Now, we're taking our text this
evening from Galatians chapter 1. Let's read verse 13 and verse
14 again of Galatians chapter 1. It reminds the people here
that the gospel that He had declared unto them is not a gospel that
had any input, any origination with man. It's totally God's
gospel concerning Christ. He said, I received it by the
revelation of the Lord Jesus. I was taught it by him. And then
he said, you've heard of my former conversation, my conduct. Paul
was a very strict Pharisee. In time past, in the Jews' religion,
how that beyond measure, I persecuted the church of God and I wasted
it. Wasted it. Profited in the Jews'
religion, above many my equals in my own nation. being more
exceedingly zealous of the traditions, the traditions of the fathers,
the traditions of the Pharisees. He was a very, very zealous Pharisee
and then he says in verse 15, but God had something else in
mind for me. After Paul clearly defined the
gospel of Christ and rebuked those who were entertaining ideas
of listening to a false gospel, a false preacher. And any idea of considering their
message, he pronounces that there is but one gospel that saves,
the gospel of Christ. And all else is a mere sham and
counterfeit, a perverted message that will damn those who preach
it and those who embrace that gospel that he says there in
verse 7 is a perverted or changed message. Now beginning in verse
13 down through verse 24, the apostle writes about his experience
of grace. His experience of grace. You
know, you never really believe anything until you experience
it. Let me give you an illustration. I just recently had an experience,
a medical experience. I've heard people talk about
kidney stones being painful. Well, I experienced that. Wednesday
morning I woke up with a kidney stone wound up in the hospital
four hours in emergency room Trying to get rid of a kidney
stone. I heard it was painful. I Believe it now. I've Experienced
it and that's what the Apostle Paul here. He's going to tell
us about Salvation that he experienced now an experience is not salvation.
I But I tell you this, salvation is something we certainly experience
by His grace. And when that takes place, you
will believe that salvation is all of God. And that's what he
writes about here. Before his conversion, before
he met the Savior, he was very zealous, very ignorant, and very
lost. But after he met the Savior,
oh, what a difference. What a difference in this man.
He says, I am what I am by the grace of God. We see, you can
go through the book of Acts and look at his, we're going to read
some scripture in a moment. You can go through the book of
Acts and see everything he was before he met the Savior and
what God by His grace made him. Made him a trophy of God's grace.
Saul of Tarsus, verse 13, he says, you've heard of me in the
past. You've heard of my conduct. He
had a very religious upbringing in Judaism. He was an Orthodox
Pharisee. He said, no one could blame me
outwardly with any violation of the law. He was a very strict,
moral man. He had committed an Orthodox
Pharisee, those who were very self-righteous, who despised
everybody else. They thought they were better
than anybody else. But this man was a committed persecutor of
those who believed the gospel. His predecessors, were those
who plotted to destroy the Lord Jesus Christ. One time the Lord
healed that man who had that withered hand, and He said, ìStretch
forth your hand,î and He stretched it forth. Well, you think those
old Jews would have given thanks unto God? But they went out and
held a council how they might destroy Him. And old Saul of
Tarsus was in that line and in that tradition of those ignorant
Pharisees going about to establish their own righteousness, haters
of those who were lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Being a proud, self-righteous,
arrogant sinner, it says there, he persecuted, went beyond measure,
he says. I persecuted the church of God.
Now, when you persecute believers, because believers are so vitally
connected to the Lord Jesus Christ, when you persecute believers,
you know who you're really persecuting? You're persecuting the Lord Himself.
