All right, let's open our Bibles
again to Galatians 2. The title of this message is The
Supper at Antioch. The Supper at Antioch. All right.
I have to give you a few words of introduction before I begin
the verse-by-verse study. All of you are familiar for the
Old Testament laws and ceremonies, the priesthood, the sacrifices. These are the ceremonies and
sacrifices and laws that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. And these ceremonies and sacrifices
and holy days were to be offered and observed as God ordained
them. until Christ came. They were
types of Christ. They were pictures of Christ.
They were shadows, the scripture said. And after Christ came and
fulfilled them, he taketh away the first. That first covenant
establishes a second. Now besides the priesthood, the
tabernacle, the sacrifices and ceremonies, there were other
laws put upon individuals. These also were types. and symbols
and pictures, which Christ fulfilled. There was circumcision, which
was a token of the covenant. There was the Sabbath days, one
day out of seven, when the person was to do nothing, no work. There
was dietary laws, certain things you could eat, certain things
you couldn't eat, certain things you could drink, certain things
you couldn't drink. There were personal sacrifices,
for example, When a woman gave birth to a child, she offered
sacrifices. When the child was weaned, the
child was brought to the temple. That's why our Lord was at the
temple when he was 12 years of age and so forth. Personal sacrifices,
tithes to be paid. People who teach the tithe nowadays,
they don't teach it like the scripture. You tithe everything,
even your herbs and your plants. It's a strict tent that goes
to the storehouse. Well, these were fulfilled by
our Lord, and after Paul's departure from Galatia, he went down here
to Galatia. Now, this church at Galatia is
made up mainly of Jews. Cheaply, Gil said, probably entirely,
these churches in Galatia. So Paul went down and preached
to them that Christ fulfilled the law. He didn't come to destroy
it, he came to fulfill it. and gave to us a perfect righteousness. And he left after a certain time,
and after Paul left, some false teachers came in. They came in
among the people, and they brought two major errors. That's what
this book is all about, these two major errors. First of all, in order to attack
Paul's doctrine, they had to attack him. In order to destroy
what he preached, they had to first of all put a question mark
on him. So they said this, they said,
Paul is not an apostle. At least, Paul is inferior to
Peter, James, and John, who are ministers of the circumcision.
They said, Paul is not an apostle. That's what I preached on Sunday
when he was defending himself. He said, the gospel I received
was not received of man. I wasn't taught it by man. I
went to Arabia and Christ taught me the gospel. I have seen the
Lord. I have received my gospel from
him. I am an apostle with authority." And they claimed that what Paul
taught about the law then wasn't to be listened to. If he's not
an apostle, they don't listen to him. See, if they can discount
him, they can put away his message. That's the first thing Paul did
in chapter 1, is defend his apostleship. The next thing they did, here's
the second era, they challenged the doctrine of justification
by faith. And this is challenged on every
hand, always has been, justification by faith alone. Through the blood
and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, they challenged
that. We're redeemed by Christ through faith. We're redeemed
by grace through faith. We're redeemed by Christ, plus
nothing, minus nothing. There's nothing before we're
converted or after we're converted that contributes to the salvation
of our souls. Christ Jesus is made unto us.
Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. And all the fullness
of God dwells in him, and we're complete in him. And they challenged
this. And here's what they said. They
said, in addition to believing on Christ. That's all right. You believe on Christ. But in
addition to believing on Christ, you've got to observe the law
of Moses in order to be saved. They said salvation and sanctification
was made possible by Christ. It was purchased for us and made
possible by Christ. But what you have to do to be
saved is become a Jew. and be circumcised, keep the
Sabbath day, observe the dietary laws and the Sabbath days and
the tithing, and therefore you make his work effectual by what
you do." That's very similar to what is being preached in
this day. Now, let me show you a few verses
through the epistle here in which Paul attacks this. Galatians
3, verse 1. Galatians 3. O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth,
crucified among you? This only would I learn of you,
received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or the hearing
of faith. How were you converted? Under the law, or hearing the
gospel? Are you so foolish, having begun
in the Spirit, are you now made perfect in the flesh? If you
begin in the Spirit, are you not perfect till you do certain
things in the flesh? Our perfection is in Christ. Look at Galatians 4, verse 9. But now, after you have known
God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak
and beggarly elements? circumcision, Sabbath days, holy
days, dietary law. How do you turn back to those
beggarly elements? When do you desire again to be
in bondage? You observe days and months and
times and years. This is what they were doing,
having it suggested to them by these false teachers. Many people
were led astray by these men. Look at Galatians 4.21. Tell me, Paul said, Galatians
4, verse 21, you that desire to be under the law, do you not
hear the law? Do you not hear what the law
requires? Perfection. The law never could
save anybody. It didn't do anything for those
to whom it was given. And one other scripture, Galatians
5, verse 3, I testify again to every man that circumcised me. These fellows come along and
say, now Christ He died for our sins, but you've got to be circumcised.
