I want to begin a study through
the book of Galatians, the Lord willing. I don't want to give a long introduction
this morning, but I do want to show you some scriptures regarding
the book of Galatians, why it was written. Look with me first
here in verse 1 of Galatians chapter 1. Paul, an apostle,
not of men, neither by men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father,
who raised him from the dead, to all the brethren which are
with me, and to 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, that he might deliver us from this
present evil world according to the will of God and our Father.
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Now, there's no doubt
the Apostle Paul had preached the Gospel to these Galatian
residents. We're not for sure when. I imagine
it was on his first missionary journey. But we're for sure that
he preached the Gospel to them. Because look in verse 6 and verse
7 and verse 8. I marvel that you so soon remove
from him that called you into the grace of Christ and to another
gospel, which is not another, but there be some that trouble
you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we nor
an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Paul said,
we preach the gospel to you, him and those that travel with
him. And we find there in the verses that I read to you that
they received this gospel. He said, you received it. You
received what we preached unto you. In chapter 3, he tells them
that he preached so clearly to them that it's as though they
beheld the Lord Jesus right before their eyes crucified. That's
how clearly he had preached the gospel to them. And here in chapter
4, in verse 13 and verse 16, look at this. Galatians chapter
4, verse 13 through verse 16. There was a time when Paul preached
this gospel to them. They loved him. He brought the
gospel to them and they loved him for it. But now their love
had grown cold towards him. Their confidence in him as an
apostle had dwindled. And here's what he says about
it. Look here in verse 12. Brethren, I beseech you, be as
I am, for I am as you are, and you have not injured me at all.
You know how, through much infirmity of the flesh, I preached the
gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation, which was
in my flesh, you despised not, nor rejected, but you received
me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the
blessedness you speak of? For I bear you record that if
it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes
and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy
because I tell you the truth?" They lost confidence in him.
Their love for him had grown cold. And these Galatians had
left For the most part, I don't know how many, it seems to be
the great multitude of them, have left the gospel. Now I read
that to you there in chapter 1 and verse 6. He said, you are
removed from Him that called you unto the grace of Christ
and to another gospel. Now they haven't left the gospel
for worldly pleasures. They haven't left the gospel
seeking something else of this world But what made it so desperate
was they had left the gospel of the grace of Christ for another
gospel, a perverted gospel. And they were being persuaded
to do this by these false teachers and preachers that came down
from Jerusalem and was preaching that the Lord Jesus Christ was
not enough for salvation. Yes, He was born of a virgin.
Yes, He lived perfectly. Yes, He died upon the cross of
Calvary. Yes, He was buried. Yes, He rose
again, ascended back to heaven. But Christ is not enough. Christ
has not done enough. There remains something for you
to do to be justified before God. And you're not justified
by faith alone. You must be circumcised and keep
the law of Moses. Now that's what they were teaching
these people. Now look at this. Look in Galatians in this very
book in chapter 4 and verse 9. Look at this. Chapter 4 and verse
9. They'd come down here and was
saying, you know, we know that you must believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ, but you also must keep the ceremonial law. Here's
what they told them. Look at this in verse 9. But
now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God,
how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto
ye desire to be in bondage? Look at this, ye observe days,
and months, and times, and years, I am afraid of you, lest I have
bestowed upon you labor in vain. They begin to teach these Galatian
believers that now you have to keep holy days. Now you have
to keep Sabbath days. These ceremonies and these traditions
and laws of the Jews. Look in chapter 6 and verse 12. Chapter 6 and verse 12. 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. They constrain you. They say
it's necessary for you to be circumcised and keep the law
of Moses. And look what He said over in
chapter 5. Look in chapter 5 in verse 2 and verse 3. 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 do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are
fallen from grace." From the whole scheme, from the whole
doctrine of grace. Look in chapter 6, verse 12 and
13. I would, they were even cut off
which trouble you. See what they were teaching.
