But if you wish to follow along,
turn to Galatians chapter one again. Galatians chapter one,
I will read the first seven verses. I will make a couple comments
on just a few things, mainly in verse four as I read, but
then my actual text will be from verse six and seven. Again, Paul,
when he began to write this letter, he wrote these words, Paul, an
apostle. not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ,
the God, the Father, who raised him from the dead, and all the
brethren which are with me unto the churches of Galatia. Grace
be to you and peace from God, the Father, and from our Lord
Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins. Remember what I
said, he gave, that word gave, he yielded up himself on account
of our sins, or in light of our sins. Peter is so bold as to
write, being moved by the Spirit of God, that he, and I can't
fathom this, I don't know that I understand it, Joe, but I believe
it, that he bore our sins in his own body on the tree. And
he had God the Father turn his back on him when that took place.
He gave himself for our sins. But then this other statement,
that he might deliver us from this present evil world according
to the will of God and our Father. And I know there are those who,
when they say that word might, and that word might in our day
is used in the sense of maybe it will, maybe it won't. But
I gave you this, but I want to give it a little more detail
today. This word might, in the Greek
it means to make possible, or in order that he would be able. That's the way it could be written.
See, what this world don't seem to understand is that Jesus Christ
could not deliver us from this present evil world had he not
gave himself for our sins. Him giving himself for our sins
made it possible for God to deliver us from this world. Because God
could not just deliver us from this present evil world and let
sins off the hook. You see what I'm saying? And
that's what Paul's getting. Paul's not talking about maybe
he will, maybe he won't. He gave himself for our sins.
Now let me just give you this, just a little bit of a lesson. It is this word that he might,
M-I-G-H-T in the Greek, is a aorist middle subjunctive. You know
what that means? Nothing to us. It means nothing to us. but it's
the aorist middle subjunctive. In other words, what Christ did
for our sins gave Christ the ability to actually deliver us
from this present evil world. And then Paul continues, to whom
be glory forever and ever, amen. Now here's my text, I marvel
Think about this, I marvel that you're so soon removed from him
that called you. Now he's not talking about how
quick it happened in an instant, but how fast it happened from
the first time in which they began to hear and believe the
gospel. Now talk about it happened just
like that, but they had believed the gospel and it wasn't long
before they began to be bewitched, led astray, I marvel. that you're
so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ and to another gospel, which is not another, but there
be some that would trouble you and would pervert the gospel
of Christ. Now, I say this is my subject. Or no, I'm sorry, I was gonna
say that backwards. This is my title, it's not necessarily
my subject, although it's gonna be a part of my subject. My title
is this. Legalism, now you're not gonna
find legalism in our text. You won't find legalism there,
but you find legalism defined all throughout this letter. So
remember, legalism is not in the text, but it's in the context
of this letter. Here's my title, Legalism Insults
God's Christ. God's law is holy, just, and
good. But yet legalism insults God's Christ. Now, God willing,
if we're here that long and we move into some of these things,
I am by the grace of God going to state things just as bluntly
and harshly and clearly as I can. One of the passages, I don't
know that I can, I don't have it wrote down. I'll try to quote it. Paul says,
if I build again the things which I once destroyed, I make myself
a sinner. That is strong language. Because he's talking about God's
law. He's talking about God's law.
So, legalism insults God's Christ. Now, excuse me, clearly Paul
expresses his heart and mind's perplexity. He's just taken aback,
as we might say. He is dismayed. He's just dismayed
at the Galatians' so rapid departure from the gospel. And it wasn't,
remember, it wasn't like a totally, totally, they were totally abandoning
Christ. It's not like they were saying,
Christ is not necessary. We don't believe in the need
of a Redeemer. But what they were doing was
merely admixing human effort to Christ's work. At Galatia,
it began with just this simple thing. I've said it before, circumcision. Just circumcision, that was it. But Paul says if you do that,
you're opening that proverbial Pandora's box. Because the law
of God is a complete whole. It's not the laws of God, it's
the law of God. And I still vividly remember
Joe saying this, it's not the 10 suggestions, it's the 10 commandments. Now, think about it. According
to the Apostle Paul, I'm kind of summarizing our text, but
kind of the whole letter, if you will. Just one addition to
Christ's cross work, okay? and it's his cross work. Paul
says very little about his life from his, he says, well, he says
nothing about his birth, other than in the fullness of time,
he came. But everything, almost everything
Paul talks about is related to, specifically to Christ's cross
work. because therein is salvation
accomplished in his crosswork. Just one addition to Christ's
crosswork constitutes removal. I marvel you're so soon, what?