If you do, for that reason, if you keep a day for that reason,
if you pay a tithe for that reason, if you follow dietary laws for
that reason, in order to make Christ's work acceptable, you're
a debtor to do the whole law. Better buy you a copy of the
law and memorize it. Because Christ is become of no
effect unto you. Whosoever you have justified
by the law, you have departed from the gospel of grace." Now
that's how serious it is, that's the subject. And what Paul is
doing in this epistle is four things. Like we talked about
Sunday, number one, to vindicate his office, his authority. That has to be done, that's so
necessary, because the Lord used him to write so much of the New
Testament. If they can put a question mark on Paul's ministry, We're
in trouble, because that's where we learn the gospel, from Paul.
And so he vindicates his ministry and his apostleship. Secondly,
he's going to restate justification by Christ through faith alone. We're not justified by faith,
we're justified by Christ, through faith. Faith didn't die for us,
faith didn't obey the law for us, faith doesn't represent God
as our great high priest, Christ does. We're saved by his person
and work through faith. And he's going to reestablish
that. I think John Flavel gave the best outline on that. He
said, everything God has for a sinner is in Christ, everything. And those things in Christ become
ours by union with Christ, by being in his body. married to
Christ. We receive all that Christ is
and all that Christ did. And that union is accomplished
by faith, not by works, by faith, just by believing. The Philippian
jailer asked Paul and Silas, What must I do to be saved? They
didn't say a word about the Sabbath day or circumcision or dietary
laws. They said, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. That union is accomplished by
faith. And that faith, he said, comes by hearing the Word. We
hear the Word, we believe on Christ, we're united to Christ
through faith, and we're perfect. We're suitable and qualified
and fit for heaven itself. Right now. The moment you believe. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. Paul is restating that thirdly,
he's vindicating his office, he's restating justification
by faith alone, he's trying to recover these people who have
been led astray. That's exactly it, he's trying
to recover those who have been carried away. And then fourthly,
he's exhorting them and us to stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ has made us free. Don't be influenced and led astray
by the errors. And today, I'll tell you, those
same errors of Galatia are rampant today. A friend wrote me who's an elder in a Church of Christ,
and he's seeing grace. And he said they had a meeting
last Sunday, a homecoming. And some of the older preachers
came back, and here are three statements that were made. The
first statement is, in order to be saved, you believe on Christ,
but you've got to be baptized, or you can't be saved. The second
statement was made, the next preacher said, not only believe
on Christ and be baptized, but be baptized in a church of Christ.
You don't just get baptized anywhere. The third statement that was
made was this, if you don't pay your tithe, you're going It's rampant. It's rampant everywhere. And this is what Paul is battling
here. This is going to be a good study.
Watch verse 1, chapter 2. Then 14 years after, I went up
again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me. This
is his second trip to Jerusalem. Look back at verse 18, chapter
1. Remember, after he was converted, after he came to know Christ,
three years after. I went to Jerusalem to see Peter
and James and Abogaele in 15 days. Now we're talking verse
2. Fourteen years later, I went
up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me. This
is his second trip, and we read about it. Let's read verse 2. And I went up by revelation,
and I communicated unto them that That gospel which I preached
among the Gentiles, I talked it over with the elders at Jerusalem,
the Apostles Peter, James, and John, but privately to them which
were of reputation, lest by any means I should run or had run
in vain." Now, here's the meeting. Paul and Barnabas and Titus went
to Jerusalem for a conference with Peter, James, John, and
all the leaders in Jerusalem. Acts 15, turn over that. Acts
15, verses 1 and 2. And here is what sent him to
Jerusalem, chapter 15, verse 1. And certain men came down
from Jerusalem, and taught the brethren, and said, Except ye
be circumcised after the man of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with these people, They determined
that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to
Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. That's the reason Paul, Barnabas,
and Titus went to Jerusalem. Justification by faith. There's
circumcision and nothing else is to be added. No works of any
type on our part makes any contribution to the salvation of our souls.
