I'm gonna go ahead and get started,
so if you would, be turning with me to Galatians chapter four. Galatians chapter four. And I'm gonna read verses 21
through 23 for right now. Actually, I think I'm gonna just
read through the end of that chapter. So, Galatians four,
starting in verse 21. Tell me, ye that desire to be
under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written that
Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a
free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory,
for these are the two covenants, the one from the Mount Sinai,
which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is Mount
Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, and
is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem, which is above,
is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written,
Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not. Break forth, and cry, Thou
that travel'st not, for the desolate hath many more children than
she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was,
are the children of promise. But as then he that was born
after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit,
even so it is now. 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 woman. So then, brethren, we are not
children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Paul is here speaking to the
Galatians, and he's about to tell them what God's word says
about the law. and specifically here it says
Sinai law. He's also going to speak to them
about the gospel. In this statement that we begin
with, Paul is talking to those who choose or prefer they have
determined to be under the law. These are those who actually
desire to be in bondage to that law that he's about to speak
of. They may not think so, that they
are in bondage, but by preferring Mount Sinai law, you are desiring
to be in bondage. So there is something that Paul
says the law is saying, because he says, do you not hear the
law? So when we read of Mount Sinai,
I know it's talking about the law. Then he goes to the scripture,
the Old Testament, which is all they had at that time. He then
begins to speak of two of Abraham's sons, one son from a bondmaid,
a female slave, the other from a free woman, an unrestrained
woman, not a slave, one who is at liberty. We have an allegory
of something that happened before Mount Sinai ever took place.
Yet we are told by Paul here that it is an allegory, and this
allegory includes in its content Mount Sinai. What is Mount Sinai? Do this and live, works of the
flesh. What is the promise? Jesus Christ,
the gospel, grace. So we see here Paul making a
distinction between works and grace. So that's what I wanna
talk about today, works and grace. You all know Romans 11, six,
it says, and if by grace, then it is no more works. Otherwise,
grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
So we're going to talk about the opposition of works and grace
and where they are manifested. When we read this passage, what
is it getting at? This passage is talking about
children, offspring, some either being produced by works and some
produced by grace. It also tells us the result,
if you will, of that birth. I'm saying birth because it uses
the word gendereth. That means to bring forth. Those
produced by works, and works here represented here by this
flesh doing the deeds of the law, this Mount Sinai law, are
brought forth in bondage. Romans 7.25 we read, I thank
God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of
sin. If you think that the law is
the same thing as the law of sin, the law of God is the same
thing as the law of sin, or if you think that the law of God
is the Mount Sinai law, the Ten Commandments, then you are wrong,
because Paul makes a distinction right there. Paul is clear here
in Galatians. I know the arguments people have
when you say this, but Paul knows them as well, and he answers
those things in Scripture. And I will get back to that a
little later, but what does it say in 1 Corinthians 15, 56?