Removed. Removal, that means to leave,
to desert, to renounce. And Paul's strong with some of
his language. We'll look at that in a moment, Lord willing. To
abandon. And what a removal it is. Now
to say, but this preacher, how can this be? It's just circumcision.
It's just a simple act. It's an act that thousands of
male babies go through now, right? Whether they're religious or
out and out infidel, people are having their young male infant
circumcised when they're born. But if you do it for acceptance
before God, it's an insult to God's Christ. It's an insult
to God's Christ. Think about it. What a removal
it is. Let me just give you four things
here. We'll both do it pretty brief. To abandon is to abandon
him that called you. Do you see it? I marvel that
you're so soon removed from H-I-M. To abandon is to abandon him
that called you. This is much more than just abandoning
a doctrine or doctrines. To abandon the truth of Christ
is to abandon Christ. You can't separate Christ from
his doctrine. At the same time though, you
can have the doctrine and not have Christ. And Joe, I don't
know if I can even explain that. I don't know that I really can.
I know I can't explain it in a way that it will enlighten
unregenerate hearts and minds. I know I can't explain it that
good. Because it doesn't come by explanation. It comes by divine
revelation. It comes by God giving a new
mind, a new heart, new ears. He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. So remember, what a removal it
is. It is to abandon him But in particular
here, it is to abandon, to abandon, is to abandon Christ himself
and his grace. It's much more than just taking
on another doctrine. It's not just mixing in another
doctrine in effect. It may look that way on the surface.
Joe, they were just adding circumcision. But what they were in effect
saying, though they did not understand it, They were removing Christ
and removing themselves from Christ all together. It's like, and there may be a
better way to state this, I understand it. It's like being that close
to apostasy. That close to absolute, full
apostasy. And the only difference is this,
the grace of Christ. The very thing that they were
abandoning. You see it? I marvel that you're
so soon removed, not from sovereign grace, not from free grace, not
from reigning grace, not from Calvinism, no. I marvel that
you're so soon removed from him that called you into the grace
of Christ unto another gospel. There's a third thought. Any
addition is to in fact and in act Actual action. It is to in
fact and to enact insult God's grace. It is the height of utter
ingratitude to Christ. So much so that Paul puts it
this way. He sums up just this little context here, which is
not another, but there be some that trouble you and would what?
Pervert. the gospel of Christ. Here's
another one. Chapter five, look at these.
These are strong words as well. I don't necessarily wanna say
stronger. I mean, I don't have that opinion, but that's just
my opinion. Look at chapter five. Look at what Paul wrote, just
for the sake of time. Verse two, behold, I, Paul, say unto you,
that if you be circumcised, see that next phrase? Christ shall
profit you nothing. That's serious. This is not just,
it's an admixture, yes, but it's much more than just admixture. It is to say Christ really don't
matter at all. And you remember what Paul said,
was it to Timothy, Joe, about those that they teach the law,
they know not what they say nor whereof they affirm. They don't
know what they're talking about. Some of them don't understand
the seriousness of what they are trying to preach and teach.