They were teaching the Lord Jesus Christ is not enough to save
us. The person and work of Christ
is just not enough. You have to believe on Christ,
yes, but you must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. You
must believe in Christ, but that's not enough to justify it. You
must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. Now here's
how Paul answered them. He answered them all through
this book, but let me give you an example in chapter 2, verse
21. Chapter 2, verse 21, look at
this. I do not frustrate the grace of God. I'm not going to
be confused about this. I'm not going to confuse it.
It either saves a man or it doesn't. No gray areas, is it? No sense
frustrating this. If righteousness come by the
law, if you and I can be made righteous by our obedience to
the law in whole or in part, then Christ is dead. in vain. Why did God send Him? Why did
He die? If His righteousness is not enough
to save us, we must obtain our righteousness by the law, then
Christ is dead and vain. What Paul is saying is either
black or white. It's one or the other. If we're
going to be justified by the law, it's all by law. If we're
going to be made righteous by our own obedience, then it's
all by our obedience. But if we're going to be saved
and made righteous by Jesus Christ, then it's all by Christ. It's
either by grace or law. That's what He said. And look
at what He says in regard to justification in chapter 2 in
verse 16. Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ. Why? in order to be justified
by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For
by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." We have
to be justified wholly through faith in the Son of God, or it's
by works that we do. And there's the way the Apostle
Paul answers that. Now, these false teachers had
come down here from Jerusalem, They troubled this church. And what they were saying was,
we've come down from the apostles. Peter sent us down here. And
John and James and the apostles from Jerusalem sent us down here
to tell you that you must be circumcised. That Christ is not
enough. You must be circumcised. Now
let me show you that. I want to establish why the Apostle
Paul wrote this epistle. Look in Acts, look in the book
of Acts, chapter 15 and verse 24. These Pharisees, these self-righteous
legalists, these Judaizers we call them, they were abundance
of them buried at Jerusalem. And they left the apostles and
they came down here to Galatia and said, those apostles have
sent us, and here's the message. And they proceeded to tell them
this self-righteous gospel. But here is what Peter said about
these men when it was brought to their attention there in Jerusalem. Verse 24 of Acts 15, For as much
as we have heard that certain men which went out from us have
troubled you with words, subverting your souls by doing this, saying,
you must be circumcised and keep the law. And look what Peter
said, to whom we gave no such commandment. They came down there
and preaching to you that Christ is not enough. And faith in Christ
is not enough to justify you. And they say, we sent them. Peter
said, we didn't. They're imposters. The message
they're preaching is not of us. It's out of hell itself and out
of their own deceitful heart. And this is the point that we
want to begin this morning in our text. That's what we want
to remember. These false teachers and preachers
came down here to Galatia and they said, Paul hasn't been an
apostle all that long. We have authority from the real
apostles. Those men who walked with Christ. Those men who witnessed
His death and His resurrection. Paul don't have the authority
as the apostle. He should submit to those apostles
there at Jerusalem. So Paul begins here in verse
1 to defend his authority as an apostle. And boy, I tell you
what, when he took in hand to defend his authority. I mean,
he defended it. You see, what they wanted to
do, if they could come, just like they did, and cast doubt
upon the authority as the apostle Paul, then what authority would
he have to preach to them? They would get up when he finished
preaching and they'd say, who is this man anyway? What authority
does he have anyway? You know something, brothers
and sisters, we've got to have an absolute authority to go to.
Do you know that? And Paul is that authority. Not
that he's anything in and of himself, but he was not an apostle. He was not an apostle. And look
what he says in verse 1. Paul not an apostle, not of,
Men. See why he said that? They said,
well, this man, he's just become an apostle a long time after
the other apostles. He has to submit to those apostles
at Jerusalem. He has to preach what they're
preaching. Well, he was preaching what they were preaching, but
they were lying on it. So Paul says here, I'm an apostle,
but Peter didn't make me an apostle. I'm not of James, and I'm not
of John, They didn't teach me what I know about the gospel.
