alone is our justification. He said before God Almighty, Christ alone is. And Paul is as much an apostle as Peter, James, and John. And that's why he went up there and they received him so well. Now he had been up there 11 years before this. And so now he's 14 years and then he's going to go back up. And he was a chosen vessel. The apostle here is a chosen vessel to bear the gospel. of Christ to the Gentiles. And there's a time in the Old Testament several Gentiles were saved. Now you keep Galatians and turn to me with me to Luke chapter 4. I want to show you what I'm talking about. You know, there was Rahab the harlot. She was saved, her and her household, out of Jericho before Jericho fell down. And she had to do one thing. She had to do one thing. She had to have a red rope, a red string hanging out her window so they'd know that's her. That red represented the blood of Christ. And she was saved, her and her family. And she's in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then there's the widow of Nain. I mean, the widow of Sarepta and Naaman and Ruth. But look what it says here in Luke 4 in verse 24. 22. Our Lord Jesus opened a book in his hometown, began to read from the scriptures, and all bear witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, is not this Joseph's son? And he said unto them, You will say surely unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself. Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. Now listen to this now. But I tell you of a truth. Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, and that's who he's talking about here, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout the land. But unto none of them was Elijah sent, say unto Sarepta, city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow." And listen to this one. Now, she wasn't a Jew. She is a Gentile. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and none of them was cleansed save in Naaman, the Syrian. Now watch what happens. Verse 28, And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, from gracious words to fill with wrath. You know why? Because God sent his people to people Gentiles like you and me. Let pass by all of Israel, pass by everybody in Israel. How many lepers? But he is sent to one. How many widows? He is only sent to one. And they were in Israel. And that's the way God, that's what Paul has, that's what Paul was doing. He was going preaching to heathens like us, like us. And oh my. And then, okay, let's start in verse one. A great issue gotta be settled here. Then 14 years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run or had run in vain." You know, in this trip, when he went up to Jerusalem, he went up with Barnabas, him and Barnabas. Like I say, you can find this what has taken place and why he went up to Jerusalem in Acts 15. And I'll tell you what, they come up here about the question, whether you have to keep the law of Moses and you have to be circumcised in order to be saved. And they went up there to settle that question, whether it's necessary to salvation or not. And I'll keep Galatians and look in Acts chapter 15. Look at Acts chapter, just two verses, Acts 15. Look what it says, and oh my, they come up to settle this question whether circumcision was necessary. And circumcision was a covenant that God made with Abraham and with Israel. We never made that with Gentiles like us. And look what he says, and certain men, verse one, came down from Judea, taught the brethren, people that are believers, and said, except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, And boy, this is a strong statement. You cannot be saved. Now, the difference in what they're saying and what we say when we preach the gospel, that without Christ, no man can be saved. Without the blood of Christ, no man can be saved. Without the righteousness of Christ, no man can be saved. There's no way in the world, the only thing that'll keep a man from being saved is the grace of God in Christ Jesus and God in sovereign mercy coming and doing something for him. But these fellas said, you can't be saved. You can't do it. And therefore, Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispensation with them. They got into a real argument, and they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. What does it take to be saved? They said one thing. Paul and Barnabas said something else. So I went up by revelation. He said, I come up to Jerusalem. And I took Barnabas with me and Titus with me. And I went up by revelation. He said, they didn't send for me. They didn't say, Paul, would you come up here and tell us what you believe about this issue? Would you come up here and give us your opinion? Come up here and give us what you think about it. Come up here and tell us the way you deal with this business of Moses and the law and circumcision. You come up here and do that. No, they didn't send after him. The church didn't vote to send him. They said, well, we need to have a vote whether we want to send Paul and Barnabas up to Jerusalem. Let's have a vote. See if it's all right for us to send him up there. Now, that didn't happen. But this issue must be dealt with. And he felt led of God to go. And the first thing he did, look what it says. And I went up by revelation, verse two, and communicated. unto them that gospel, which I preach. I preach among the Gentiles, but I did it privately. What does it mean? He got off James and John and Peter and he got off to them privately and said, now this, cause if I got up in front of everybody, it's going to be an uproar. So he got them all by themselves and he started telling them that the gospel he preached when he was out preaching. Preaching. And oh my, and he talked to them privately with the apostles before him. And these men were of great, great esteem. Great men of reputation. And the issue was the theme of this epistle. Who is world and where gonna be saved? How