Stand Fast In Christ's Liberty #2

Q: What does the Bible say about Christ's liberty?

The Bible teaches that Christ's liberty frees us from the bondage of the law and legalism. In Galatians 5:1, we are reminded to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. This freedom is not just a matter of belief but is rooted in a rejection of the legalistic approaches that seek to add our works to Christ's completed work. Paul emphasizes that while we are called to love God and obey His commandments, our assurance of salvation and justification is solely based on Christ's work, not our own efforts. This liberty allows us to live without the oppressive weight of legalism, affirming that true justification comes only through faith in Christ's faithfulness.

Q: How do we know justification by faith is true?

Justification by faith is affirmed throughout Scripture, especially in Paul's letters where he underscores faith in Christ alone. The doctrine of justification by faith is firmly established in Scripture, particularly illustrated in Galatians and Romans. Paul repeatedly stresses that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and not by our works. In Galatians 2:16, he asserts that a person is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. This concept is critical because it underscores the sovereignty of God's grace in salvation. It is God's act and not our merit that secures our justification, emphasizing that faith itself is a gift from God.

Q: Why is belief in Christ's supremacy important for Christians?

Belief in Christ's supremacy is crucial as it affirms that He alone is the source of our salvation and the foundation of our faith. Christ's supremacy is essential for Christians because it underscores that He is not just a part of our faith but the very foundation. In Colossians 1:18, we see that Christ is preeminent in all things, meaning that nothing should compete with Him for our devotion. This belief protects us from legalism and the temptation to rely on our works for righteousness. Understanding Christ’s role as supreme ensures we do not mix our efforts with His grace, safeguarding the purity of the gospel that salvation comes through Him alone.

Q: What does it mean to be entangled with the yoke of bondage?

Being entangled with the yoke of bondage refers to returning to legalism and the law after receiving Christ's grace. In Galatians 5:1, Paul warns against becoming entangled again with the yoke of bondage, which signifies a return to legalistic practices that attempt to secure God's favor through works. Once we have received the grace of Christ, reverting to works-based righteousness only leads to spiritual bondage rather than the freedom Christ offers. This warning serves as a call for believers to remain steadfast in the truth of the gospel, relying solely on Christ's work for their standing before God rather than their own merit.

Q: How can love for Christ surpass love for family?

Christ teaches that our love for Him must be supreme, even above our love for family, as shown in Matthew 10:37. In Matthew 10:37, Jesus candidly states that anyone who loves father or mother more than Him is not worthy of Him. This stark teaching emphasizes that true discipleship demands a love that elevates Christ above all earthly relationships. The idea is not to promote animosity but to highlight the paramount importance of our relationship with Christ. Our love for Him, empowered by the Holy Spirit, should naturally lead us to love our family in a manner that reflects His love, ensuring that our devotion to Christ shapes all other relationships.

All right, if you wish to follow along, I'm still in Galatians chapter five. My verse for this morning is still verse one. This'll be part two, the second message on stand fast in Christ's liberty. And of course the verse reads this way. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. But with this liberty comes something else. It's not just believing in the liberty.

And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Now I don't want to try to just go back over. I had, as I mentioned last Sunday, I had six things that I want to go through that I didn't have time to go through this morning. but let me just kind of bring us back up to speed, as we say. False Christianity, and specifically, specifically what I am calling legalism.

They say things like, yes, we need Christ's work, but we must have something of our own works mixed in, either in order to be saved, okay, or as some proof that I am saved, okay? Now, listen to what I'm saying here. Like I said, I said this last week. To believe in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by Christ's own faith. And Paul says that in a couple different places. He says it in the letter to the church at Rome. He says it here to the churches of Galatia. And he also said it to the church at Ephesus.

To believe in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by Christ's own faith, that believing includes rejecting other things. In other words, we sang this song. Think about it. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly, do you see that, W-H-O-L-L-Y, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. Here's another one. His oath, his covenant, his blood, support me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, he then is all. my hope, and stay. Now basically what I'm trying to point out by that is this.