That's why when the Lord knocked Him down in the dust, He said,
You're persecuting Me. Oh, He was so proud, so arrogant. He spent all of his time, all
of his energy to wipe out, to wipe out and to wipe off the
face of the earth anybody who named the name of Christ. Beyond
measure he went. Not only just satisfied to persecute
those in that area of Jerusalem, but he got special permission
to go into the north country toward Damascus to arrest all
those who called upon the name of Christ and to put them in
prison and to have them executed. We see a little bit about this
if you'll turn to Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter 8. Saul, as he stood and watched
God's faithful servant Stephen being stoned to death, he held
their coats and gave a hearty Amen to Stephen's execution. And then in Acts chapter 8 verse
1, and Saul, yet consenting, rejoicing in Stephen's death,
at that time there was a great persecution against the church,
which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout
the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. He was consenting,
rejoicing. Ah, we've killed another one
of those followers. of Jesus Christ. Turn over to
Acts chapter 9. And Saul, verse 1, Acts 9, 1,
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the Lord,
against the disciples of the Lord, and in essence against
him, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to
Damascus, to the synagogue, that if he found any of this way,
whether they be men or women, He might bring them bound unto
Jerusalem. Now stay right here in the book
of Acts and find Acts chapter 22. Acts chapter 22. You can see how zealous he was
and how angry he was against those who were lovers of Christ.
Acts 22, look at verse 4. He says, and I persecuted this
way unto death. binding and delivering into prison
both men and women unto death. Acts 26.11, turn over there. Acts 26.11, I punished them often
in every synagogue, I compelled them, I compelled them to blaspheme. How do you compel them? He forced
them. the blaspheme, being exceedingly
mad against them. I persecuted them even unto strange
cities." This man was full of hatred, wasn't he? He was a hater. He was a hater of God, a hater
of Christ, and a hater of all those who called on the name
of Christ. Look at verse 14, Galatians chapter
1 verse 14, he said, I profited, I profited in the Jews' religion
above many. many my equals. He was successful
in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition
of my fathers. Saul of Tarsus was working his
way up the religious chain of command, probably in line to
replace his teacher, Gamaliel. Maybe he had his eye on being
the high priest at some time. Maybe that was his goal, that
was his aim. As he reached that, he barred no hole. He held back
in no way, doing all that he could to persecute believers. Being more zealous, he says,
look what it says there in verse 14, being more exceedingly zealous,
not of the word of truth, not of the word of God, but of the
tradition of the fathers. Oh, he was a zealous, and he
was zealous of those Jewish traditions and those Jewish teachings. He
wasn't jealous of the true Word of God and the law that Moses
had given, because the law that Moses had given and all that
was written gives us testimony to him, give all the prophets
witness. Moses wrote of Christ. But he
was zealous of the tradition of the fathers. If you find Matthew
chapter 15, remember our Lord says this in Matthew 15. Matthew 15. He says to this same
Pharisee crowd, in Matthew 15, he says in verse 6, the middle
part, thus have you made, you've made the commandment of God of
none effect by your tradition. He said, you're hypocrites. Well,
did Isaiah prophesy of you saying, this people draweth nigh unto
me with their mouth, they honor me with their lips, but their
hearts far from me. But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Not the word of God,
not the word of truth. O Saul of Tarsus, as he says
of those Jewish people in Romans 10, being ignorant of God's righteousness
and going about to establish his own righteousness. Not submitting
to that righteousness of God in the gospel, which is Christ.
We see something of what he was in religion, what he was by nature,
a sinner, a blasphemer, a persecutor, a hater of God, a hater of those
who called upon Christ. But look at the marvel of God's
grace in verse 15. What if God would have just left
him to himself, left him alone? He would have went right on in
his religious ways Never loving Christ, never believing the gospel,
but God intervened. If you're a believer here sitting
today, you have to be convinced in your mind, it's only by the
sovereign mercy and grace of God that He has made you to differ,
because if God simply left you to yourself, you never would
have had any interest in the gospel of God's true grace. But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb, He called me by His grace."
But God, God in His sovereign purpose, God in His sovereign
grace had something else in mind for old Saul of Tarsus. Let me
show you another scripture that will help us understand this,
this statement, but God. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2.
Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians chapter 2, We have
a description what we are by nature. In Ephesians 2 verse
1, we were dead in trespasses and in sin. Dead. Graveyard dead. Dead and stinking. Dead and Adam
all died. Wherein time passed, ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in children
of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in
times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of
wrath, even as others." Look at that next line, "...but God,
but God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith
He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, He quickened us
together with Christ, by grace are you saved, and hath raised
us up together, made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness toward us through the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself. But God, but God, it's God who
has made us to differ, the whole of our salvation. I mean the
whole of our salvation, from election to glorification. The
whole of our salvation is by the grace of God. The whole of
our salvation is totally by the will of God, not man's will,
God's will. As it says in verse 4 of Galatians
1, who gave himself for our sin, that he might deliver us from
this present evil world according to the will of God." Our salvation,
the same way that God saved Saul of Tarsus. You remember what
we read, he was a pattern? A pattern of how God saves sinners?
