Turning your Bibles please to
the last chapter, chapter 6 of Galatians and the final passage
in that epistle. We hope to conclude our thoughts
on this letter of Paul to the Galatian churches this morning
and consider what he has to say in conclusion. Galatians chapter
6 and verse 11. You see how large a letter I
have written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to
make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised,
only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of
Christ. For neither they themselves who
are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised
that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace beyond them, and mercy, and upon the Israel
of God, From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in
my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Verse 15. In Christ Jesus, neither
circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new
creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace beyond them and mercy and upon the Israel
of God. Paul, living in a world of evil,
a world of darkness, a rebel against God, like all men a sinner,
having once sought to attain unto eternal glory through his
own works and his own striving in the Jewish religion, was brought
to see that all this was nothing, all this was in vain. All this
was merely his own self-righteousness. All was filthy rags in the sight
of God. He was brought to see that the
religion of man and his best efforts in the religion of man
could do nothing to save his soul, could do nothing to cleanse
his heart, could do nothing to make him right with God, could
do nothing to open the gates of heaven under him and deliver
him from the wrath of God which burned from heaven above against
all his unrighteousness, all his sin, all his rebellion. In the heights of his religion,
burning with fury against the followers of Jesus Christ, he
sought to persecute the church. And heading to Damascus, Christ
appeared unto him in the way. A great light from heaven shone
around him, and he fell to the ground blinded. And the voice
of Jesus Christ sounded out from heaven above. Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me? And for the first time in his
life, Saul, whose name would be changed to Paul, heard the
voice of God in the person of Jesus Christ. This religious
man, this man that knew the scriptures, the Old Testament, this man that
strived and sought to be a Pharisee of the Pharisee, a Hebrew of
the Hebrews, this man that thought he was so good, had never truly
experienced God. He'd never heard God's voice.
He was in darkness, he was dead. His religion was in his head
of his own making. He was blind. But on that day
as he travelled to Damascus, the heavens were opened under
him and the light from the eternal glory shone down from heaven
into the heart of Paul. Christ took that hardened heart
of his servant Paul, Saul, and ripped open the doorway to his
heart. and shone the light in a way
that Paul had never seen. For all his intellect, all his
study of the Scriptures, he'd never seen Christ. Even though
the whole of the Old Testament Scriptures prophesied of the
coming of Messiah, even though the whole of the Law in the Old
Testament pointed to Christ the Saviour to come, Paul had never
seen Him. Paul never comprehended who He
was. And yet here on the Damascus
road, when he burned with fury against the followers of Jesus
Christ, God met him, Christ spoke to him, and the light shone into
that once dark heart. And he who was dead was brought
to life. He who was once blind saw. He who was once deaf heard. He who once sought his own glory,
suddenly came face to face with the glory of the person of Jesus
Christ, with the glory that shone from the face of Jesus Christ.
And he fell down before him as dead, aware of his own desperate
state by nature, that in his heart there dwelt no good thing.