False Christianity, and specifically this thing of legalism, has this idea, well, but what does it really matter as long as you believe in Christ? I mean, if you believe in Christ, what's wrong if you just, what's wrong with loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul, right? What's good with, what's wrong, yes, if you believe in Jesus Christ, what's wrong with thou shalt not commit adultery? There is nothing wrong with those things, those two things.

The problem is we do not do them. We, now, when I say we, that's all of us in our fallen Adamic nature, we may convince ourselves that we are doing those things, but we are not loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We just are not. Anyone who thinks they are, they have deceived themselves. And there may be others. There actually may be those that know they don't, but they still lie about it. They still lie about it. And remember that even our believing, even when we believe, it is not our work. It is not our effort. It is an act of God upon us. This is the work of God. This is the work of God. He's not just being cute with words, okay? This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he hath sent.

So let's take note this morning of a few of these polar opposites. And there are many, but I just kinda, these six things stood out in my heart and mind. Turn to Matthew chapter 10. Of course, all of these will be familiar to you. You're hearing nothing new. Let's take note of a few of these polar opposites. Think about it.

Even love does not escape this truth. Now, you and I know, and I'm not building the straw, man, you and I know that in our day and age, you can see it on the TV, you can hear it on the radio, you can see it online, you know, you see, everybody thinks it's all about love, right? And it's almost to this extent. You ought to love God and you ought to love others equally. But that is not so.

Listen to our Lord Jesus Christ's own words. Matthew chapter 10, verse 37. He that loveth father or mother, now what's closer than that, right? Other than maybe your spouse, huh? He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy, do you see it, of me. Do you see that? Is not worthy of me. And he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. What is Christ saying? That he is to be loved, trusted, believed, supremely. Supremely.

Our love for others does not compare to our love for him. But our love for him is because the Holy Ghost has shed it abroad in our hearts. We don't work it up. And let me tell you something, we're not even consistent in it. It only happens when he works it up in us. He has to do it all the time.

If I ever do, if and when I ever do love Jesus Christ supremely, it's because the Holy Ghost sheds that abroad in my heart. Because I see all too often my mind and my heart, my devotion turning somewhere else. What about you? What about you, but isn't it great that one songwriter wrote, and I won't get it exactly right, but Lord, about idols, Lord, help me to tear it from its throne and worship only thee.

So again, as I say, even love does not escape this truth, and there's a stronger, look at Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ himself again. And let me just say this about Luke, about Matthew 10 and Luke 14. Some say it was the same event at the same time, but we will note that Luke records different words.

It's like this, Mack, it's either this was said at two different times, even though things are very similar, or Luke, is actually giving us the actual true intent of what Christ meant, okay? Now understand, these people were moved, they're not just there just to repeat what Jesus said, okay? You understand what I'm saying? They were there to give us, the Spirit of God moved them to give us exactly what God meant when he said the words he meant, or said the words he said.

Look at Luke 14, this is even stronger language, verse 25. And there went great multitudes with him, and he turned and said unto them, let's think about it, here's this great multitude, and they're following him, he's just walking along. And all of a sudden he just stops and turns around.

Listen, if any man come to me and hate not, do you see that language? and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea, his own life also. You see it? Now this is not maliciousness, okay? This is not maliciousness, but this is talking about weight, comparison, okay?

Our love for Jesus Christ, and he said me, right? Not just God in general, me, okay? Our love for him is so supreme. If he's truly saved us, if we've been called by the gospel, our love for him is so supreme that it makes the other love look like what? Hate. because we can and will give up these other people if need be.

Now do you hear what I'm saying? And remember in one place, our Lord Jesus Christ said, I came not to bring peace, but a sword, and a man's enemies will be who? Those of his own household. So as I said, love does not escape this truth. But here's another, turn back to Galatians chapter one. Now as I said, you know these things. Our message about Christ does not escape this truth. Galatians 1 verse 6, I marvel that you're so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.

But wait a minute, weren't these Judaizers, weren't these men that came up from Jerusalem, weren't they preaching Jesus Christ? Yes, they were. But nothing is equal to him. Nothing is equal to him, which is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. You see, again, the subtlety of legalism is not that they deny Christ. They may not, Jack, they may not even be Armenians, they could be Calvinists. They can preach the free sovereign grace of God, but they add in something else with Jesus Christ.