Oh, God, help us to understand the seriousness of it, lest we
be led away ourselves. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you
that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For
I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is
a debtor to the whole law. And today, people, they pick
and choose. I mean, you've got Seventh-day
Adventists. They pick that one commandment, don't they? That
one commandment stands out above everything else. And this is
not the law, of course, but it is Christ's teaching. You've
got people that pick out just baptism. You've got people that
pick out just a public confession of faith, right? Walking the
aisle or whatever it may be. When it comes to law, you either
take it all or you have none of it. where I testify again to every
man that is circumcised 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're
fallen from grace. And somebody says, see right
there, Paul says you can be justified by the law. No, he doesn't say
you can be justified. He said, you're saying you can
be justified by the law. Wrongly, but you're saying you
can be justified by the law. I mean, God help us to always
remember the seriousness of this thing of God's Christ and his
grace. God's blessed son is the most
dear thing to the heart of God almighty in all that we know
that there is. This is my beloved son, in whom
I am well pleased. Listen to him. Listen to him. Now here's another one. Here's
another one, here's the fourth thing. It is an utmost heinous
ingratitude. Turn to Hebrews. Hebrews, and
see if I can, I don't wanna say make good on that statement,
but let's see if that's what God's word teaches. Look at Hebrews
chapter 10. Verse 26, and I'm not gonna go into some of the
arguments about this. You know, what's sad is we make
God's word to be far more complicated than what it really is. And it's
usually because we're scared we're about to be condemned by
something. Whatever we're about to read, it may put me in a bad
light, so we back off a little. We try to find some meaning that
lets us fit in to work it as, I'm okay. You know, look what
the writer writes. For if we, the writer includes
himself. Do you see that? Now, is that
hard to understand? For if we sin willfully, but
every sin we sin is a willful sin. Look at the context. The law cannot save you. The law cannot take away your
sins, but Christ did. Now you willfully turn away from
that, that's the context. Look, for if we sin willfully
after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins. You've got nothing really else
to turn to. Doesn't matter how good it looks,
it's God's law, it doesn't matter. For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. The law didn't
deal with our sin, it just keeps reminding us of it over and over
and over. And rightfully so. Rightfully
so. For if we sin willfully after
we receive the knowledge of the truth, the remain of them were
sacrificed for sins. But a certain, certain, fearful
looking forward of judgment and fiery indignation which shall
devour the adversaries. Does that sound like chastisement
to you? Or condemnation? And I'm not gonna say take your
pick because there's only one. This ain't correction. This is
condemnation. Look, here's an example. He that despised Moses' law died
without mercy. You see it? Under two or three
witnesses of how much sorer punishment. Do you see how serious this is?
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, hath counted
the blood of the covenant, wherewith he, that is Christ, was set apart. Okay, wherewith he was, that's
the nearest antecedent to that he, wherewith he was sanctified,
an unholy thing, and hath done despot unto the spirit, of grace. To remove, definitely, is to
insult God's Christ. And beloved, whether it's me,
or you, or anyone else, it's dangerous ground to stand on. But I believe in eternal security. I thought you believed Christ.
That's the whole problem. People who believe in eternal
security actually, they just believe in eternal security.
They're not resting in Christ. They're not trusting Christ.
They just believe since they made their decision, they gave
their heart to Jesus, they're okay forever. And therefore,
they end up living like they want to live. Like a demon out
of hell. You see, grace will turn the
unregenerate mind the wrong way. The unregenerate will misconstrue
God's grace and use it as an occasion to the flesh. A regenerate mind says, I don't
have that option. I don't have that option. He
bought me with a price. I'm his lock, stock, and barrel. So again, I think it's quite
clear this thing of departure It's dangerous ground, as I've
said before. And all I can do is say it. I
can't pick out individuals and give you examples here presently
today or in this time. To go into apostasy looks to be the same thing as
the mere fall of a believer. One is called falling away. The other is called falling.
The only difference is the one does not fall away. He falls,
but he or she is restored. The apostate falls and it just
keeps falling and keeps falling and keeps falling to eventually
they are what? Away. Now here's the sad part,
the scary part. When you fall, which one are
you? Which one are you? You know what
makes the difference again? The grace of God in Christ. See, even that's not left up
to us, Jack. For as Joe has said, it's him,
it's he that works in us, both to will and to do of his good
pleasure. It's just like you just have
to give up. Somebody says give up and let.
No, just give up. Give up and trust him. trust him. So there's four things defining to some degree, defining
the seriousness of this, of this removal. Now let's move along.
God's grace is not a commodity to be gained. It's not out there
for the taking. That's what I'm trying to say.
It's not, it's not, I don't want to sound like I'm continually,
you know, beating the proverbial dead horse, but it's not God
loves everybody, but we need to accept that love. It's nothing
like that. God's grace is not a commodity
to be gained. Now listen, God's grace is not
an emotion in God. Most people think of God's grace,
and all of these go together, his grace, his love, his mercy,
his compassion. All of those go together. Nobody's
ever received God's grace and compassion and love and didn't
have mercy. You see what I'm saying? Or received his mercy
but didn't have his grace and love and compassion. They all
go together. We can basically say they're
the same thing because they came from the same God. Okay, the
same God. But here's something. God's grace
is not an emotion in God where God is longing to be able to
show it. Isn't God presented that way
in many places today? God loves everybody, he just
wants to show it. Now he really tried in Jesus,
but even people reject Jesus. God's kinda like left hanging
out over a barrel, waiting to see what men will do, right?