In his flesh there was no good thing. He had a black and an
evil heart. He was selfish, rebellious, seeking
his own glory, his own ways, his own things, even though he
mixed it with religion. No, he saw not God, a sinner. And yet when the light shone
in, this sinner discovered in Christ, a savior who could save
to the uttermost. He discovered in Christ a Saviour
who could save the chief of sinners, even this one who persecuted
the followers of Christ. He discovered in Christ a Saviour
whose love knew no bound, whose love extended even to this one
who raged against his Maker. He discovered in Christ one who
had taken Saul's sins. He'd taken his rebellion. He'd
taken it upon himself. And his father, his God, crucified
Christ in the place of Saul. He slew his own son that Saul
should not bear the judgment to come, but that he should be
washed clean. Saul heard this saviour speak
under him whom he persecuted. He heard that saviour, the persecutor
heard the one whom he persecuted and he discovered that the one
whom he persecuted was the one who died even for him. What a wonder that Christ's love
should extend to such a one. What a wonder that Christ should
die for this man. What a wonder that even he should
be washed clean in the blood of Christ. If Christ could save
Saul, he could save anyone. If Saul, the chief of sinners,
could be washed by Christ in his own blood, if Christ could
have taken away Saul's sin, then he could take away your sin and
my sin. He's a mighty Savior who saves
to the uttermost. And here on the Damascus road,
Paul came face to face with this Savior. And Paul was made aware
of the glory of his Savior and the glory of the cross of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And from that point on, Paul's
glorying ceased to be in himself in his own works, ceased to be
in the Jewish religion or in the law of God, ceased to be
in the priesthood or in the offerings, all of which were simply types
and figures to point unto Christ who should come and die for all
his own. Paul ceased to glory in these
things and from this point on he gloried in the cross. of our Lord Jesus Christ. And
he could cry out later with the Yemenites, God forbid that I
should glory in any other thing. God prevent me turning back to
any other thing. God prevent that I should turn
from Christ and Christ alone back to works, back to the law,
back to that unto which I am crucified. God forbid that I
should glory in myself or in my own words, my own success,
my own righteousness. God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world
is crucified unto me and I unto the world. Paul gloried in the
cross He gloried in it. He knew that his salvation, all
his hope, was in Christ and in his cross. And he knew that all
the works of man, and even man's striving to keep the law which
God gave him, was of nothing worth. Everything was in Christ. He looked from this point on
through the cross at everything. He looked at all this world and
every action, every activity, every thought, every word, everything
that's done or said in this world. He looked at everything through
the cross and through the glory of the cross. He looked at time
through the cross. He looked at eternity to come
through the cross. He looked at heaven above through
the cross. He looked at the church through
the cross. He looked at mankind in this
world through the cross. He looked at everything through
the cross. He gloried in the cross. The
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ. The title
given here to the one who died upon the cross is not Jesus,
it's not Christ, it's not the Lord, but it's Christ's full
title given to him after he has ascended, the Lord Jesus Christ. This title which is used in the
scriptures specifically to speak of Christ following his death
when he has ascended completed his work and sat down in glory. Christ's work is done. Salvation
is wrought, it's complete, it's finished. It is finished, Christ
cried on the cross. And because of this he sits down
in glory victorious. And it's his cross which pours
glories in. The cross of the victorious Saviour. your powerful saviour, the one
who has saved his people from their sins. Not a saviour who
makes salvation possible if man but will. Not a saviour who merely
offers salvation to those who will take it, hoping they'll
be persuaded, hoping they'll see how great it is. but a Saviour
who is all-powerful, who has saved all for whom he died, who
preaches his gospel from on high, who sends it forth by his Spirit
into the four corners of this earth, that all for whom he died
shall hear by the Spirit of God, and they, like Paul, shall have
their eyes opened, They, like Paul, shall have the light of
God shine into their hearts. They, like Paul, shall be quickened
from death unto life. They, like Paul, shall look with
eyes opened, the blind eyes now made to see. They, like Paul,
shall be made to glory, to glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Yes, Paul glories in one who is victorious, one who
reigns, one who is seated on high ruling over all the world
and all the universe. He is the Lord of Lords and the
King of Kings. We have seen this weekend the
wedding of perhaps a future King of England. A great event in
terms of its pomp and circumstance. One viewed by millions, perhaps
billions around the world. One in which great things have
been said of this man. One in which there is much glorying
in his rule. One in which much is said and
done. And yet he is but a king of this earth, if he becomes
the king, but a man. And his rule is but the rule
if he comes to power of one nation. And kings come and kings go.
And yet there is a king who is seated on high, who is the king
of kings and the lord of lords, whose rule never ends, whose
power is never taken away, whose glory is unlike any other. This is the King in whom Paul
gloried and this is the King who becomes the Saviour of all
for whom he came to save, all for whom he died. Paul glories
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and it's because of this
and in the light of this that Paul can conclude this letter
to the Galatians. It's in the light of the cross
and the glory of Christ and his salvation that Paul writes unto
the Galatians and addresses the error which has come in. They're
turning from the cross, they're turning from Christ alone, they're
turning from glorying in Christ alone unto the law, unto the
works of man. they're mixing works with grace. It's in the light of this cross
and this glory that Paul both writes the whole of this epistle
and by which he concludes it and having built up to this great
height to this glory which he sets before us here He can show
us in his concluding verses how the whole discussion of law,
of the whole discussion of having a rule by which believers live,
is pointless. It avails nothing. It is to no
purpose. All that matters is that we are
in Christ. All that matters is that we,
like Paul, have been brought to life in Christ. All that matters
is that we are made to be new creatures in Christ, having the
life of Christ within. Whether you are circumcised or
whether you're not circumcised, whether you keep the law of God,
whether you don't keep the law of God, whether you do this thing,
whether you do the other thing, whether you remember this day,
whether you don't remember that day, whether you go to this place
or not go to that place, whatever, all is nothing, all avails nothing. except you're a new creature.