I don't care what it is. I don't care how good those things or that one thing is that they add in. And God willing, I will say this, it will be a few Sundays, of course, but Tommy mentioned this, and I have a whole message to preach, not about what Tommy said, but about this scripture. Think about it. Why was it that God allowed this one thing to be the spearhead in the churches of Galatia? Circumcision. Circumcision. Why wasn't it when you got to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? Why circumcision? And understand this, our God suffered this to take place.

Did he not? He could have killed those men, Tommy, on their way to Galatia. He could have caused something to happen that they had to turn right around and go right back to where they were, but he did not. And Tommy mentions that this won't be verbatim and we'll talk about it, God willing, in a few weeks.

But let's think about the circumcision. If you've been circumcised seeking justification before God, you can't change it. Can you? You can't change, you can't stop being circumcised. And to be circumcised for justification is not just a sin, it is, as we read here in our immediate context, to have abandoned Christ, right? Think about that. If you're circumcised, trying to be justified before God, once you're circumcised, you can't change it.

So where's the repentance? It all has to be in the mind and in the heart. Because once you circumcise, you can't go back. Now you see why God let him use that? Just to show the frivolity of this thing. And yet someone says, but that's the circumcision. Of course circumcision doesn't have anything to do with it. None of the 10 commandments have anything to do with it either.

Our message about Christ does not escape this truth. Think of it, there are people that think as long as you're preaching the Bible, then you're preaching the gospel, you're preaching the truth. There are some men whose whole ministry has to do with showing scientific truth in the scripture. Paul just read one of them about the circuit of the wind and how the wind has a certain circuit. Now, not the same way all the time. It can change directions, but it has a certain way, the things that it follows.

And they'll preach about all of those things, these proofs, scientific proofs that are in the scripture, and never ever even mention Jesus Christ the Creator. You see what I'm saying? There are people who preach the history of the Bible, the history of the Jews, what's still going to happen for the Jews, and they claim they're preaching the gospel, but they're not. And there are people who are preaching the law, thou shalt and thou shalt not. And they say they're preaching the truth. No, they're not, they're preaching law.

Listen, remember, the law was given by Moses. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, so again. Our even love doesn't escape this thing of, there are some polar opposites. Our message about Christ does not escape this truth. Here's the third thought. Our knowledge about Christ does not escape this truth. 2 Corinthians chapter five. And this is what I fear many people do not understand.

You see, you can know Jesus Christ after the flesh. You can know and you can even, Jack, you can even believe in him. You can make a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ. You can make a profession of faith, even toward the truth in the flesh. Look at what Paul said, 2 Corinthians chapter five, verses 16 and 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Do you see that? Now if that didn't cause the hair on the back of your neck to kind of start standing up, which way am I believing? Am I believing him after the power of the spirit or am I believing him in the flesh? One thing is different. One thing is different.

When you believe Him according to the power, working of the power of the Spirit, He is known as supreme. He is loved as supreme. He is believed as supreme. There's one thing that a person cannot do in the flesh, that's love Jesus Christ as He is. as he is. And isn't that what Paul said was the main problem for some folks, second Thessalonians, or I'll just try to quote it. Because they receive not what? The love of the truth. You can believe the truth and go to hell, but it's love in it. And what is that truth?

It's in one person and one person only. That's what I tried to emphasize last Sunday. That's what I'm still trying to emphasize this morning. One person only. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. Here's a fourth thought. Our religious background doesn't escape this truth, does it? And you know this one, Philippians chapter three. Philippians chapter three and verse four. though I might have confidence in the flesh. If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, Paul says, I got more than him. Think about it.

Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching, look at it, Do you see the touching, the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Now he didn't say he was sinless, but he'd done everything that the law said to do. If he thought he'd sin, Tommy took the sacrifice and he offered it. According to the law, I'm blameless.

And the next word is what? But, there's that polar opposite, you see it? But, what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ. And that includes his legal righteousness. Is that not clear? And yet we get people, people get mad at us and call us heretics for preaching that. Well, you're throwing down the law. No, we're telling the truth about the law. The law cannot and never justifies you in God's sight.