That's the way they preach. No, God's grace is not an emotion
in God where he's longing to be able to show it, no. Here
is one grace, it's all one grace. It's not the grace, we may speak
of ourselves as being gifted with graces, certain graces from
God. God is the God of all grace, singular. Now it may, like a
great diamond, have many facets, but it's still, Joe, one diamond,
one grace. So I'm talking about one grace,
but many facets. Now I might wanna turn to a passage here.
Let me turn to one. This one-handed stuff's tough
sometimes. Where's Exodus at? Yeah, I know. That's what I'm
struggling with, is even the front right now. All right, let
me get to this passage, and you turn there, Exodus 33. I'm not
gonna give you the verse yet, but turn to Exodus 30. Let's
all get there. Exodus 30, if you're following
along. Exodus 33. That's gonna be for my next point,
my second point, but the first one. God's grace is, is, Now
in the Hebrew, it's this, it's called haknam. It means to simply
put, bestow favor. But favor can be bestowed amongst
equals. Right, favor can be bestowed
amongst equals. But the word in the Hebrew, and
I'm not gonna turn to any past, any time you read grace in the
Old Testament, in the Hebrew, It means this, here is the extended
meaning of that word in the Hebrew, stooping down and showing kindness
to an inferior. You go back and look at Strong's,
it'll tell you, stooping down and showing kindness to an inferior. To someone that doesn't even
deserve it. Even more, to someone that has
demerited the very act of grace. the way they are, who they are,
what they are and what they do disqualifies them from grace. So there it is. But here's the
second one. Now you're in Exodus 33, right? But here's the thing
about God's grace. God's grace is at his sovereign
disposal. Exodus 33 verse 19, this is what
he said to Moses. And he said, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee. And I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee. Now is there any doubt that God
was going to do this? None whatsoever. He wasn't asking Moses permission.
He wasn't waiting on Moses to respond. This is what's coming
Moses, right? Look. I and, and will be gracious
to whom I will be gracious And you remember Paul in the New
Testament, we quoted his word compassion. Because grace is
God's compassion. You see it? It's compassion.
And we'll be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and we'll
show mercy on whom I will show mercy. And then Paul puts actually
the two together. I haven't read the other part
of this. Paul puts the two together in Romans nine. I know you're
totally familiar with this, but we gotta be totally, constantly,
rather, reminded of this. Romans nine, verse 18. Therefore hath he mercy
on whom he will have mercy. But there's more text than what
I just read. And whom he will, he hardeneth. So even though
we have actually demerited grace, we've done that which makes us
fit candidates, we don't deserve it. Yet God has the right to
say, I'm gonna show it to that one, and I'm not gonna show it
to that one. I'll leave that one right where
he or she is. This one over here, I'll pull
him out of the pit. I'll pull him out of the pit.
Now somebody says, I don't like that. Then you don't believe
God. You don't believe God, because God says that's what he does.
Right? Here's a third thought. God's
grace. Turn to John 1. Go ahead and
turn there. I don't want to make the statement that you have to
wait several seconds for me to get there. John chapter 1. Okay, remember, God's grace is
his what? Stooping down to show kindness, to show grace, to show
compassion to an inferior, to a, here's another way, to an
enemy. An enemy, okay, an enemy. And remember, so this grace,
it must be by default sovereign. Because who could earn it? Joe,
if you had to earn it, we'd all go to hell. Because we didn't
not just earn it, we earned the right that we shouldn't have
it. If that ain't an oxymoron, we've
earned the right that we shouldn't have it. I'm glad God says, I'm
gonna go ahead and show it anyway. Because if he hardens me, I deserve
that. I deserve that. If he shows me
compassion, Mac, I didn't deserve it, but I thank God he's pleased
to show it. But here's another one, okay,
John 1. God's grace, in all of its capacity and measure, however
you'd like to measure it, up and down, side to side, back
to back, maybe there's a fifth or a sixth dimension, whatever
it is, God's grace, all that it is, all that it is, if you
could box it up, here's all God's grace, here it is. All God's
grace is housed in one place, that's the God-man Christ Jesus.
All of it. Chapter one, verse 14 of John.
And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld his
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. F-U-L-L. You see it? Full. So can there
in fact, Joe, be any other grace that's outside of that capacity? No, because he's full of it.