And if you're a new creature, then your walk, your life, is
not according to carnal commandments, is not according to the rule
of the law, is not according to the rule of man, but it's
according to the rule of the gospel. the rule of being a new
creature, the principle of having life in Christ, it's according
to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's in the light of
this. Circumcision avails nothing but
a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, Paul says, to this rule, peace beyond them and mercy
and upon the Israel of God. Paul here, at the conclusion
of Galatians, uses this term rule, this rule. having dealt with the error at
glacier, having shown plainly that salvation and the life of
the believer is by grace from start to finish, having shown
plainly that we are delivered from the law, delivered from
the flesh, delivered from carnal commandments, delivered from
the world, delivered from all condemnation, that we are in
Christ and Christ alone, that we glory in his cross, that we,
stand fast in the liberty wherewith he has made us free, that we
run in the truth of his gospel, that we walk in the spirit by
which fruit is wrought in us, having shown us this plainly.
Paul states plainly in conclusion that there is but one rule by
which the believer lives and it's this principle, this rule
of being a new creature in Christ through the work of Christ upon
the cross, by the power of God in declaring that gospel, and
in transforming the believer, in quickening him unto life by
the Spirit. This is the rule by which we
walk, and none other. This is the believer's rule of
life. The believer's rule of life,
this principle, this principle which brings life, Christ and
Christ alone. There is really no excuse for
getting wrong on this point. Many speak of a rule of life
and they say that the law of God is the believer's rule of
life. But in the light of such a strong epistle and such plain
teaching and in the light of verse 16 of chapter 6 here where
Paul says, as many as walk according to this rule, peace beyond them
and mercy and upon the Israel of God. There's no excuse for
making any other rule out of any other thing. Paul is playing
here. There is a rule of life for the
believer and it's the principle of new life in Christ. It's the
Gospel which brings that life. It's glorying in the cross of
Christ. It's walking in the Spirit which
constantly leads us unto Christ and sets our gaze upon Christ
and upon that cross. It's looking through the cross
into glory, not through the law upon the flesh in this earth.
It's not having your gaze set upon your conduct in this earth,
but looking unto Christ. What will transform your conduct
in this earth is having your gaze as a new creature in Christ
firmly set upon him as the spirit exhorts and leads and sets your
gaze upon Christ and him crucified. Walk according to this rule. to this rule. For as many as
walk according to this rule, peace beyond them and mercy and
upon the Israel of God. There is no peace and no mercy
upon those who are still walking according to the rule of a carnal
commandment. But there is peace and mercy
to those who are new creatures in Christ. who have been delivered
from the law, delivered from sin, delivered from death, delivered
from condemnation, crucified unto the world, and set apart
unto Christ their savior. The believer's rule of life. The law was given for man as
he is in Adam. And it is certainly not a rule
of life for the scriptures speak of it being a ministration of
condemnation, a ministration of death. The law was given to
slay man. It was a rule given to man firstly
to check his behaviour externally. But secondly to teach him as
the spirit applies it, that he is a sinner and condemned by
that law. And that in his natural state
he can do nothing to cleanse himself. Far from being a ruler
of life it condemns him and ultimately puts him to death. to death,
it's a ministration of death as 2 Corinthians 3 tells us.