Yea, doubtless. You see, so there is, this is not a, I'm not trying to argue people into this. I'm saying you either trust Christ completely, wholly, only, or you don't really trust him at all. It's one way or the other. You might think you do, but you don't trust him at all.

Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things and do count them, but, this is strong language, even his legal righteousness, right? His blamelessness under law do count them but what? Dung. Dung. Jody, you can't get no stronger than that. Look, and that I may win Christ, I'm sorry, and do count them but dung that I might win Christ and be found in him.

Not having, do you see that? having, rejecting, you could say. Isn't he not rejecting his own righteousness? He's rejecting it, you see? Oh, I know at times we reach out and try to grab a hold of it. I know we do, but God soon teaches us, let go of it. Now, does he not?

If he's called you by his gospel, you do. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, and so that there is no doubt about it, which is of the law. You see it? but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. You see, I don't even, let me put it this way, I don't even trust in my trusting, I trust in him. Do you see it? Now that may seem so simplistic and so unnecessary, but yet there are people who trust in Jesus, but they trust everything else. Right? Or something else. You trust in him alone. You don't trust in your trusting. You don't believe in your believing. You don't rest in your resting. You trust, you believe, you rest in him. Right? Him.

So our religious background does not escape this truth. Here's number five, Galatians chapter three. And of course, I've dealt with this in some detail before. So I'm not gonna stop and go over a lot. This is one of six things I wanna give you. God's promise. Think of it. God's promise in Christ will not share glory with the law. You know that? God's promise in Christ shall not share glory with the law. Galatians 3, verses 15, 16, 17, and 18.

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth thereto. Even that paper that I signed, what was it, last Sunday, and that proposal, two proposals that I signed for the roof on this building and for the guttering, it clearly states, once it's signed, that no additions or no taking away can be done without another thing adjusting it.

Tommy, another signature. What you sign for is what you get. You don't have to expect less, but you certainly can't expect more, right? That's just even a man's covenant. Look, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.

Now I'm just gonna give you some food for thought here. You got these ultra-dispensationalists who believed that God saved the Jews in the Old Testament through law and sacrifice and all of that. And when they rejected Jesus Christ when he came to establish the kingdom, then God turned from the Jews and is now saving believing Jews and Gentiles. But one day, God will turn back to the Jews and they'll start offering all the sacrifices and all that again.

So you got those people. Notice that the promise, the promises, all of them, not just one. Isn't that what he says? All the promises were not made. Now listen, now don't you get upset with me, because I'm telling you what Paul just said here. The promises were not made to the Jews. They were made to Jesus Christ. Isn't that what he just says here?

So if you're going to be a partaker of any of that, if you're going to live in a new Jerusalem, which the book says there'll be one, Jack, where you gotta be in Christ. Not Jewish, in Christ. To be a true Jew, to be one that's circumcised, not in the flesh, but inside, in the heart. Look, he saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one unto thy seed, which is Christ.

Now it doesn't matter whether it's land, it doesn't matter whether it's righteousness, it doesn't matter whether it's sanctification, it doesn't matter whether it is continuation or perseverance, it's all found in Jesus Christ. All of it. Wisdom is found where? In Christ. Redemption's found where? In Christ. Sanctification's found where? In Christ. Justification's found where? In Christ.

And the book puts it this way, Paul says, he is made unto us. He don't just give us these things. Now there's a sense that we could talk about him giving us these things, but he is those things to us. Do you see that? He is those things to us. So our religious background, look, let's go on. And this I say, that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was 430 years after, Do you see it?

After, cannot disannul that it should make the promise of none effect, for if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise. Now it's either one or the other. They are polar opposites, right? Now is the law then against the promise of God? God forbid. but the true intent of the law is to show us how bad we really are. That's what it is.

You're guilty. As a matter of fact, Paul puts it this way, that those that are under the law is for every mouth to be stopped. The law says shut up bragging about yourself. You've got nothing to brag about. Look at what I tell you to do and what not to do. but we are so corrupt we will convince ourselves that we have nonetheless, that we've done, right? That we've done what we're supposed to. Well, at least I've given it my best shot. The law doesn't demand our best shot, it demands perfection. Thou shalt not, or thou shalt. But remember, Look at it, for if the inheritance be of the law, it's no more promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Do you see it? By promise. In other words, as Paul put it in Romans chapter 11, it's either grace or it's works. If it's of works, it's no more of grace. If it's of grace, it's no more of work.