Ellen, it's all there. Now it may be out here, but it's
because what? Because he gives it. He takes it from himself and
gives it. Full of grace, and here's another
one, truth. And those two things always go
together. But let me put it this way. You don't have to come to
the truth so God will show you grace. you'll only come to the
truth when God shows you grace. Because that's why it says it,
grace first and truth. Because if it was dependent upon
our coming, upon our loving the truth, upon our receiving the
truth, we'd never know grace. We'd never know grace. Matter
of fact, by nature, we didn't just not come to the light, we
hated the light. That's what Christ said in John
chapter three, it's recorded. So again, remember, God's grace
is his stooping down and showing kindness to an inferior, even
an enemy. God's grace is at his sovereign
disposal. It must be. It must be. God's grace in all of its capacity
and measure is housed in one place, the person of Jesus Christ.
Now, turn to Acts chapter 18. Acts chapter 18. All right, Acts chapter 18, now
there's the fourth thing. This is something that religious
people just do not get. It takes an act of God's grace if
anyone is ever to believe. You don't believe to get it,
although there is some getting grace when you believe. But you truly, God's gotta act
upon you in an act of grace before you will ever believe. Think
of it, therefore be justified by faith. We have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have access into this
grace wherein we stand. And that's the inclument, faith.
And religion says, well, so I gotta come up with faith first before
I have grace. Oh no. Oh no, God's got to act
upon you first in grace before you'll ever believe, and when
you do, there's just more grace keeps coming. More grace keeps
coming. That's why it says it's okay
to believe God. To whom it shall be imputed, to us. It's not just
written for Abraham's sake alone, but written for our sakes, to
whom it shall be imputed, not if we believed, if we what? Believe. Every day, every day,
every day, every day, in spite of the unbelief that's down in
here. Okay, I didn't even get to my
text yet, did I? Okay, Acts chapter 18, and let's look at verse 27. Pardon me. Acts 18, 27. And when he was
disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting
the disciples to receive him. who, when he was come, helped
them which had believed through grace. You see it? And so if
it says it one time, it's established the precedent. God's gotta act
upon you in grace first before you'll ever believe him. But
when you do believe him, more grace will just begin to flow
and flow and flow. Again, somebody says, well, I
just don't believe that. Well, evidently it ain't happened to
you then. Because the people that God acts upon, they know
God did it. It wasn't me. I mean, he acts
upon us in grace in a way that we know it wasn't us. And that's
just the fact. It's not, I have grace, I believe,
but I just didn't know, I didn't know it was really God. I thought
it was me all along. No, God don't act upon. He comes,
when he comes and sends his spirit to you, one of the first things
he's gonna convince you of is sin. Why? Because you don't believe. Isn't that what it says? Because
you don't believe. And then God what? Makes you
believe. Hymns you up to where you just
can't help but believe. In spite of all the doubts that's
in you, you says, but it's what the Word says. I bow to it. I bow to it. Now here's another
one. Turn to Romans chapter three. We're getting there. Romans chapter
three. God's grace freely, freely justifies. Romans three verse 24. Being
justified, freely by his grace, now look,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That's the same
thing he said back there in Galatians chapter one and verse four. Who gave himself for our sins
that he might deliver us from this present evil world. He just
said it in a different way. Being justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. I am so glad for this. I remember
in religion, and I'd made my profession, turn to Romans 5. It's just right, couple pages
right there close. And let me say this first before
we get to this next point. God's grace freely justifies.
When I was in religion, I made my profession when I was just
a young fella. I really believed in Jesus. Ellen,
I believed in Jesus. And I believed he was virgin
born and he lived a perfect life and he died on the cross for
sins and that he was buried and rose again and went back to heaven.
Ain't that salvation? No. No, that's receiving doctrine,
that's receiving facts. And I went on through all of
my life knowing nothing of the details of that and didn't care
about the details. That was enough. And by soul,
for a long time, just constantly, I'm okay, I'm okay, I made my
profession. Okay, but as I got a little older, my flesh began
to, and this may not be the best, but to me, in my experience,
began to grow stronger, and the passions began to grow stronger,
stronger, and stronger. I felt the constraints of the
religion that I was in. And they were constantly telling
me, you can't do this, you can't do that, and that made me want
to do it even more. Next thing you know, it all just
broke loose in a flood. And then I began to say, well,
God, why is the devil making me doubt my salvation? I remember reading books by preachers
trying to get some assurance and constantly crying out to
God, God, why are you letting the devil do this to me? God
should have said, it's not him, it's me, and because you're rejecting
me, I'll just let you go. When I was calling God's work
an act of the devil, yet he kept hammering at me, hedging me in,
moving me here, moving me there. Somewhere along the line, Joe,
life breathed into me. The gospel message met that life
and it's like, whoa, yeah. I see who Jesus is. This is far
more than what I ever thought he was. Now, all right, here's
the fifth day. It justifies freely, but here's
the fifth day. I've tried to lead up in it,
Romans chapter five. Two verses, God's grace reigns. Do you hear me? It reigns. That's why I like the phrase
free reigning grace more than sovereign grace. Because sovereign,
the people just, they don't, but the book actually calls it
free reigning grace. But you know what that is, Joe?