Well where is the life in that? And how can we speak of that
being a rule of life? We may say well it wasn't a rule
of life before I came to Christ but I've come to Christ now I've
got life, now I'm going to go back to the law and use it as
a guide for my life. But that law hasn't changed in
its character or its effect. It is still a ministration of
death. It still ministers death. And to those who are alive in
Christ, when they return to the law, it just slays them in the
flesh. It condemns the sin that it provokes in their flesh. It
causes them to sin. It causes the rebellion to come
back up and it slays them. It condemns them. It was, it
is and it always shall be a ministration of death to us. But there is
a ministration of life, there is a ministration of the spirit,
there is a ministration of righteousness, there is a rule of life and that
is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that is to be found in that
Gospel which brings life, which makes us new creatures. There
is a rule for the second man, the rule of God, the law was
given to man as he was in Adam, a rule for the first man, to
slay him, to shut him up unto Christ. But there is a rule for
the second man and that rule is the Gospel. This rule brings
life, it brings us to become new creatures. It brings new
life. And this, and this alone, is
a rule of life. This fact, this truth, this gospel,
this principle, this alone. Nothing else can bring life.
Nothing else can sustain life. Nothing else can guide life.
The gospel not only brings us to life, but it guides and sustains
our lives. It keeps our gaze upon Christ. It keeps our gaze upon Christ
crucified. It keeps our gaze upon the cross.
It keeps our gaze through the cross upon the glory. It causes
us to rejoice and to glory in nothing but the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ. We read earlier from Hebrews
7, a very pertinent passage in relation to these things. passage
which contrasts the priesthood of which Christ was that he was
after the order of Melchizedek not after the order of Levi.
He was not a priest of the old law of the first covenant he
was a priest of the new covenant not of the old. was a priest
of the gospel of the order of Melchizedek. There were priests
given to administer the law, many priests, sinners, sinners
who died, sinners who had to offer up sacrifices not only
for the people but for themselves. Blood which could never atone,
blood which was but a figure of the one sacrifice to come
of Jesus Christ. But there is a priest who came,
who died once, a priest who made one offering, a priest whose
offering was perfect, a priest whose offering saves to the uttermost,
even the Lord Jesus Christ. A priest of another order, not
of Aaron, not of Levi, but of Melchizedek. And a priest who,
being of another priesthood, is the administrator of another
law. another rule. There was a ministration of condemnation,
the law of Moses, but there is a ministration of life and of
the spirit and of righteousness, the gospel of Jesus Christ. One
priesthood brought one law, Christ brings another, the law of Christ,
the gospel, this rule, that which brings and sustains life. As
Hebrews chapter 7 tells us, verse 12, for the priesthood being
changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For
he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe,
of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident
that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing
concerning priesthood. and it is yet far more evident
for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there ariseth
another priest, Jesus Christ, who is made not after the law
of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless
life. Christ is not made after the
law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless
life. the power of an endless life,
that which brings life under his people, that which makes
them new creatures. This rule, there was a rule,
the law of the carnal commandments, the law of Moses, that which
commanded man in the flesh in Adam, and it brought death and
condemnation. But there is a change of law,
another rule, the power of an endless life, the gospel, that
which brings dead sinners unto life, that which makes them new
creatures. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace beyond that, peace beyond that, and on the
Israel of God. Is this the rule by which you
live? Have you seen the difference? By now in Galatians, has Paul
made this difference plain? I trust he has. Here in his concluding
verses, he summarizes. In the light of the glory of
the cross, he probably feels at this point that all the discussion
of the law, all the reasoning, all the showing of the differences,
the different mounts, the different sons, Hagar, and Sarah, Ishmael
and Isaac. All of this he said were in the
light of the glory of the cross. None of it should really need