I know by our works our faith is justified, but by our works
our souls are not justified. Our souls are justified by Christ.
But when we claim to believe on Christ, our works justify
what we claim. So they went up there and talked
to these men. Let's look, if you will, at Acts
15, verse 5. So the issue was settled, Acts
15.5. Let's read this. There rose up
certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying that it
was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the
law of Moses. And the apostles and the elders
came together to consider this matter. And when there had been
much disputing, Peter got up and said to them, I remember
Peter said this, You know how that a good while
ago God made a choice among us that the Gentiles, by my mouth,
should hear the word of the gospel and believe. That was when he
went to Cornelius, do you remember? And God, which knoweth the hearts,
bared them with witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as
he did unto us, put no difference between us and them, the uncircumcised
and the circumcised, purifying their hearts by faith. Now, therefore,
why do you tempt God? to put a yoke upon the neck of
the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able
to bear." Don't try to bring these people back under the law.
We couldn't keep it. We couldn't obey it. Don't put
this yoke on them. Now watch what he said. But we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, they'll
be saved just like us. No, he didn't say that. He said
we'll be saved like them. We Jews are going to be saved
just like the heathen are saved. without any works, or circumcision,
or background of law, or heritage, or ancestry, or any of those
things. That's a great speech. So they summed it up in verse
22. Then pleased it the apostles. This is an august gathering. Then pleased the apostles and
the elders with the whole church of Jerusalem. to send chosen
men of their company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely
Judas, surnamed Barthabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren. And they wrote letters by them
after this manner. The apostles and elders and brethren
send greetings to the brethren which are of the Gentiles in
Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. For as much as we have heard
that certain which went out from our church, right here, from
us, hath troubled you with words, subverting your souls, and saying,
Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law, to whom we gave no such
commandment. It seemed good unto us, being
assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with
our beloved Barnabas and Paul." And that settled the matter.
Now back to my text. Here's an interesting verse,
verse 3. You remember he took, Paul took Barnabas and Titus. Now Titus was a Greek. He was a Greek, a believer, a
child of God, but a Gentile, a Greek. He took Titus with him.
Titus was uncircumcised. And Paul was a minister to the
uncircumcised, to the Gentiles. And he wanted Titus to be right
there and see what they would do with him. And they accepted
him as a brother. They received him with open arms.
They said, if Titus is a believer, he doesn't have to be circumcised.
That's what he says in verse 3. But neither Titus, who was
with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. That finished
it. That settled it. That wiped it away. Circumcision,
keeping the law, is of no consequence in the salvation of a man's soul.
That's it. That's second. And Paul says
in verse 4, now watch this. And that because of false brethren,
unawares brought in, who came in privately to spite our liberty,
which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us back
into bondage under the law. to whom we gave place by subjection,
no, not for an hour." Paul said, I wouldn't give in to these legalists. I wouldn't give in to them not
an hour. I want to write to my friend. I haven't answered his
letter yet, but I'd hate to hurt people. I've got to say to him,
why didn't you stand up and say, brethren, that's wrong. That's
what Paul would have done. That's wrong. A man doesn't have
to pay a tithe to be saved, doesn't have to be baptized to be saved,
doesn't have to be a member of your congregation. He has to
know Christ. Paul said, I wouldn't give in
until not for an hour. Not for an hour. Not for an hour. That the truth
of the gospel might continue with you. That's the reason You
know, we become all things to all men. I'm going to show you
something, a real good example in a minute. We try to keep down
arguments and conflict over the gospel, debate. But when it comes
to the fundamental truth of the gospel, you just can't compromise. You've got to see what is essential
to the personal work of Christ, the blood of Christ, the salvation
of Christ, and he said not even for a minute. You just can't
give place, you can't do it. And verse 6, he said, these men,
of these men who seem to be somewhat, I think Paul is referring to
that great conference, I said August meeting. Do you know who
was there? Peter, James, and John. Silas,
James the Great, James the Less. great leaders of the early church,
men who had been with the Lord, men of honor, reputation, authority,
men who had sacrificed for Christ's sake, men who would die as martyrs,
nearly every one of them. But Paul says, whatever they
were, whatever they are, it makes no matter to me, God accepts
no man's person. A man's honor, position and authority doesn't alter God's truth, no
matter who it is. God accepts no man's person.