I didn't learn what I know from them. I am an apostle, not of
man. Not any man. Look what he says
here in verse 11 and verse 12. He defends his apostleship all
through this. Verse 11, he said, I certify
you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not
after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught
it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. And he tells us
on down there in verse 17 and verse 18 and 19, he said, when
the Lord saved me, I didn't go up to Jerusalem to those who
were apostles before me. I didn't confer with Peter and
James and John and Matthew and those other apostles. I went
off into Arabia. I was there by myself, just me
and the Lord, and He taught me what I know as an apostle. He
had the authority. And he says it was not of men. Men didn't teach him. And look
at this, men didn't send him either. Neither of men nor by
man. He said men didn't call me, men
didn't teach me, and it wasn't men who sent me out to preach
the gospel. Now there's a good reason why
he says this. You remember in Acts chapter
1 when 120 of the church members were gathered together waiting
for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Judas had already gone out and
hanged himself. And those apostles got together
there in the upper room and they said, we've got to choose a man
to replace Judas. Remember that? You talked to
kids a few weeks ago about that. And those apostles, they chose
two men. Remember that? Joseph and Matthias. And they said, let us appoint
one man to take Judas' place. And they appointed Matthias. They appointed him. Now you might
make the argument that they should never have did that. Some make
that argument. I don't know if that's so or not. I don't know
if it's the Lord's will for that man to be appointed an apostle
or not. I have no idea. But there is
an argument that they appointed him themselves. At least they
chose him. They drew straws. I don't know
how divine that is, but they cast lots. And the lot fell upon
Mappius and they said, we've appointed him. We've chose him.
Now somebody may say, you guys called him to be an apostle.
He's an apostle of man. And now you're going to send
him out by man. But you know something? You can't say that
about the apostle Paul. He never even seen Peter until
three years after the Lord saved him. Nobody called him and taught
him the gospel, and when he got ready to be sent out, no man
sent him out. Those prophets were there in
the church at Antioch, and Paul was there, and Silas was there,
and some of the others. And the Holy Spirit spake to
those men, the church, and they said, Separate me, Barnabas and
Paul, for the work whereunto I have sent them. And verse 3
said this, They being sent forth by the Holy Ghost. And that's what Paul says here.
No man sent me to preach the gospel. I'm not an apostle by
man, I'm an apostle by the Holy Ghost sent me. And that's what
he goes on to say, look at this. I'm an apostle not of man, neither
by man, but look at this, by the Lord Jesus Christ. By the Lord Jesus Christ. And God the Father who raised
Him from the dead. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ.
You know the very same Christ that saw Andrew and Peter fishing
and said, follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. The
very same Christ that saw John and James in his father's boat
and said, follow me. This is the very same Christ
that called the Apostle. He was not man, neither by man,
but the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that's so important to remember
that. I heard a man arguing one time. Well, I think it was in
the paper. He was trying to make this argument.
Who do we believe? He said, Paul or Christ. As if
they were contrary, weren't they? Paul or Christ. Other people have said, who do
we believe, James or Paul? But you know, the same Christ
called all these apostles. There is no contradiction in
these men. There is no contradiction in
Paul and Moses, or James and Moses. All these holy men spake
as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Peter said, the same
Lord that wrought effectually in Peter as he preached to the
Jews, the same Lord wrought effectually in me as I preached to the Gentiles. The same Christ, he said. Paul,
you're an apostle, yes, but not of man. I'm not sent by man,
but by the Lord Jesus Christ. And look what else he says. I
really like this. And God the Father who raised
him from the dead. God the Father. And what Paul
does here, he identifies God. He identifies who God is. And
there's a reason that he does that. Paul always has his eye
on these Jews. Because they followed Him around
and opposed Him. And the whole problem with these
Jews was they denied the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. They
denied that He was the Son of God. If you be the Son of God,
come down from the cross and we'll believe you. We're going
to stone you. Why? Because you being a man
maketh yourself God. And they denied that. So Paul,
everywhere he went, just like Peter, he confronted these Jews
with who Jesus Christ is. Who is He? Well, He's the Lord
of glory. He's the Son of God. And you
slew Him, but God the Father raised Him from the dead. Now there's a reason he did that.