to be said. For when you truly see Christ in the cross and the
glory of that cross, you recognize that all that is below. all religion
below, all striving in the flesh is of nothing worth, whether
you're circumcised or not circumcised, it avails nothing. It's a matter
of having life in Jesus Christ through his cross. He was made
not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power
of an endless life. For he testifieth, thou art a
priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For there is
verily a disannulling of the commandment going before, for
the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing
perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did. By the
witch we draw nigh unto God. by the witch we draw nigh unto
God. And inasmuch as not without an
oath he was made priest, for those priests were made without
an oath. But this with an oath by him
that said unto him, the Lord swear and will not repent. Thou
art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. By so much
was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. They truly were many
priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason
of death. But this man, because he continue
if ever have an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever live if to make intercession for them. For such an high priest
became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. Who need if not daily as those
high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then
for the people's. For this he did want when he
offered up himself. For the law make of men high
priests which have infirmity. But the word of the oath, which
was since the law, make of the son who is consecrated forevermore. The law made nothing perfect
but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw
nigh unto God through Christ, through his gospel, by his rule. He who was made not after the
law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless
life. Here's the believer's rule of
life, that which brings the power of an endless life, the gospel
of Jesus Christ, the life which is in him by his spirit. This
rule of which Paul speaks is life itself, and when this life
takes those who are dead in trespasses and sins and brings them unto
life, makes them new creatures, that which is born of God in
them does not need to be taught how to be righteous just as that
which was born of Adam sinful does not need to be taught to
sin So the new man of grace does not need to be taught what is
right. The new man of grace is righteous. It is perfect. It acts according to its righteous
nature. It needs no rule to check it
or to restrain it. The rule by which it lives is
not one that tells it do this, don't do that. The rule by which
it lives is that which points it continually to Christ and
to his cross and to the source of the life, which flows from
him unto it. The new creature, which all believers
are in Christ, the new creature is taken up with Christ, taken
up with him. The new man doesn't strive to
be righteous. He doesn't strive to perfect
himself. He doesn't strive to improve. He's taken up with him who is
his righteousness. The new man is taken up with
Christ his righteousness. To the new man, Christ is all
and in all. Paul wasn't taken up with a law
by which he strove to improve himself. He'd been that way.
He'd been that way for years and it brought him nowhere. It
brought him to darkness and to persecute Christ and his church. What good did it do him? What
good will it do him now he's in Christ delivered from it?
Nothing. As he says in Romans 7 it slew
him. He had not known sin except by
the commandment came and sin revived and he died. But he's
been delivered from it he says. Delivered from it that he might
be married unto Christ. He's dead to it by the body of
Christ. Delivered And now Paul, taken
up with Christ, glorying in his cross, has his view firmly set
upon the heavens, looking through the cross unto Christ in the
glory. Unto Christ in the glory. That
governed Paul's conduct here below. What Paul did, where he
went, what he fought, what he said, his hopes, his ambitions,
all that motivated him in his life as a believer here on earth
was in Christ. Christ and his cross, the glory
of Christ and his cross and his gospel was that which motivated
and inspired, that which ruled Paul. All was in relation to
Christ. All was because of Christ and
all was for Christ. Paul's rule of life was Christ. The believer's rule of life is
Christ. It's the rule of the power of
an endless life, the rule of being made into a new creature. It's that which makes us new
creatures. It's that which sustains the
life of us as we are in Christ. It's the walk of the Spirit.
It's the gaze continually being set upon the cross. The gospel. The believers rule of life. Now there are of course as some
will come back and say exhortations throughout the New Testament.