And someone again says, as I pointed out last week, but what about your faith? You're telling men they need to believe, but that's an act of God upon you. It's not you mustered up, he's gotta give it to you. He gotta give it to you. So we don't even take, we can't even, no, not just we don't, we can't even take credit for believing God. For trusting Christ only, can we? He makes us willingly, He forces us to willingly and lovingly trust Christ only. And you know what? That's not hard to do when God gives you life. You just do it. Now yes, you grab ahold of other things, but you trust Christ wholly.

As one lady, when I, I think it was maybe in the time before last when I preached at Hurricane Road Grace Church up in Kentucky. And after it was over, Penny and I went to the back, you know, to shake hands with everybody. It may have been the first time I was there because we'd never met most of those folks. And one lady walked up to me and she said, you really believe what you preach, don't you?

I said, well, I can't help it. I can't help it. I can't help it. I find myself saying sometimes, thinking, at least thinking, this is too much. This is too hard. You know, I could just, I could just, if I could just, you could just quit. You know what I mean? You just quit.

Wouldn't have to put all this time into this. Wouldn't have to, money into this. Wouldn't have to put all this emotion into this. Wouldn't have to worry near as much about how I act out here amongst everybody else. Huh? Wouldn't have to worry about it.

But when I think of that, it scares me to my core. that I even think of that. That I even think of that. And once you thought it, you can't change it. Just like circumcision. Once you've thought it, you can't change it. All you can do is by the grace of God, just believe God. Why don't you cast those things behind? Put them where? Behind. Put them where? Behind. God's put them behind his back, hasn't he? Okay. Remember, God's promise will not share glory with the law.

Here's number six. Turn to Colossians chapter one. Again, you know these things. Colossians chapter one. Remember, love doesn't escape this truth. There's some polar opposites. Our message about Christ does not escape this truth. There is the gospel and everything else is a perversion. Isn't that what Paul said? Everything else is a perversion. Our knowledge about Christ does not escape this truth. You can know Christ after the flesh, but it does you no good. As a matter of fact, Mac, it probably adds to your condemnation. It adds to your condemnation. It's a false hope.

Thousands of people have walked forward and believed in Jesus, have they not? Pray the prayers of, Lord, I believe you, forgive me. Isn't that a good thing? Not if it's not by the spirit of God, it's not. If it's worked up by human emotion, it's not. Remember, our religious background does not escape this truth. Doesn't matter if we were born and raised in the church, It doesn't matter if your dad was a preacher. It doesn't matter if you believe this pretty much all your life, right? Born and raised believing it. That's background, it's not it.

God's promise will not share glory with the law. It's another one, but here's the last. Even our perseverance does not escape this truth. Colossians chapter one, verses 19 through 23. Well, I'm sorry, we gotta read verse 18 to get the last, especially the last phrase of verse 18.

And he is the head of the body. Of course, look at the context, you'll see it's Christ. He is Christ. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all, now you can read things in there, but it's all, okay? It's not just things, it's everything. That in all things he might have thee, what? Pre-eminence, nothing competes with Him. Okay, look, why? For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. Do you see that?

So there's nothing, just like Tim James used to say, it's all right to just believe God. It's just all right just to believe, but don't I need to do this? If you need to do it, you will when the time comes. Don't sit around and worry about what you're supposed to do. You'll worry yourself into a frazzle. Just believe God, okay?

God knows how many times I've laid awake at night thinking about what I've gotta do at work the next day. And some of the stuff I do is very dangerous. And in some very dangerous, precarious places. And I've got other people I'm responsible for doing the physical work when we're standing there.

And I've lost sleep over that, Jack. But you know what, it didn't change a thing. And many a time, everything I thought, I'll do this and I'll do that, I lay there on my pillow, and I'll do this and I'll do that, and that next day when I get there, ain't none of it happens like I planned it to happen. It just don't do it, you know? Let me go on, I'm kind of cut off there, didn't I?