There's a reason he did that. He identified who God was to
these Jews. The Jews said, God is our Father.
And you know what Paul is saying? Is God your Father? Is He the
same God that raised His Son from the dead? Is that your God? You know, we have this controversy
today. Who is God? Who is God? Do we all worship the same God?
There was a good article in the paper, some young lady here in
the high school, here at Crouser High School, put a good article
in the paper about, is the God of Christianity and the God of
Islam one? Is God and Allah one? Excellent
article. I hear a fellow ask the question
one time, he said, who is your God? And the person said, my
God is whoever I want Him to be. Ain't that amazing? How would you like for somebody
to say that about you, Glenn? Who is Glenn Whitehead? He's
just whoever you want him to be. What does Glenn Whitehead
believe? Just whatever you want him to
believe. What does Glenn Whitehead act like? Just however you want
him to act. Who is God? He's whoever you want him to
be. He really has no character. He really has no attribute. He
really has no purpose. He really has no will. He has
no being. God is just whoever you want
Him to be. You'd like somebody to say that
about you, Clarence? What do you think God thinks
about it when they say that about Him? That's why dear brother Pete
wrote a whole book on the attributes of God. To identify God. Who is He? God never attempts
to prove He is. But all through the Scripture,
He proved what kind of God He is. He's a God of justice. He's a God of holiness. He's
a God of wrath. He's a God of mercy. He's a God
of long-suffering. He's a God of goodness. He identifies
Himself. And that's what the Apostle Paul
does here. Now here's a good question you
can ask. If God, the God of Christianity, is He the same God as the God
of Ishmael? Is God and Allah one? Are they the same God? Well,
ask somebody this. Is Allah the God and Father of
the Lord Jesus Christ? Is Jesus Christ one with Allah
from all eternity? Did Allah send Jesus Christ,
His only begotten Son, into this world to die upon the cross for
sinners? Did Allah raise Him from the
dead and set Him at His right hand? The answer is no. Then they're not the same God,
are they? Who is God? He's the Father of Jesus Christ
who raised Him from the dead. That's who He is. And look what he says here, God
who raised him from the dead. First reason Paul said this was
to identify God. And the second reason was for
this, to remind these Galatian believers, to remind them immediately
that the Lord Jesus Christ is a successful Savior. You see, he always had his mouth
and always had his heart full of Jesus Christ. And when he
wrote, his pen was full of Jesus Christ. And the first thing he
does to these believers who have left Christ, he reminds them
that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed a successful Savior. All God required of Him as a
representative, He had completed. And God the Father was so well
pleased in Him that He raised Him from the dead. Sin and death
has been defeated in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
it's evident that it has been because He is raised from the
dead. Oh, what a comfort this is to
the conscience that's afflicted with guilt and the curse of the
law. Ain't this a wonderful comfort?
If you're here this morning and you just feel so guilty, you
see the law, how it curses you, here's some comfort for you.