Sovereign grace. But look at what Paul said. Paul
wrote Romans chapter five. Moreover, verse 20, sorry. Verse
20, moreover the law entered, why? So that we might hear it
and adhere to it and do our best and God at least try to help
us along. No, the law entered that the
offense might abound. I didn't know how bad sin really
was till God really let me start to see, start to see what the
law was really saying. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound. Somebody said, but preacher,
don't that cause some people to just go hog wild? Yes, it
does. But that ain't the grace's problem.
That's the evil that's down in here. That's the misconception
of an unregenerate mind or of a believing mind that's beginning
to turn away for a moment. Paul tells us, don't use your
liberty for what? For an occasion to the flesh. But look. Grace did, and some
say, and it's right, I did check it, that grace super abounds,
I like that. Look, that as sin hath reigned
unto death, even so, now there's a might. Remember, it's not a
might, maybe. Even so might grace reign. And what does this rain depend
on? Through righteousness. Well,
what righteousness is that? Unto eternal life. Well, what
is that? I don't know what all it is,
but I know who it comes from. By Jesus Christ, our Lord. So whatever it is, if he give
me grace, Ellen, he gave me that. And it rained, it conquered me.
I can't get away from it. You know, what was it John Chapman
said yesterday? He said, I can't help but believe
God. I can't help but believe, in
spite of myself, I can't help but believe Him. I'm glad I can't
help but believe Him. Why? Because grace reigns. Somebody
says, but preacher, that's too complicated. I ain't even done
this yet. I haven't scratched the surface.
Now talk about grace insulted. Just add even law righteousness. It's law righteousness, not to
mention religious righteousness, church righteousness, societal
righteousness, ethical righteousness, denominational righteousness,
discount even all that. Just add in law righteousness.
And just make it one thing. Circumcision. Keepin' the Sabbath
day. Honorin' your mommy and your
daddy. Then you've opened up the floodgates of the law to
yourself. No, just one law of righteousness. It constitutes Christ's cross
work as empty. Look at Galatians 2. This verse,
I'll sum this up. Galatians 2. Mainly just verse 21. I do not
frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by
the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Does that sound serious
to you or not? Pretty serious, ain't it? So
think about this. Almost done. Stay right where
you're at. Just make sure you kinda got,
you got chapter three right there close by of Galatians. A few
verses I'll read after I make this statement. Our problem is
essentially, a life problem, a life problem, L-I-F, a life
problem, not a deeds problem. You hear what I just said? Our
problem is, I'm not saying our deeds don't matter. Our problem
is essentially a life problem, not a deeds problem. Look at
that from Galatians 30, verse, let's start in verse 21. Is the
law then against the promise of God? God forbid. For if there
had been a law given which could have given What's that word? Life. Truly, that's verily, righteousness
should have been by the law. So what's our essential problem?
It's a life problem. Even if we could, and we can,
but even if we could, at least overtly, outwardly, Jodoo, all
of the law righteousness, it didn't help what's wrong down
in here. Deadness. Deadness. were born dead in trespass and
sins. For there had been a law given
which could have given life. Verily, righteousness should
have been by the law, but the scripture hath included all under
sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ, notice, faith
of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe, you see
it? But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut
up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore
the law is our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we
might be justified by faith. But after the faith has come,
we are no longer under the schoolmaster. Now how plain can you get? Huh? For ye are all the children of
God. How? By faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek. There's neither bond nor free.
There's neither male nor female. For you're all one in Christ
Jesus. And if ye be Christ, then are
ye Abraham's seed. I don't care if you're Jew, Gentile,
black, white, rich, poor. Mean, ugly, pretty, it don't
matter. And heirs according to the promise. You know I'd have to sum that?
Amen. Amen. Heavenly Father, oh God,
we need to be reminded of this constantly. How soon our mind's
just wandering all the fluff of the world. How soon the flesh
begins to rise up its ugly head. God deal with us as with sons.
Keep us in line, and when we fall, Lord, when we fall, bring
us back. In Christ's name, amen.