The same exact way that God saves Saul of Tarsus is the exact same
way He saves everyone whom He wisely saved by His purpose and
His grace given us in Christ before the foundation of the
world. Look, if you will, to Romans
9. Romans 9. The whole of our salvation is
by the will of God. Of His own will beget He us with
the word of truth. Romans 9. Look at verse 11, ìFor
the children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand, not of works, not of works, but of him that calleth.î Itís
God who is calling. ìIt was said to her, ìThe elder
shall serve the younger,î as it is written, ìJacob have I
loved, Esau have I hated.î Well, what shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For He said to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God. There's that same
phrase again, but God, but of God. It's God who shows mercy. You got that? God's saving, sovereign
grace in Christ Jesus. The whole of our salvation is
by the will of God. Being born again, neither will
the flesh, neither will of man, but we're born of God by His
determinate will, His determinate decree, His determinate counsel. He works all things after the
counsel of His own will. There's His saving grace. Second
thing we see in verse 15, His separating grace. Separating
grace. When will a man be saved? When
it pleases God. When it pleases God. Whatsoever
the Lord please, that's what He did in heaven and earth, seas,
and all deep places. Whatever God pleases, that's
when He is pleased to save sinners, that's when He saves them in
His own time and pleasure, the time of love. And then we see
not only saving grace, but separating grace. Who separated me from
my mother's womb, and then this calling grace. He called me. He called me by His grace. Here we see separating grace.
God who separates from the womb of nature. At the time of our
birth, when we were born physically born, the time of our birth,
the place of our birth was all ordained of God and purposed
of God. It's God who separates, God who
separates from the womb of nature, did long before separate us,
His elect, to salvation from the womb of eternity. God who
appoints the time and the place of our first birth does also
determine by His sovereign will the time of our second birth. All of God's grace. Let me show
you an interesting scripture. If you'll find Jeremiah, Jeremiah
chapter 1. Jeremiah chapter 1. Remember
what he said of Jeremiah, God's prophet? In Jeremiah 1 verse
5, now look at this carefully, the word of the Lord, verse 4,
Jeremiah 1, came unto me saying, before I formed thee, before
I formed thee in the belly, I knew you. before you came forth out
of the womb, I sanctify thee, I ordain thee to be a prophet
unto the nations." You see, our birth, first and second, is all
according to the will of God Almighty, His separating grace,
His calling grace. Turn to Galatians chapter 4.
Galatians chapter 4. He separated me from my mother's
womb, and then He called me by His grace." That's regeneration.
That's the new birth. You say, well, is that important? Is that necessary, that new birth?
Well, our Lord said, except a man is born again, he cannot see.
Except a man is born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of heaven. He said, you must! You must be born again. I say
it's pretty important. Look what He says here in Galatians
4, verse 4. The fullness of time was come. God sent forth His
Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Now watch this. Because you are
sons, because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of
His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou
art no more a servant but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ Jesus. Because you are sons, chosen
in that covenant of grace, elected before all eternity, because
you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of the Gospel of Christ
in your heart, and He gave us life. He gave us life. That's
what He's saying there. Now look back at the text again.
who separated me from my mother's womb, there is saving grace,
there is separating grace, distinguishing grace, sovereign grace, and then
we have this calling grace. He called me. He called me by
His grace. Calling grace. This is God's
sovereign favor. How does God call? By His grace. Well, He calls with the gospel.