to be reminded that Jesus, who died for our sins and felt the
strength of them, tasted the sting of death, is now alive
and shall never suffer and die again. And He did all of this
in our stead and in our place. Things are well with the Lord
Jesus. He died for us, but now He lives for us. Things are well
with Him. Spurgeon used to say, if you
were greatly afflicted yourself, and you had fell in some awful
trials and tribulations, but if you had a good friend that
you really loved, and you heard that things were well with him,
Spurgeon said, wouldn't that make you happy? Wouldn't that
make you happy? Well, we have a friend, brothers
and sisters. We have a Lord in heaven. who
died for us. But He is now alive for evermore,
and He's well, and it's good, and He's happy. Don't that make
you happy? Don't that relieve some of your
poor, afflicted conscience? Christ in whom we hope in is
now free and successful. And when we remember that it
is for our sakes and on our behalf that He has been raised from
the dead, then our troubled conscience finds some comfort. Why did these
Galatians leave the Gospel of Christ? Why did they err so quickly
from the way? Why had they run off to Moses
and tried to be saved by keeping the law? For this reason, these
wretched teachers showed them what the law requires. They opened
up the book of Moses and they said, here's what the law requires. That's good in itself. You and
I must understand what the law requires of us. But these wretched,
deceived teachers continued and said, you are obligated to keep
this law or you will be cursed. Here is the obligation laid upon
you and you must be circumcised and keep the law or you will
be cursed. And their memory was taken away
from the Lord Jesus Christ and His resurrection. They turned
their memory away from Christ and His resurrection. So Paul
begins immediately by reminding them that Jesus Christ in the
days of His flesh had met every obligation on their behalf. He
had fulfilled every requirement in their place and suffered the
penalty, even death. And the evidence, listen now,
the evidence that He had did all this successfully is in this,
that God the Father had raised Him from the dead. God who knows
everything, who laid down the requirements, knows what it takes
to fulfill those requirements. When the Lord Jesus had died,
the Father saw that all those requirements were met and the
penalty fulfilled. How do we know that? Because
He raised His Son up from the dead. Here is where the Apostle
Paul begins with these Galatians. And he is saying unto them, the
Lord Jesus Christ is now free and He is now happy. God has raised Him from the dead.
never to die again. And not only that, he said, but
this Lord Jesus who is raised from the dead, this God the Father
who raised Him from the dead, they have sent me to preach this
unsearchable riches of Christ to you poor Gentile dogs. Ain't that good news? Ain't that
wonderful? Oh, I'd hope as they begin to
read these words, that they'd be encouraged and humbled at
the same time. I hope they would say to themselves,
look how we're acting. Look how we're acting. We go
bow down all day long with our guilt and our souls are cast
down within us. We look at the requirements of
this holy law and we think it's left up to us to fulfill those
requirements? Look at us. We're acting as if
Jesus Christ was still dead. That He died under the curse
of the law and never rose again. So Paul writes to them and says,
no, no. The same Christ who died under
the curse of that law to deliver you from its curse is risen again. And what does that mean? That
means He's a successful Christ. That means He's a free Christ.
He's not bound by that curse anymore. And now when He abides
in you, not only is Christ free, but you're free. You're free. Is Christ free, brothers and
sisters? Is He obligated to that law anymore? The law does not
know Jesus Christ. If you go to the law and you
say, who is Jesus Christ? I put Him to death 2,000 years
ago. He is dead. I crucified Him and
cursed Him to death. Did you know He's risen from
the dead? I know nothing about that. All I know is I cursed
Him to death because sin was found upon Him. Who sins? I cursed
Him to death for your sins. And whether he's risen from the
dead, I don't know. I just know this, I'm satisfied. I'm satisfied. And here this
Christ has risen from the dead by the power of God, and now
the law knows nothing of Him. He's free from that law. And
if He dwells in you, brothers and sisters, you're free from
it too. You're free from it too. Oh, isn't this good news? Isn't
this good news? I hope they felt this as Paul
wrote this to them. Oh, Christ is not a dead Christ.
He's a living Christ. He's a free Christ. Stand fast
in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free. And I hope
as they read this, their love and reverence for this great
apostle was renewed. Because they had turned from
him and began to almost despise him. And I hope they sent these
false apostles back up to Jerusalem where they belong. Paul said,
I am an apostle, not by men, not of men, but by the Lord Jesus
Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead. And
now, in verse 2, look at this. Here's another defense for his
authority. And I love how he does this.