And we're not to accept a man's teaching when it conflicts with
the Word of God, no matter who he is, no matter what he's done,
how great he's been. Over here in Galatians 1, verse
8, listen to what he says, "...though we an angel from heaven preach
any other gospel, let it be a curse." An angel from heaven is a pretty
important messenger. But Paul said, when it comes
to the gospel, I know no man after the flesh. When it comes
to the gospel, I know no man after the flesh. But you know something? Turn
back to Acts 16. Now, you remember you were in
Acts 15, weren't you? Well, Acts 16 is after Acts 15. That's elementary. But what happened
in Acts 16 happened after Acts 15. Paul took Titus, an uncircumcised
Greek, up to Jerusalem in the midst of this august company.
And he said, this man is a believer in Christ. Let's settle this
circumcision business. He's not circumcised and he's
not going to be, because it's not necessary for salvation.
Now, what are you going to do about it? They all received him and hugged
him and loved him and sent him out to preach. Acts 16. Then came Paul to Derbe and Lystra. Acts 16.1. Behold, a certain
disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain woman who
was a Jewish. He believed, but his father was
a Greek. You know about Timothy, don't you? His mama and grandmother,
Lois and Eunice, great, great, great women. Paul mentions them
in the book of 2 Timothy. your grandmother and your mother.
This young man was from great stock, Jewish women. Daddy was
a Greek. And John Gill discusses the fact
he was a great Greek. He was known everywhere. These
people knew he was a Greek. They knew his daddy and they
knew this young man. But verse 2, he was well reported out of
the brethren. He was a saved man, a great young
man. the brethren at least to an Iconian,
him would Paul have to go with him. Paul wants to take him along
with him. Paul wants to take him to preach
Timothy. So verse 3, him would Paul have
to go forth with him, took him and circumcised him, because of the Jews in those
quarters. For they all knew, they knew
every one of them, his father was a Greek. Now why did Paul
do that? He wouldn't circumcise Titus.
He wouldn't allow it. And the reason was, is because
the issue was, is it necessary to salvation? He wouldn't have
him circumcised. Because they claimed this is
necessary, and he said it's not going to be circumcised. Because
it's not necessary in order to save his soul. And that was settled.
But Paul was taking Timothy with him. to preach in the synagogues. Everywhere Paul went, the first
place he went when he went to a new place was the synagogue,
the temple, the synagogue of the Jews. That's the first place
he went to preach. He was going to take this young man with him,
well-known young man, parents, father, well-known man, Greek.
He would have never been allowed in that synagogue. Timothy would
have never been allowed in that synagogue. Timothy could not
speak or teach in a synagogue uncircumcised. The Jews would
not tolerate it, they wouldn't hear him being uncircumcised,
they knew him, they knew his father, and they would not listen
to him. So Paul, knowing that, said,
we're going to have you circumcised. Not necessary salvation, but
necessary if you're going to get these Jews to listen to you.
That's wisdom now. That's not compromise, that's
wisdom. That's wisdom. And so he had the young man circumcised. And they heard him. Timothy became
perhaps one of the greatest preachers of that day. All right, let's
look at verse 7. But contrarywise, when they saw
that the gospel of the uncircumcision of the Gentiles was committed
to Paul, as the gospel to the Jews was committed to Peter,
for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship to
the circumcision, the same was mighty in me. God told Ananias,
Paul is a chosen vessel to bear my name to kings and to Gentiles. And the same God who used Peter
to go to the Jews, he used Paul to go to the Gentiles. In verse
9, when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars
and perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave to
me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should
go to the Gentiles, go to the heathen, and they would go to
the circumcision. But only that we would remember
the poor. They said, don't preach the law. We're not going to preach the
law. The law won't save. The law wasn't given to save.