calls with the gospel. This calling grace with the gospel
of Christ, in the gospel of Christ, comes to us because of God's
divine purpose and His divine distinction in electing love. This calling, it's not an accident. Turn to Romans 8. This calling
grace is not an accident. God never saved a sinner by accident. He saves whom He wisely saves
on purpose. Romans 8. This is why that day
that God determined that Old Saul of Tarsus would be a new
creature in Christ Jesus. God determined the time and the
day and the place. This is calling grace. Romans
8, verse 28. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called,
called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He
did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren, the heir, heir,
heir of God, and joint heir with Christ. Moreover, whom he did
predestinate, them he also called, called. This is an invincible,
irresistible call of God. Them he called, and whom he called,
them he justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we say then to these
things? What shall we say? Then say to
these things, if God be for us, who can be against us? He that
spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things in Christ?" Now
look back at the text again, Galatians chapter 1. This calling grace, this calling
grace, it's a personal call. It is a personal call. It's not
a general call. It's a personal call. It's God
dealing with His sheep. He says, I know my sheep by name. He is well acquainted with His
sheep, and in due time, He calls them by His grace. Those whom He hath chosen, it's
a personal call. He calls them by name. It's a
powerful call. How powerful is this call of
God with the gospel? in the invincible hands of God
the Holy Spirit. It's such a powerful call that
it brings us from death to life. Illustrated by this, and he,
the Lord Jesus, walked in front of the tomb of that dead man
named Lazarus. He was dead how many days? Four
days? Dead, so dead that he started
smelling. And the Lord Jesus walked in
front of that tomb In the power of His Word says, Lazarus, come
forth. And he that was dead came forth. My friend, that's exactly what
happens when God saves us. You hath He quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sin. It's a personal call. It's a
powerful call. And my friend, it is a conquering
call. It's a subduing call. Just as that day, O Saul of Tarsus,
in his pride and his arrogance, riding along on his horse, when
he met the Savior, he was unhorsed. And he was put in the dust and
made to cry unto God, have mercy upon me, the sinner. It's a conquering
call. It's a subduing call. It's a
call out of darkness unto light. It's a call out of bondage into
liberty. It's a call out of sin unto and
into the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's God's call. It's God's
purpose. Now, I want you to find I Corinthians
chapter 1. I Corinthians chapter 1. And look at this carefully here.
This call of God. I tell you, if God ever calls
you, you'll know it. You'll know it. You won't have to go ask somebody,
is God calling me? You'll know it. You'll know it.
And He'll leak out on you too. He'll leak out on you too. And
you'll tell somebody that God has saved you by His grace. Look
at 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. We'll
begin at verse 23. But we preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews, a stumbling block, unto the Greeks, foolishness,
We preach Christ crucified to those who are perishing as foolishness.
Unto the Jews, those who were going about to establish the
righteousness of their own, well, it was a stumbling block. To
the Greeks, the wise Gentile people, well, it was just nonsense.
But unto them which are called, them which are called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of God, Christ the wisdom of
God, Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, the
weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble are called." Now watch this. Underscore this. Do you have a pencil or a pen
there? Underscore these things right here. Three times he says,
verse 27, there's this phrase again, but God. But God hath
chosen. That's the first time it's used.
God hath chosen. The foolish things of the world
confound the wise. God hath chosen. There's a second
time it's used. God hath chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty and the
base things of the world and things which are despised. Here's
the third time. Hath God chosen. Now who did
the choosing? I tell you, if you've got eyes
to see anything, I mean, I'm not real smart, But I can see
here, just by the bare reading of that, it's God who has made
the choice. Our Lord said, you didn't choose
me, I've chosen you, I've ordained you. God had chosen, ye, and
the things which are not, to bring the things to naught. God
had chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to naught the
things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence,
but of him. Now watch this, but of him are
you in Christ. You see, it's all in Him, but
God. But of Him are you in Christ,
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that would
glory, let him glory only in, in the Lord, in Him. You see
what he's saying here in verse 15? So we see saving grace, separating
grace, calling grace. He called me by His grace. Verse
16, here's revealing grace. Revealing grace. 2. He called
me and saved me and in doing so He revealed Christ in me. To reveal His Son in me that
I might preach Him to others. And immediately He said, I confer
not with flesh and blood. Here's revealing grace. Salvation
is by glorious, glorious revelation of the person of Christ to us
and within us. God who commands the light to
shine out of darkness. He has shined in our hearts to
give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. Now write this down. This is
a statement that you can write down and take it to the bank.