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. Are we to think that Paul is
there saying that the law of God that's spoken of in Romans
7 is that law, which is the strength of sin? I think we can see and
say he is not talking about the Ten Commandments when he is talking
about the law of God. So I'm trying to point out here
there's a distinction in the book of God when it talks about
different laws, law of Christ, law of God. Nothing comes from
the works of the flesh but bondage. Paul tells us right here in our
text of what keeping the law does for us. It puts us in bondage. These are not my words. These
are the words of the Apostle Paul, who was inspired by the
Spirit of God to write these things down. And I know I've
said this many times, but it still is true. This flesh loves
to do, do, do. But this law, this Mount Sinai
law, is of works. It says, do this and live. But we are told that the law
cannot give life. Turn back to 3, Galatians 3 for
a minute, verse 21. Is the law then against the promises
of God? God forbid. For if there had
been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law. It cannot give life because of
this flesh. We are born dead in trespasses
and in sin, so right off the bat, we have a big problem. Because
there was no law given which could give life. Because Paul
tells us that there is no law given which can give life, or
else it would have. So right off the bat, we cannot
do, all this flesh wants to do is do, do, do, but we cannot
do what the law says. If we miss or mess up in one
little part of the law that was given, then we are guilty of
all. So since we are born dead and
the law cannot give life, and being dead we cannot do the demands
of the law, we are guilty of it all. What is the result of
this? Death. Even if we only messed
up in one place at one given time, guilty, guilty, guilty. There's nothing wrong with the
law, nothing. The problem lies with dead alien
sinners who cannot do this and live. Romans 8, 3, we read, for
what the law could not do in that it was weak through the
flesh. Because of this, in the flesh,
we just keep trying to do, do, do. It has us in bondage because
it is never satisfied. That's bondage. That is the result
of Mount Sinai gendering us. Bondage. We read that the Hagar
typifies Mount Sinai in verse 25. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai
of Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage
with her children. Mount Sinai answereth to Jerusalem
which now is on this earth, the flesh. It walks in accord with,
in other words, That accordance is bondage. The
flesh wants to do, do, do, and the law answereth, it says, do
this and live. But we cannot, so it's just a
never-ending cycle. We are held captive to it, if
that's what we desire. We will have it and we will be
a slave to it. What do we need? We need grace. We need to be born of a free
woman. So let's talk about grace. Here is grace, Matthew 11, 28,
one example of it. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. All ye that labor,
that is all those who are worn out from doing, and are heavy
laden, that is all those who are overburdened with ceremony.
This is Jesus Christ the Lord speaking. You come to him, he
says, he will give you rest. Grace is what the Lord Jesus
Christ is full of. He says you come unto him and
he will give you rest. No working or doing the law. It is something he will do. You
are by Christ freed from the law of sin and death. Here is
the law for you. Turn with me to Romans 8, if
you would. Romans 8, verse 2. Romans 8, verse 2. Romans 8, verse 2. For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death. The law of the spirit of life
in Christ Jesus. This is going to talk about grace
in action, grace that works. But the thing about this grace
is that all those who labor and are heavy laden did not do any
of this work. Let's keep reading verse three
and four. For what the law could not do, in that it was weeped
through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. The law of the Spirit The law of the spirit of life
in Christ Jesus, and this is talking about grace and action,
as I said. The righteousness of the law, what is that? I'm
sorry, who is that? For those who come unto him,
he fulfills the righteousness of the law in us. We cannot fulfill, the law cannot
fulfill the righteousness because it's weak in the flesh. But Christ
condemns sin in the flesh, it says there. There is some work
to admire and works to praise, and that's his work. And we should
have no confidence in this flesh. Now our text speaks of a law,
a Mount Sinai law, but there is a law that we should desire
to be a part of. Turn with me to Romans 3. Very
familiar to you, Romans 3. Romans 3 verses 21 and 22 right
now. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there
is no difference. The faith being spoken of here
is Jesus Christ's faith. This is a righteousness far above
the law. It is a righteousness that can
obey the Mount Sinai law, and it can also redeem those who
are under the law. The law of Mount Sinai cannot
give life. It was not intended to give life,
else it would have. This righteousness is witnessed
both by the law and the prophets. That is, everything that we are
given in God's Word is pointed to this righteousness. It is
the faith of the one sent, who is the chosen of God, who fulfilled
the law every jot and tittle. But he also redeemed those who
were under the law. Let's read verses 23 through
27 now. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace
through redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare
His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through
the forbearance of God. To declare I say at this time
his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of
him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is
excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but of the law of faith. And I want to make a distinction