There's not even a picture. But just take care, poor people,
don't forget to do that. And the same I was forward to
do. All right, now then, let's see
what happens here. God gives this church at Antioch
an opportunity to put in practice what these apostles in Jerusalem
told them to do. The apostles and all the great
leaders in Jerusalem says circumcision, being a Jew, that makes no difference. In Christ there's neither Jew
or Gentile, in Christ there's neither male or female, in Christ
there's neither bond or free, in Christ we're one. Saved by
grace, redeemed by Christ, without the law, without the works, without
circumcision, any of these things. And now they're going to have
an opportunity to put it in practice. Paul's going to be tested. I
went over to Ireland to preach for Dr. Herbert Carson. Do you
remember Herbert Carson that came here years ago? Herbert
Carson, before I ever met him, was the assistant vicar in Cambridge,
the official church of England, Cambridge, the main church. He was the assistant vicar. Well,
of course, they sprinkle, all infants, every infant is sprinkled. It brings them into the covenant,
brings them into fellowship with God, makes them savable. That's
what they say. Well, the Lord revealed the gospel
to Herbert Carson, and he believed the gospel, and he resigned as
assistant vicar at Cambridge and was baptized and went among
the Baptists. And when that took place, it
made television everywhere, all over the world. Baptist assistant
and vicar left the Church of England, left the Episcopal Church,
left all of his heritage and background, and joined the Baptist. He said he and his wife already
had, were there two children at that time? I forget, one or
two. But he said, I hadn't been out of the Church of England,
and out from under that infant regeneration and infant baptism,
a year till God gave us a baby. Let's see where you stand now,
big boy. That's exactly what the Lord is saying. You just
don't let a baby go without sprinkling in the Church of England, or
the Catholic Church. You just don't do it. You're
a pagan and a heathen. He said he tried me, and I told
my wife, this baby will not be sprinkled. The little fellow
has grown up as a heathen. But anyway, that's what's happened
here. Listen to verse 11. Now, he was the one who made
that speech a while ago. Do you remember in Acts 15? Peter
was come to Antioch. I withstood him to the face,
because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came
from James, he did eat with the Gentiles. But when they were
come, James was the pastor at Jerusalem. He did eat with the
Gentiles. But when these fellows came,
he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them that were of the
circumcision. They were having a dinner, and
Peter was sitting at the table with a whole group of Gentiles,
heathen, then saved by the Gentiles. These men came from Jerusalem,
these high leaders of the Jerusalem church. When they came in, Peter
got up and moved away from these Gentiles and sat with the Jews.
And when people saw him doing that, they started getting up
and moving away from these Gentiles. Think about this now. These men
are uncircumcised. Peter is eating with the uncircumcised.
And he says here, verse 13, And other Jews descended likewise
with him, insomuch that Barnabas You think of this, Barnabas was
carried away with their dissimilation. Can you imagine this? After all
that, back there in Jerusalem, after all this matter was settled,
signed, sealed, delivered, not going to force this yoke of bondage
on the Gentiles. Peter is acting like this. Well,
one writer said, four things you learn from this. We better
learn, number one, how deeply ingrained men can get in tradition,
in circumcision, denominationalism, Jewish pride, Baptist pride,
Catholic pride, all kinds of pride. We get so steep in our
tradition that it will come back if you don't constantly press
it down, constantly look to Christ, constantly reconfirm It's salvation
by grace, grace alone, because it's strong. These things you
grow up on are strong. Secondly, even the best of men
are still men. Peter is an apostle, but he's
a man. Peter is one of the greatest
leaders and preachers that God ever raised up. He's still a
man and still subject to error, error of spirit. an era of judgment. Garth and I were walking along
the park as they were talking about this, and I said, you remember
Paul and Barnabas? They were the closest of friends,
closest of friends. And God sent them out in the
mission field together, Paul and Barnabas. And they took John
Mark with them. That was Barnabas' nephew, his
sister's son. And they got out there on the
field, and John Mark kind of acted up. He didn't want to be
a servant. on the level of these apostles. He didn't want to wait
on tables and serve anybody, so he left and went back home. Paul and Barnabas finished their
trip and came back, and they were going to make another trip,
and Paul said, John Mark is not going this time. Barnabas said,
Yes, he is, he's my nephew. Paul said, No, he's not. Barnabas
said, He don't go, I don't go. Paul said, You stay home then.