I do this myself sometimes. Look in verse 2. And all the
brethren, Paul an apostle, and all the brethren which are with
me. Notice how he does that. Is Paul
a true apostle? Is his doctrine pure? Is it a
godly doctrine? Well, if they said not, if they
said, no, he don't have the authority as an apostle, he's not telling
you the truth, then they not only had to answer to this apostle,
but they had all these brethren they'd have to answer to. See
what he does? All these brethren, he said, are with me. These false
teachers are denying that I'm an apostle, he said. Are they
going to refute all these brethren too? Silas is here with me. He's a prophet. He's with me. Barnabas, he's with me. He's
been with the church from the very beginning. He's here with
me. Great Apollos, that's mighty
in the Scriptures, firm in the Spirit, he's here with me. You're
going to refute him too? They've accepted me as non-apostle.
They know I have the authority as non-apostle. There's 500 brethren
that saw the Lord Jesus Christ after He raised from the dead.
They're here with me. What are you going to do about
them? They own me as non-apostle. Boy,
I tell you what, it's good to have influential brethren. Sometimes
I'll be talking to one of my dear friends, And I'll tell them
something, my opinion of a scripture or something. And they said,
well, I don't know if I believe that or not. And you know, one
of the first things I say, well, that's what Spurgeon said. Oh,
Spurgeon said, yeah, Spurgeon. It's what Brother Mann said.
It's what John Bunyan said. Oh, they said that. Well, I better
go check again. I call all these brethren, you
know, for my help. I don't want to be stuck out
here. by myself, with two or three more nod heads like myself,
believe in something that the church has never preached. That
scares me to death, don't you? I don't care what Spurgeon believes.
Boy, I do. I don't care what the church
has always believed. I care. I care. I want to go
back. I know this is our only authority.
I know that. But boy, ain't it good when you
say all these brethren believe the same thing I believe. We
found that message. I think maybe your son found
that message where Spurgeon preached on the two natures of a believer. We already believe that. But
boy, just to say Spurgeon believed it. Spurgeon believed it. You
going to deny it? Spurgeon believed it. Paul says,
you going to deny me as an apostle? What about all these brethren
with me? He's a pretty sharp apostle,
ain't he? He's a pretty sharp apostle. In verse 3, look at
this. Grace be to you and peace. Grace be to you and peace from
God our Father. And Luther said this, speaking
of having some influential brothers. Here's a dear brother. Here's
what Luther said. He said there's two things that torment us. One is sin and the other is conscience. Conscience. Our conscience. And
the only thing, he said, that will vanquish these two monsters
is grace and peace. For it's grace that forgives
us our sins. And it's the peace that quietens
our conscience. I love that, don't you? These
are monsters, aren't they? These are monsters. Sin. Conscience. But Paul said, this grace doesn't
come through our keeping the law. It don't come through our
obedience to the law of Moses. You know what comes through the
law, don't you? By the law is the knowledge of sin. By the
law is the strength of sin. The law comes and proves our
guilt to us. That's all the law does. The
law comes to us and it terrifies conscience. But that grace which
saves us from our sins and that peace which quietens our conscience
comes from another source. It doesn't come from any mere
man. Brothers and sisters, peace doesn't come from our politicians.
I think sometimes we've got, bless our hearts, we've got so
political anymore, haven't Talking about our poor politicians, they
say, oh, peace comes from them. Peace doesn't come from our army.
They may secure our bodies and our property, but peace of conscience
comes from one place. Where is that? From God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you and peace. Grace comes from Jesus Christ.
And peace comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. Being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Ain't that what he said? He's
ready to go away and they were so troubled. He said, my peace
I leave with you. I'm going back to heaven, but
I'm leaving my peace with you. My peace I've given to you. Not
as the world gives, let not your heart be troubled. I tell you,
you look into the law of Moses and your obligation to it, all
you're going to do is stare your sin and death in the face all
the time. That's all you're going to do. Because you cannot meet
its obligation. It will always be crying out
against you. You like one thing. You like
one thing. You do that, you like one more
thing. But grace forgives your sins. And the peace of Christ
quietens your conscience. Grace and peace. Notice what
Paul quickly adds in verse 4. Who gave Himself for our sins. Who gave Himself for our sins.