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell, and having made peace. Now, here's the difference. A lot of people are preaching. They'll preach this, Jesus died for you. Jesus died for sinners. You're a sinner, right? Now, they'll preach these historical facts, but they don't preach the truth about what he did when he died on that tree. They'll preach he died on that tree, but that's just the history of it. Let's look at what the book says he did back when he hung on that tree.

And having made peace through the blood of his cross. So did he make peace or did he not? This book says he did, right? So you remember the story about Spurgeon and the old lady and the cookies, the tea, when he brought his own cookies to the tea and she brushed them off in the floor and she said, I didn't invite you to bring tea, I invited you to tea.

God didn't call upon, you know, you hear the phrase, make your peace with God. That's what Forrest Gump said about Lieutenant Dan. He made his peace with God. You don't make your peace with God. You either believe Christ has already done it or it won't ever be done.

You see what this book's saying? And having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself. When did the reconciliation take place? Back then. Now, yes, we are told to lay down our arms against God. Be ye reconciled to God. But we are, in doing that, we are receiving the reconciliation, him who did the reconciling back then. We're not doing something to get reconciled. We're believing him who hath reconciled us.

Look. and having made peace to the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself, I say whether they be things in earth, and just think of it, there were some people in heaven that still had to be reconciled. You see that? Abraham was already there, but he was only there because God the Father trusted the blood of the Son even before the blood of the Son was ever shed, Romans chapter three. They were already in heaven, Jack, but they still had to be what?

Reconciled. And somebody said, I can't wrap my mind, I don't know how to explain that. Quit trying to explain it and believe it. You see? That's the whole thing. Quit trying to explain it and just believe what God says and admit my puny little brain can't grasp a hold of it.

Let's go on. whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, how? Not by turning you from those wicked works, though he does turn us from wicked works, right? But how? It's the same sentence. No commas, no periods, nothing after verse 21.

Yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death. So you know what this lets me know? That everybody he did that for, he made peace for them. Everybody he died for, he reconciled them when he died for them. but it also lets me know they're going to be turned from their old way and turned to a new way. They're gonna be turned to Him, right? And it also lets me know this, look, in the body of His flesh, through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable.

Now that there, I cannot get ahold of. I can't explain what I mean by that. I can't get ahold of that and get that, I look at me I'd love to give you examples, but I'm ashamed of them. You know what I mean? I'm ashamed of them. I don't even want to mention them. You know?

On the way to church, as we say this morning, thinking things about other people, and I got no idea why I'm even thinking it. You ever done that? Just giving other people down the road in your mind, huh? Look, in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unapprovable in his sight, but he didn't die for anybody that believes for a while and then quits believing. Did you know that? See verse 23? If ye continue in the faith.

So he only died for people who come to believe and then never stop believing once they believe. Isn't that what this says? But is all these churches out here preaching that? No, they won't even dare say he only died for believers. They got to say he died for everybody. And it's up to you to accept him or reject him. No, he's accomplished the work. Do you believe him or not?

That's where it's at. Now look though, if you continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. If you ever grow above needing to hear the gospel, you've grown too far. You've grown too much. God needs to knock you down a few notches.

You see it? and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister. Why did Paul put it this way? I'm sorry, Paul put it this way. Woe is me if I preach not the gospel, right? Now there are a lot of things that I as a pastor, Joe, Paul, a lot of things that we ought to encourage you about, things to do, okay? There are things we ought to warn us not to do, right? But we better do it under the canopy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It's got to be. Because we abandoned that, we've abandoned the very hope of our soul. We've abandoned, and do we not actually read that in our text? It's pretty serious. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, if ye be circumcised, and what's the first thing he mentioned in the letter to the Philippians of his flesh and bragging rights? Circumcision. Well, that's where you start. Eight days old. You don't even have to do it on your own. Your parents gotta do it for you.

Have it done to you, right? But what does it say? That if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. So as Tommy pointed out, if you are circumcised, trying to get that justification, trying to get that sanctification, trying to get that perseverance, how you gonna go back? You can't.