He took Silas and went to them. They partied asunder. So great men can make great mistakes. They later came back together,
and Paul wrote to Barnabas and said, Come see me and bring John
Mark with you, he's important to me. So just so we get these
straightened out, great men can make great mistakes. The third thing we learn is how
Satan hates the gospel of pure grace. And if he can stir it,
he'll use anybody, he'll use the choice men. He'll use choice
men to disturb the Church. Peter wasn't a sideline. He chose Peter. He did that once
before, you remember? And then fourthly, how we must
stand firmly on the matter of the personal work of our Lord,
even if it means rebuking a choice friend. This hurt Paul. Paul said, I
had to withstand Peter to the faith. The Apostle Peter was hanging
around before Paul was ever heard of. But he said down here, verse
14, When I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the
truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of everybody there,
If you, being a Jew, brought up obligated to observe the Levitical
law of circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, holy days, tithing, meats and
drinks. If you no longer feel in bondage
to these laws, you live after the manner of the Gentiles. If
you, Peter, being a Jew, you've left the bondage, you've left
the circumcision, you've left the law, you're living like a
Gentile. That's what you're doing. Because you know in your heart
Christ fulfilled all these things. You know that in your heart,
Peter. Then why are you compelling these Gentiles to live like a
Jew? Why are you doing that? He said, Peter, you were born
and raised a Jew. You were brought up under the
law of circumcision and tithing and Sabbath keeping and priesthood
and all these things. And you know it can't save. You
know Christ saves. You know that in your heart.
And so you've left it. And you're living like a Gentile.
And then you come down here and want to put these Gentiles under
that same law. That's what he was doing. Verse 15, We who are Jews by
nature, and not heathen of the Gentiles, if the Jew was born
under the law and did not keep it, but relinquished it for Christ,
it is unreasonable to demand that the Gentile heathen keep
the law who was never under it. We who are Jews by nature, that's
what we are supposed to do, keep the law. But we couldn't keep
it. Now, the Gentiles were never
under it. And you want to put them under it? When we know,
listen to this, we know that a man is not justified by the
works of the law. We know that. How do we know
that a man is not justified by the law? Four things. We know
it from the law. The law requires perfection.
You can't keep it. Therefore, you can't be justified
by it. Is that right? Secondly, we know it from the
gospel. The gospels pray grace, grace alone, not words. Thirdly, we know it from our
own experience. Paul said, when I would do good, evil is present
with me. I find the law warring against
the law of my mind, bringing me into captivity to the law
of sin and death. We know it fourthly from the
peace and rest that we have by looking to Christ. When you turn
and look in here, you don't have any peace. As long as you can
look to him, you have peace. Isn't that right? Once you start
measuring your salvation by what you have done, peace goes right
out the window. I look to Christ and the bird
of peace. flew into my heart. I looked
into my heart and the bird flew away. Knowing a man is not justified
by the works of the law. We know it from the law, which
is perfect. We know it from the gospel, which
is perfect. We know it from our own experience,
which is sin. We know it from the peace we
have when we are enabled to look to Christ. When I look to Christ,
I feel perfect peace. When I'm reading the word, the
promises of God, peace just floods my soul. So when I start reading
somebody's journal about how much he prayed and how much he
gave and how much he worked and how far he walked and what all
he did, I get, well, I'm not doing all those things. I start
looking at what I'm doing. 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, that we might 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." Now,
if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also
are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? What's
he saying there? He's saying, if I seek to be
justified by Christ alone, and can't rest in him, and can't
trust in him, but I seek to add my works and my obedience, I'll
be found wanting, and Christ becomes a minister of the law.
He's not a minister of the law and death, he's a minister of
the gospel. He's not a minister of bad news, he's a minister
of good news. And if I turn to the law, I turn
away from Christ because he's not the minister of the law,
the minister of grace. And if I build again the things
that I destroyed, I make myself an unjustified transgressor,
an unjustified sinner. If I restore the ceremonies and
the sacrifices and the circumcision, I myself am an unjustified sinner. But I through the law am dead
to the law, that I might live unto Christ, by my marriage to
Christ and my oneness in him. I'm dead to the law. A woman
is in subjection to her husband as long as he lives. But when
he dies, she's free to marry another. And when the old law
died in Christ, I was free to marry him. That's what it is. So here's my life now. I'm crucified
with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, and yet
not I. Yet not I. Christ liveth in me.
And the life which I now live in this flesh, I live by the
faith of the Son of God, not my works, not even my faith. It's his faith and his work and
him who loved me and gave himself for me. That's my foundation. That's my confidence. That's
my hope. That's my salvation. And listen, here's a serious
charge. Now, I don't frustrate, confuse, distort the grace of
God. I'll tell you this. If any kind
of righteousness comes by the law, Christ died in vain. His death is not worth a hill
of beans. His salvation in any shape, form,
or fashion depends on us. A powerful chapter. I pray the
Lord will make it to be a blessing to all of us.