Oh, this comforts me so much when I read this because I tell
you, I've got so much self-righteousness left in me. If I'd have been
in the days of these Galatian churches, I'd have been right
there with them. I find myself constantly leaning towards the
law. I just have to always beat myself
off from it. Constantly reminded that Christ
gave himself for my sins. Can you imagine what these people
looked like? Bless their hearts. They were
some of the holiest looking people. They thought they could reach
perfection in the flesh. That's what they were trying
to do. Having begun in the Spirit, Paul said, are you now made perfect
by the flesh? They were trying to keep all
these ceremonies, all these holy days. These Pharisees said, you've
got to be so clean. They washed these pots and pans.
Every time their hands got dirty, they ran and washed them. Found
a spot on their clothes, they ran and changed them. Taste not,
touch not, handle not. Don't even touch anything unclean,
or you'll be unclean. You've got to be perfect in the
flesh. The Lord Jesus went to eat supper with that Pharisee
and that woman that was a sinner in the town. She came in and
began to wash his feet with her tears and wipe his feet with
the irons of her head. She was a sinner and needed forgiveness. And that Pharisee looked there
and said, you know, if he was a prophet, if he was a prophet,
he'd know what kind of woman that is that touches him. He
wouldn't even allow her to touch him. If you're seeking perfection
in the flesh, you're going to have to be a very, very, very,
very, very, very clean person. Everything better be sparkling
white. We were watching a documentary on the Mormons not too long ago,
and they led them into a portion of the Holy Temple out there
in Utah. And you talk about an immaculate temple. I mean, it
was beautiful, gorgeous, clean, shiny, and white. And if you
went into that place, you better be clean and shiny and white. You had to pull your shoes off.
Walked good attitude. You know what I love to ask those
men? Have you ever sinned? Do you ever sin? Wouldn't you
like to ask them that question? That's the question I asked you
this morning and myself. Do you sin? I don't like sin. That's not
the question. That's not the question. Bruce, I hate sin. That's good. That's good. But
that's not the question, is it? Do you ever sin? Do you ever
have a foolish thought? Have you ever falsely accused
God or a fellow man? Does hate ever bubble up in your
heart? Have you ever lusted? Have you
ever envied? Is your motive pure for the glory
of God? Do you ever see Him? Do you keep the law? Bruce, I
don't, but I try. That's not the question is. Have you ever known to do good
and didn't do it? Do you sin against God? Be honest about it. Don't be
so quick to confess it. But be honest about it in your
own conscience. Do I sin against God? Well, let
me ask you this question. What's your hope of being saved
from the judgment of God upon your sin? You say, Bruce, I believe
God is love. I believe He's love too. I believe
God is merciful. I do too. I believe God is good. I do too. But do you believe
hell is full of people suffering for their sins? Yes, I do. But what's your hope of being
saved from your sin? What's your hope, since God is
punishing everybody else for their sins, what's your hope
of being saved from His judgment upon your sin? Here's the only answer. Here's
the only answer. My sin, O the bless of this glorious
thought, my sins not in part, but the whole, are nailed to
His cross, and I bear them no more. That's the only right answer,
isn't it? Christ gave Himself for our sins. Here these men were trying to
reach perfection in the flesh. Paul said, Christ didn't die
for your perfection. Christ didn't suffer for your
goodness. Christ didn't suffer for your
righteousness. He suffered for your sins. That's the only hope, brothers
and sisters, we have of escaping the judgment of God. In His wounds,
we find our ransom. He was made a curse for us to
redeem us from the curse of this law. That's our hope, our only
hope. And I tell you this much, listen
to me. When the Baptist ever relearned this, they knew this
at one time. They knew this at one time. And
when they relearn this, they'll throw away their alters. And they'll burn their decision
cards in the fire. When the Mormons learn this,
if they ever do, they'll tear down their holy temple and make
a barn out of it. And they'll repent of their anti-Christ
teaching. And when the Camelites learn
this, they'll deny that their water baptism ever washed away
one's sin. And if the Pope ever learned
this, he'd resign his office in horror. They'd take their
rosaries and their candles and they'd burn it in the fire, and
they'd forsake their masses and their false confessions. And
all of us would come down and sit one with another as happy,
saved sinners, rejoicing in one place. And that's in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Is that your hope this morning,
dear soul? Look what He proceeded to say.