See, the fact is we're all in the red with God. We're conceived and born in the red with God. We owe God the debt of sin. Somebody says, and I liked what I think it was Greg Elmquist said, it may not have been him, but, do you blame Adam? No, it wasn't him. Do you blame Adam? He said, yes, I do blame Adam, but I love myself like I am by nature.

I like being like I am. My flesh still loves it. It still loves it. If it wasn't for the, Paul done said, if it was not for the restraining hand of God, we would be the wildest, most self-centered creature that ever walked the face of the earth. We would murder other people to get our way. Yeah, we would. Yeah, we would.

So remember, love doesn't escape this truth. That is this truth that there are polar opposites. Not all love is good. That's what I'm trying to say, right? If you love your mother, father more than Christ, you ain't worthy of him. He says, if you come to me, you gotta hate your mother, father, brother, sister, wife, right? He says, love not the world, so there is a love that's not good. And that's actually what this world, when they're out there talking about love, Earl used to, I get tickled at him, but it brought the point home. It's this L-U-V, that's what they're talking about. They love Jesus like they love chocolate. Right? That's how they love Jesus, like they love chocolate. No, you love Jesus Christ supremely or you don't love him at all. You realize that Jesus Christ and chocolate, they're not even on the same page.

You understand what I'm saying? All right, look at what he says. For I testify again to every man that is just circumcised, that's all, that he's a debtor to the whole law. And here's the problem. You already broke it. You had to be circumcised at this older age because you weren't like you're supposed to when you was eight days old, right? You're guilty.

Christ, verse four, is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, you're fallen from grace. If you really think, you really believe, you really trust in your righteousness, you don't even have the grace of God in you. I know some people love to use that passage as a teaching that you could be lost after you say that. We say it, you don't even have it. You know what it says? Huh? You're falling from grace. Gone. Grace is over here. You over here. You over here. You see, coming to Christ, let me wind this up.

Coming to Christ, trusting Christ, believing Christ, is to come to Him only. I'm trying to say all this to point this out, is to come to Him only. It is to trust Him only. It is to believe Him only. Thus, that means I reject everything else. I reject it for justification, or that is righteousness, same thing. I reject everything else for sanctification. I reject everything else for continuation. Christ competes with nothing.

And I pray God. I do pray God. I know it'll be painful. I know it will be. But I pray God every time, Mac, I lay hold of something else. With the faith I ought to be laying hold of Jesus Christ only. I pray God breaks my fingers to make me let go. Make me let go.

Think about Robert Hawker, put it this way, pardon me. Robert Hawker wrote this. And Robert Hawker was an Episcopalian, but I can kinda agree with Episcopalian like Robert Hawker was. The salvation of the church doth not spring from any holiness wrought in us. Even wrought in us. You see what he said? You hear what he's saying now. He didn't just say by, he said in us.

But from the work of Christ wrought for us. You see that? Salvation. Salvation is an act of God in Christ. He does to us what he does to us in grace, because he in grace acted for us in Jesus Christ on that tree. Let me read it again, I didn't read it all. The salvation of the church doth not spring from any holiness wrought in us, but from the work of Christ wrought for us, not in our knowledge, not in our brokenness of heart, but in Christ's bruised and broken body on the tree. That's where our salvation rests. Now yes, he at times sins his spirit and his gospel, and we experience that salvation.

But Tommy, he secured it when he died on that tree. And therefore, this is why Paul says, I've determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ. And what? And him crucified. If we ever grow past the cross of Christ, we've grown too much. Heavenly Father, as we as we partake of this table of this wine and this bread, Lord, this unleavened bread. May it be truly, Lord, that we do that in remembrance of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in his name, amen.

Stand Fast In Christ's Liberty #2

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about Christ's liberty?

How do we know justification by faith is true?

Why is belief in Christ's supremacy important for Christians?

What does it mean to be entangled with the yoke of bondage?

How can love for Christ surpass love for family?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Stand Fast In Christ's Liberty #2

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about Christ's liberty?

How do we know justification by faith is true?

Why is belief in Christ's supremacy important for Christians?

What does it mean to be entangled with the yoke of bondage?

How can love for Christ surpass love for family?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

More from Walter Pendleton

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Suggested for You

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book