here. It's not talking about the gospel here, I mean the true
gospel. That's what the gospel speaks
of. That is the good news that it
speaks of. It is Christ's faith which justified. Freely, it says. That is, it is free to us, no
work to be done, because he did all the work. It was not free
to him, but it is freely given to us. The gospel message speaks
of these promises as William Huntington has said, he said,
Christ the covenant head, the spirit of promise, everlasting
righteousness, everlasting salvation, life and glory, and these all
are the gifts of God. These are all proclaimed in the
gospel. And by his spirit, we are brought
forth believing because we have been given this same faith, which
is the faith of Jesus Christ. This faith being the righteousness
of God without the law and then being given to us, it is accounted
to us for righteousness when we believe, not because we believe,
but when we believe. It is his faith which is our
law. In our text we read, cast out
the bondwoman and her son. Agar is Mount Sinai and the children
born of that are the flesh. Your works put you into nothing
but bondage of which you will never be free. We are to put out the bondwoman
and her children. And that reminds me of one passage
because we still have this flesh even if God has revealed himself
to us. It says, "...mortify therefore
your members." Colossians 3 verses 4 and 5. When Christ, who is
our life, shall appear, then shall ye also with him appear
with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members
which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection,
evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry. We still have
this flesh, and this flesh is in bondage, and it does not want
to be freed. It will fight with us until Jesus
Christ takes us out of here or returns
to come get us. But we also need to put out that
teaching that gendereth or brings forth bondage. The law can do
nothing to set you free. That is what Paul is telling
us. So what does set us free? And we went through it. Jesus
Christ and His faith is what has made you free from the law
of sin and death. It is His person and His work
that has set us free. His faith worked out our salvation. And I want to just give one example,
and there are many when it comes to our Lord Jesus Christ, but
see the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 12, 49 and 50. I am come to send fire on the
earth, and what will I if it be already kindled? But I have
a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened till
it be accomplished? Jesus Christ would not be deterred
from what he was sent to do. He knew this had to be done in
order to accomplish that which he was sent to do. This is to
be made a curse and sin for us. He knew that there wasn't a point
in time for this to happen. All he did on this earth was
the will of the Father, and he was ready to do this and be done
with it. We sometimes forget that Jesus
Christ was a man. He had flesh and blood, not corrupted
flesh, but he had flesh and blood. When he was beaten, He felt pain,
I have no doubt of it. Yet he always directed to this
appointed, was always directed to this appointed time. Am I
straightened? How am I constrained until this
be accomplished? That was the one thing he was
looking to, to accomplish. Jesus Christ set you free, and
it is his faith that is the mother of us all. The gospel is that
message of his faith, so we long to hear the gospel. And by that
God-given faith of Christ, we believe to the saving of the
soul. And God says he counts that for righteousness. We walk
by faith, not by sight. The law, what does Paul say?
It answers to Jerusalem, which now is. It is here on earth and
it is something that we can see and feel. We can see that the
law of the letter. Go back to chapter three for
a minute. Let's read, not Romans, but in our text. I'm gonna read
that. Chapter three, verses six and
seven of Galatians. Even as Abraham believed God
and it was accounted to him for righteousness, know ye therefore
that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. Those whom God has chosen in
his son, being given the gift of Jesus Christ faith, they walk,
walk. walk by the faith of Jesus Christ. It is their way of life. It is this law, the law of faith,
which makes us free because it causes us to believe what Jesus
Christ has done, which has freed us from bondage. He has given
us rest so that there is no work for us to do. We just simply
rest in his accomplished salvation. I've got one thing I want to
read from William Huntington here, a quote that I liked. But listen to this. The law obeyed
and disarmed of its curse is in the heart of the mediator
who is judge of quick and dead. and therefore keeps the keys
of hell and of death. The believer is under the law
of faith to Christ, and they that are his have crucified the
flesh with the affections and lust. Such are delivered from
the law, and against such there is no law, and sin is not imputed
where there is no law. I do insist upon it that, if
a believer be brought to the law of Moses, to be under it
in any other sense, sin stares him in the face, wrath works
in his heart, his enmity is stirred up, bondage seizes him, and despondency
or despair will sink him, unless the law of the Spirit of life
makes him free from the law of sin and death. Looking to the law of commandments
is nothing but bondage. The faith of Jesus Christ is
what has made us free. It's the difference between works
and grace. Amen. Dear old God, thank you
for allowing us to be here once again. Dear old God, don't let us be
forgetful, dear Lord. Help us to remember the pit from
which we were digged, dear Lord. Open our hearts, dear Lord. Be
with Walter as he comes to proclaim your word, dear Lord. Open our
hearts that we may receive it, dear Lord, because without you
we can do nothing. All these things we ask in Christ's
name, amen.