Of course there are. because the flesh remains with
us once we're born again, once we have the new man of grace
within and we walk in the spirit, the flesh wars against the spirit. And the flesh's aim is continually
to take our gaze away from Christ and to set it upon the flesh
and the things of the earth. The flesh wars against the work
of God in the heart of the believer. and therefore the believer must
be exhorted. But the tenor of the exhortation
in the New Testament is twofold. One, to mortify the deeds of
the flesh. And two, to walk in the spirit,
glorying in Christ. It's not to feed the flesh or
sow to the flesh, but to feed the spirit and to sow to the
spirit. It's to have the gaze on Christ. Now when you turn to the law,
far from starving the flesh, though it commands you to live
righteously, you are in fact feeding it. You're feeding your
pride and your glorying in self. That is not starving it. But
the exhortation of the New Testament is to turn from the flesh in
every manner and to continually have the gaze set upon Christ
in the Gospel. The exhortation The commandment
of Christ in the gospel, the new commandment of Christ which
he speaks of in John, is essentially to believe on Jesus Christ. It's to believe, it's to look
unto me. All ye ends of the earth, look
unto me and be ye saved. Look and live. The primary exhortation
of the New Testament is to look unto Christ, in whom is eternal
life, from whom flows eternal life. The believer's walk is
continually a walk with the gaze set upon Christ. And his rule,
his rule of life is a constant preaching of the gospel, a constant
looking unto the gospel, and through the gospel having the
gaze constantly set upon Christ and Christ alone. As soon as
you turn unto law, unto works, unto any other rule, even the
law of God, your gaze turns from Christ and his work. Your gaze
turns from the finished work of the cross. Your gaze turns
back unto self. And all that comes in is no longer
life, but death, as sin enters again, as sin rebels against
the command, and as the condemnation comes down upon it. This is why
Paul gloried, not in that, not in circumcision or not circumcision,
not whether he did this or didn't do that. but that he was a new
creature in Christ, and he was a new creature because Christ
died in his place, that he who should die should be brought
to life. He gloried in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ. He looked unto it, not just at
the beginning, but each and every day. The exhortation is to look
and to live. Well, have you? Have you ever? Have you ever, as a sinner dead
in sins, have you ever looked unto the cross, looked unto Christ
crucified upon it? Have you ever looked unto Him,
the Saviour of sinners? Have you ever looked and lived?
Have you heard His voice in the gospel? Have you seen Him? Have you believed on Him? Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt have everlasting life.
Look unto him. May God in grace show you your
sin, show you your state, show you the depravity of your heart
and lead you unto the cross and set your gaze upon it for you
can't do it. All Paul's striving got him nowhere. All your striving will get you
nowhere. But the power of the gospel will
lead you to the cross and set your gaze upon that saviour crucified
for sinners. Have you looked? Have you lived? Well, if you have, you must continue
to look every day, every moment, in every circumstance, whenever
trouble comes. Look not to man, but to Christ
in the glory through the cross. Look and live. When coldness
comes in upon your heart, what's the remedy? to come back to the
gospel, to hear Christ in the gospel, to look unto his cross,
to look and to live. When trouble comes and you seek
a deliverance, where will you find it? By your own strength?
By your own wisdom? By this rule or that rule? No,
you'll find it in Christ and his gospel. He who is over all. He who lives by the power of
an endless life. He who wrought a victory. He
who brings all to pass. He who fights our battles. He
who wins every battle. Him alone, look and live. He is the believer's rule of
life. He and his gospel. And as many
as walk according to this rule, to this rule, as a new creature
in Christ, glorying in Him and in Him alone, peace beyond them
and mercy and upon the Israel of God, peace beyond them. From henceforth, Paul says, let
no man trouble me. He's borne the trouble, this
opposition. These words, these discussions,
these debates, in religion as though it's an intellectual subject,
a topic to be discussed. These things, these accusations,
these reasonings bandied about by those who know nothing of
being a new creature in Christ. Let no man trouble me, he says.
I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. I've been persecuted
for the cross of Christ. I knew what it was to persecute
others for that cross and I too have been persecuted for it and
I'd rather suffer the persecution for declaring this message which
I know brings life unto those who are dead than to turn away
from it unto the deadness of religion in the flesh and unto
your constant debating and reasoning about whether we should do this
or whether we should do that. I'll walk another way, the way
of the cross, the way of eternal life, the way of the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the way of the Spirit. this is what saved
me, this is what can save you and nothing else and if you're
seeking to attain unto God any other way you'll know no salvation
till you come to where Paul came on that Damascus road and know
what it is to have the light shining into your heart as the
voice of Jesus Christ cries out to you by name from heaven above,
why persecutest thou me? this is the walk of the believer,
this is where life is Paul says, this is my rule of life, this
is my all, Christ and his cross. So he says, stand fast therefore
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free for he has
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Run well
in the truth be not hindered by error and walk in the Spirit. Walk in the Spirit. If you be
led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. If we live in
the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Walk in the Spirit
and look, look, look, look unto Christ and Christ alone. For God forbid that I should
glory saving the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the
world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace beyond them and mercy and upon the Israel
of God. From henceforth let no man trouble
me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Brethren, brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
your spirit. Amen. Amen.