"...who gave Himself for our sins in order to deliver us from
this present evil world." Now how can it be said that this
world is evil? There's two kingdoms. There's
just two kingdoms. Between the eternities, there's
only two kingdoms. There's a kingdom of Christ.
It's a kingdom of light. It's a kingdom of forgiveness
of sins. It's a kingdom of grace. A kingdom
of peace and righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost. That's
one kingdom. And there's only one other kingdom.
It's the kingdom of darkness. The kingdom of the devil. It's
called this present evil world. Those are one and the same. There's
only two kingdoms. The kingdom of darkness is a
kingdom where the ignorance of God reigns, contempt of God reigns,
self-righteousness reigns. In the kingdom of Christ, grace
reigns, forgiveness of sins, and life and salvation reigns. And the only way to get out of
this kingdom of darkness into this kingdom of light is to be
born into it, is to be translated from it. God hath translated
us from the kingdom of darkness. He's delivered us from its power
and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. And dear soul,
listen to me. Everybody that's not in the kingdom
of Christ, this kingdom of grace and forgiveness, They're in the
kingdom of the devil. And what is that kingdom? It's
this present evil world. They're one and the same. They're
one and the same. And look at this. Look at this.
Christ gave Himself for our sins according to the will of God. Ain't that wonderful? Christ
gave Himself for our sins according to the will of God. In other
words, He's saying it's God's will for Christ to give Himself
for our sins. What a comfort that is for the
poor afflicted conscience. Here I am trying to save myself.
Here I am thinking God's going to accept me by my own obedience.
It's God's will that I keep the law. And I'll be saved by doing
that. No, that's not God's will. It's
God's will to save you by Jesus Christ suffering for your sins.
Remember I told you that on myself that I went all through my teenage
years thinking it was God's will to save me by my obedience? And
when that fell, I thought, well, it's God's will to save me by
my obedience plus what Jesus did on my behalf. And that didn't
work either. And finally, God at His tender
mercies brought me to see that it was His will to save me by
His solemn law. And you find that here in the
Scriptures. I can find my salvation in the
Scriptures, and you can too, can't you? Here's the will of
God for me. I'm saved by the doing and the
dying of someone else. The Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, what
a blow this was to these false teachers who said, except you
be circumcised and keep the law of Moses, you cannot be saved. No, no, Paul said, here's God's
will to save us by substitute. This is the will of Him that
sent me that all which He hath given me I should lose nothing.
Lo, I come to do Thy will, by which will then we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for
all." And here you are. There is not a Jew in here this
morning by nature. All of us are Gentiles. By nature
we are not circumcised. By nature we are Gentiles who
never kept the law. What's our hope then of not being
cursed by this law? Well, here's our hope. God sent
another into this world who was circumcised for us. God sent
another into this world who kept the law on our behalf. And now
He's raised Him from the dead. And now we live in Him. And brothers and sisters, who
could ask for any more than that? And how does that affect us?
Somebody said, well, I tell you, Bruce, that will make you live
like the devil. If you believe somebody else
has done all, and all you do is just believe in him for it,
that will make you live like the devil. You will turn loose
the reins of your lust. Well, how did it affect this
man? Look in verse 5. To whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. Let's pray.