in the world's a man, and you know, and this is so sad to me. I know people that still go, they go to Calvary to get saved. They go to the cross to be saved, and then they turn right back around and go to the law to be sanctified and to learn how to live right. Listen, the law never told us how to live. It told us how dead we were, how sinful we were, how hopeless we were, how helpless we were. That's all the law could ever do. And the issue of whether a man's saved by the grace of God or saved by Moses, And Paul said, I went to them privately, them which were of reputation, men that were great reputations. And oh my, you know, and men who believed and what they believed. And he said, unless by any means they didn't receive what I said, I should run or had run in vain. And oh my, I wasn't going to, or other than that. And look, oh my. And this is the gospel that he preached to the Gentiles. that salvation is holy of grace. He said, when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace. The issue in this thing of salvation is not whether it's Moses and circumcision, not whether it's keeping the law. The issue that we have to deal with is salvation by grace or salvation by works. Is salvation by Christ alone or Christ plus something or minus something? And I do know this, if salvation was by anything but grace, if a salvation is not accomplished by Christ, Paul said, my ministry, my message is absolutely in vain. I'm wasting my breath. And that's the same way with us. If men can be saved under an Arminian gospel, If men can be saved by free will gospel, if men can be saved by decision and coming forth and getting on altars, well, let's just all get together and do the same thing. But there's only one way God saves a man, and that's by the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ and his blood atonement, his righteousness and his accomplished salvation. It's accomplished. My and Paul says if this is if it's not true, then my ministry is in vain and all my and The Apostles look what he said in verse 3 But neither Titus who was with me being a Greek was compelled to be circumcised now. Here's a man. That's a Greek He's not a Jew He comes from my island of Greek He was a Greek. He's like Billy Argyropoulos. Billy Argyropoulos is a Greek. He knows how to cook Greek food. And he eats a lot of Greek food. He was a Greek. His mother and daddy, they come from the island of Crete. But oh my, the apostles were in such agreement about the law and circumcision that Titus, Titus is that little book right before the book of Hebrews, Titus, They didn't ever require him to be circumcised, and they accepted him on the basis of him not being circumcised. Nobody told him he had to be, and they received him as a brother. And I tell you what, and they didn't require anything from him. And I tell you, he was saying this here, Titus was a Jew, a Gentile here with me, and nobody said anything about him having to be circumcised. The apostles didn't do it. And if their ceremonies were necessary, then the apostles of Christ would have had required Titus to be circumcised. But he didn't. But he did. And oh, look what happens now. And oh, he wasn't compelled to be, nobody compelled him to be servant. Nobody said, just got to happen. It's got to happen. If he's going to be a believer, is he going to be a fellowship and with us here in Jerusalem, us apostles, you're going to have to circumcise him. He said, no, no, it ain't going to happen. Don't compel him to. And this is what happened. And it was big. And that because of false brethren, unawares brought in. who privately came in to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage. To whom we gave by subjection, no, not an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." And I'll tell you what, here's why they didn't do this. This is why they come in privately. And here was his false brethren. Just like over in Jude, you know, these evil men, false brethren. Did you notice that? He made a distinction between the brethren and false brethren. These are false brethren. And oh, they wanted to come in and spy out their liberty. When you talk about false, that means they're not true. They're not saved, they're false. And you know what, how their method was? Look what it says. brought in unawares. Brethren brought in unawares. Someone, someone slipped these fellas in. Someone brought these fellas in. Somebody said, listen, you need to go in there and hear what liberty these people have. You got to understand that these folks won't have nothing to do with the law. You got to understand these people, they're preaching something that I tell you what, don't give us no hope at all. That gospel they're preaching don't give us any hope. Oh my. And I tell you, someone brought them in under misrepresentation. And oh my, they came in privately. They come in privately. Somebody snuck them in. Snuck them in. They infiltrated. They came in deceitfully. And what was the purpose that they came in? What was it? To spy out our liberty. Oh my. Would you let anybody bring you under bondage? Would you let anybody come and tell you that Christ is not enough? That Christ's righteous not enough? Christ's blood's not powerful enough? Christ's death never accomplished what it meant to? No, you would not for a minute. But that's what these men come in there. Well, we got to see what they're saying, because if what they're saying is true, then there's no hope for us. That's why he called them false brethren. False brethren. And I tell you, they were enemies looking for a weakness. Now, look over in Galatians 5 on with me. In Galatians 5, 1, oh, spy out our liberty of believers. Oh, my. When I first started preaching the gospel, almost every place I went, the church either split or else they confronted me over what I was preaching. And then even here, when I first started preaching, people said, boy, what about my mama? What about my mother? If