And you can bank on it. It takes God to reveal God. And that's what happens in salvation.
It takes God to reveal God. It's the revelation of God, the
Son, the God-man, in our heart. The Son, to reveal His Son in
me. And it takes God Almighty to
do that. Now, let's look at a couple of
scriptures here. I'll let you go. This revealing grace. Turn to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew
chapter 11. Oh, to see Him, to see Him, to
love Him, to believe Him. It's all about Him. You know,
in that leper, you find Matthew 11 there. I want to read you
something while you're... I brought a message this morning
from Mark chapter 1 about that leper who sought the Lord. You
find Matthew 11 verse 25, and let me just read this to you
here in Mark chapter 1. That leper came to Him, beseeching
Him, kneeling down to Him, saying to Him, that is the Lord Jesus,
if you will, you can make me clean. You see, it's all about
Him, salvation in Christ, the revelation of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ. You have Matthew 11 verse 25,
at that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from
the wise and prudent and have revealed them unto his children,
his babes, his elect. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight when it pleased God. Saying the same thing, is
it not? Now watch this. All things are delivered unto
me of the Father, my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but
the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son,
and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Now stay right
in Matthew. Find Matthew 16. Matthew 16. And look at this. Matthew 16,
verse 13. when Jesus came into the coast
of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do
men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Well, some
say that you are John the Baptist, some Elias, others Jeremiah,
or one of the prophets. But he said unto them, But whom
say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and
said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Now look
at verse 17, And Jesus answered and said, Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto you, Thou art
Peter, and upon this rock, not upon Peter, but upon Christ the
rock, I will build my church, I will establish my church upon
that one foundation, and the gates of hell, even old Saul
of Tarsus, shall not prevail against it." God's purpose cannot
be defeated. He said, I will establish, I
will do it, I will, and His will will be done. Now look back at
the text again. Galatians chapter 1, to reveal
His Son in me, when it pleased God, separated me from my mother's
womb, called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that
I might preach Him, that I might preach Him. Among the heathen immediately
I conferred not with flesh and blood. Oh, that I may preach
Him, that I might preach Christ to sinners." What's involved
in preaching Him? It's telling who He is, who He
is. It's describing who His person
is. God manifests in the flesh. Who is this one Jesus of Nazareth? He is not just a mere man. He is God Almighty. God incarnate. God manifests
in the flesh. And it's who He is that gives
power and glory to what He did. What He accomplished. Oh, that
I may preach Him. Who He is. Secondly, what He
did. What did He do? It says there
in verse 4, who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us. He is called the Deliverer. He made complete atonement for
the sin of God's people. All the sin of the elect were
laid on Him and He put them away. All the sin of God's elect, He
put them away forever as far as the east is from the west
with His own blood. God said their sin, their iniquity
will I remember no more. Gone. Gone. That's what's involved
in preaching Him, who He is, what He did. That's why Paul
said later on, this same man said, I'm determined not to know
anything among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Who
He is, what He did, and why? Why? Why? That God might be just. and justify
the ungodly, that he might be a just God and Savior. That's
the mystery of the gospel. How God can remain holy and just
and righteous, and yet save rotten, guilty sinners, not at the expense
of His holiness. God's not going to compromise
His character in saving sinners. He's going to honor His character
in saving sinners. And that's why Christ died. That
God might be just and the justifier of the ungodly. in Christ Jesus. He saved me in such a way that
honors His mercy, that honors His law, that honors His holiness. That's why the gospel is so glorious. And then he says, I didn't need
to confer, in verse 16, immediately, I didn't need to ask anybody. I didn't confer with flesh and
blood. I did not consult fleshly wisdom, my own or any others.
No need to ask Gamaliel, his former teacher, He knew the truth. He met Him who is the truth.
And God sent Him to preach the gospel. They heard, verse 23,
and they had heard only that He which persecuted us in times
past now preaches the faith He once destroyed, and they glorified
God. And we do. We give thanks unto
God as He said in In chapter 6, verse 14, God forbid we should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And as David
said, Lord, not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name do
we give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Psalm 115. Let's bow together in prayer.