what you're saying, my mother's not saved. There's not a better woman ever lived than my mama. Mama's dead and gone. It ain't gonna change nothing. It ain't gonna change the gospel. It's not gonna change the gospel. But people would meet you and say, listen, if what you're saying so, then I'm lost. Well, I didn't get you lost. The gospel makes such a distinction in men, makes such a distinction, that God Almighty, that's what they, when our Lord says they went to one widow, and Naaman, they got mad, and they said, we gotta kill this man. We can't let him preach this. We can't let him preach that there's a gospel for Gentiles, and people are saved, and Elijah and Elisha, two of the greatest prophets in Israel's history. goes out here and preaches to a bunch of Gentiles and God takes care of them. The widow's son died. Elisha went in, laid on him, gave him life again. That was when they went to that mirror barrel, and the winner standing there said, I've got just two, I got a couple sticks and just enough meal to make me and my son a meal, and it's been dried up for over three years, and then we're going to sit down and die. We're going to sit down and starve to death. He said, fix me that cake first. Well, she did. And every time she went to that mirror barrel, they had food to eat. And that's the way God is. He provides for his people and the Jews couldn't stand it. And people that believe in works and law keeping and sanctification, they can't stand the gospel. They can't stand it. And that's why Paul said here, talk about spying out their liberty. Look what he told them. Verse one of chapter five, stand fast. I mean, that's a military term. Get in line here and stand fast. Stand at attention. And in the liberty, listen to this now, we're with Christ, hath made us free. The truth will set you free. And whom the Son sets free is free indeed. And hath made us free. And don't you be entangled again with that yoke of bondage. Don't do it. Don't do it. And oh my. They wanted to bring them back into bondage. And oh my, they bring us into bondage. Peter says, me or our fathers weren't able to bear that yoke. And then look what he says, we gave place in verse five here back over in our text. We gave place. We never paid any attention to them. We never come under subjection to them. and act like that we was, we gave no subjection. No, we did not subject ourselves to their argument. And I tell you what, not for an hour. And this is the reason that the truth of the gospel might continue. And you know, that's what I never will forget. Eldon Moore, when we first built this building and we came in here and he said, And he prayed, he said, Lord, as long as this building stands, don't let nothing be preached in it but the gospel of the grace of God, the gospel of Christ and his righteousness, the gospel of blood redemption. Don't let nothing ever, and that's why Paul says, I want the truth of the gospel to continue with you people. I don't want you to go back to Moses. I don't want you to go to ceremonies. I don't want you to keep holy days. I don't want you to have holy weeks. I don't want you to go to ceremonies. I don't want you to have washings. I don't want you to have those things. Stand fast in the gospel, the truth of the gospel. And oh my, the truth of God in mercy and his sovereign purpose sent his blessed glorious son into this world. And by him, he came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And did he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself? Yes. And then for us to hear that gospel and believe that gospel, somebody has got to come. The Holy Ghost comes and applies that gospel, applies the death of Christ, applies the righteousness of Christ, applies the things of God. And I'll tell you what, And he not only does that, but he sustains what he starts. And that's Shirley and I was talking about this the other day. One of the greatest miracles is for God to save us. But you know every day it takes a supernatural power of the grace of God to keep us saved every single day of our lives. With all that's against us, our flesh, our jobs, our minds, and not going on to jobs, all the things that we have to deal with, but yet God sustains us day in and day out, day in and day out, when we go a whole day and not even think of Him and get up the next morning and, oh my, what'd I do? But He never, He sustains us. He keeps us. And that's why that's the truth of the gospel. That's the truth of the gospel. And oh my, look what he said here. May the truth of the gospel, may God in his sovereign mercy never let me preach anything but the gospel. But look what he says now in verse six. But of these, those who came to spout our liberty, those who came and come in privately, these false brethren, But of these who seem to be somebody, that's what he said, who do seem to be somewhat. Whatsoever they were, it made no difference to me. I didn't care who they were. I didn't care who they thought they were. I didn't care that they thought they were somebody. It didn't bother me. But look what he goes on to say. God accepts no man's person. What he said is, God does not care who you are and what you are or what you've done, your position or your power, and anything in this world does not impress God. And oh, look what he says. For they seem to be somewhat in conference. And listen to what he says now. But they added nothing to me. They didn't add anything to my standing in Christ. They didn't add anything to my acceptance in Christ. They didn't add anything to the gospel that I believe. They didn't add anything to me. Oh, my. They added nothing to my gospel. They made no suggestions that I would listen to. And I tell you what, God's not impressed with men's person or position. And he says they done absolutely. They meant nothing to me. They added nothing to me. They didn't change me, my standing, my gospel, my beliefs, my faith added nothing to me. But contrary wise, look what he said, only contrary, but contrary wise when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, to the Gentiles, as the gospel of circumcision was unto Peter. For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostle of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles. When they saw, on the contrary, when they saw the gospel that Christ taught me and ordained me to preach to carry to the Gentiles, just as the gospel was ordained by God to Peter to carry the gospel to the Gentiles, Now, let me say something about that. God told Peter, said, I give unto you the keys of the kingdom. I give unto you the keys of the kingdom. Told him that in Matthew 16. He said, I'm going to give you the keys. Now, the first time the key to the kingdom was opened was on the day of Pentecost, when Simon Peter preached that day, and over 3,000 people were saved. Men and brethren, what must we do? Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and arise and be baptized. And oh my, and the second time that he used the keys, you know, he was the first one to ever preach to a Gentile, Peter was, in the gospels. You remember Cornelius? And oh, God had to show him three visions to make him willing to go and preach to Gentiles. He said, you know, it's unlawful for me being a Jew to have company with Gentiles. But he said, we've gathered here to hear the words which God gave you to give to us. And that's the second time he used the key. Open to the Jews and open to the Gentiles. And then Paul took up the gospel. to Gentiles like you and I. And God worked affectionately in both of our preaching. He worked affectionately toward the Jews for Simon Peter. He worked affectionately in me for the salvation of Gentiles. And then look what it says now. And when James, Cephas, Cephas is Simon Peter, and John, who seemed to be pillars Seem to be mighty men in Jerusalem. Seem to be pillars holding things up, perceived. Listen, I love this way this is said. Perceived the grace that was given unto me. They perceived that God's given that man grace. That God's taught this man some special things. They perceived, oh, look at the grace of God in him. Look how honest he is, how true he is, how faithful he is, how he don't care about people's persons. He has no one in admiration except the Lord Jesus Christ. And they were spokesmen, spokesmen and pillars of the church. And, oh, my, perceive the grace that was given unto me. Now, I love this right here. Look what it says. They gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen, they to the circumcision." Oh, my. They gave me and Barnabas their blessings and approval. Oh, my. They gave us, what did they say, the right hand of fellowship? Gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship. Right hand always means authority. And that's what we do when somebody wants to unite with us or wants baptism. We say we give you, this congregation gives you the right hand of fellowship. We welcome you into our fellowship. And they gave us the right hand of fellowship that we're going to have communion. We are on the same page. We believe the same gospel. We believe Christ is our only hope and plea before God. And they gave us the right hands of fellowship. a sign of agreement, of approval, of warmth. And the hand was one of fellowship. They have one common purpose. And you know what their fellowship centered around? The gospel. It's centered around the gospel. The gospel they preached, not their personalities, not their positions, not their power, not their popularity, but the gospel. The gospel is where their fellowship was, and the gospel is where our fellowship's at. Take the gospel away from us, take Christ away from us, what do we have in common? Why would we even meet? Boy, we have Christ, and we have his gospel. And then look what it says down in verse 10, and I'm done. Only they would, this is what they said, only they would that we should remember the poor. Remember the poor now, take care of the poor. I was forward, also forward to do. And you can find the apostle in the Corinthians, in the book of Corinthians, also in Acts, where he collected money to take to the poor saints up in Jerusalem. He collected money. He said, you all set aside some money. These people are poor up there. They ain't got nothing to eat. We got to take them something. We got to take them something. Our Father, in the blessed name of our Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your great mercy you give us in Christ. Thank you for the truth of the gospel. We want that gospel to be true, and we want to be truthfully preaching it, believing it, rejoicing in it, resting in it. finding it to be our blessed hope that purifies our hearts and our souls, that set us apart to the truth, set us apart to our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless these dear saints. Meet the needs of their homes. Meet the needs of their heart. Meet the needs of their families that they pray for constantly, that you'd do something for them. We all pray one for each other, and we also pray For our children, oh, our children, and our grandchildren, oh, God, we got no one to go to but you. No one can save them but you. No one can do anything but you. No one can wake them up from their death. No one can give them ears. No one can give them a new heart. No one can convince them of their sin but you. And, Lord, we keep praying that you do that for Christ's sake. Amen. Amen. Every hour of every day, every moment, and in every way. I'm leaning on Jesus. He's the rock of my soul. I'm singing his praise wherever I go. Good night. God bless you. See you Sunday, Lord willing. I think I may start on Luke Sunday. Finish marking. May gold elude. God bless you. Love you. Appreciate you.
Donnie Bell
About Donnie Bell
Donnie Bell is the current pastor of Lantana Grace Church in Crossville, TN.
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