Galatians 1, Paul an apostle, those are special
words, Paul an apostle, a special messenger from God. Paul was
one of the true twelve. I know that Judas betrayed the Lord. and lost his
office, and the disciples tried to select someone to take his
place, but they erred, and they erred greatly. Paul said, I'm
an apostle. I'm one of the true twelve. You
see, our Lord sent in the church prophets, apostles, missionaries,
evangelists, pastors, and teachers. There are no prophets or apostles
today. God spoke directly to the prophets. He spoke to the people by the
prophets. He spoke to the prophets, and
they spoke to the people. Also, God spoke directly to the
apostles, the twelve, the eleven, and Paul joined them as one born
out of due time. See, Christ appeared to these
men. Paul says, I am an apostle not of men, but of God. Not by men, but of God. Not from men, but of God. I'm an apostle not of men, neither
by men, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised
him from the dead. Christ appeared to these men
and taught them in person. And that's what we'll talk about
tonight when Paul said, when I was when God was pleased to
reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles
immediately. I didn't go to those who were
apostles before me. I didn't go and compare notes
with them. I went into Arabia, into the desert. And there Christ
taught him the gospel, just like he taught the other eleven. Christ
gave them the gospel directly from his mouth. That's the reason that no man
can make the claim today he's an apostle, because no man had
seen the Lord, whom having not seen we love, who though now
we see him not, yet he's precious to us. But these apostles saw
him. He appeared to them. They were
taught by him out of his own mouth, and he confirmed their
ministry by giving them special gifts. to preach the gospel in
other languages which they had never learned, to heal the sick
by the laying on of their hands, to destroy the Holy Spirit by
the laying on of their hands, to raise even the dead, to be
bitten by poisonous snakes and not die. That was the gift confirmation
he gave these men. Let me show you that in Hebrews
chapter 2. Men can't make those claims today because they're
not apostles. They can't make the sun stand
still, Joshua did. They can't divide a sea, Moses
did. They can't raise the dead, Paul
did. They can't by laying on their
hands heal the sick, the disciples did. Peter and John said silver
and gold have I none. Take up your bed and walk. I
can't do that. But God gave these men those
credentials as confirmation of their ministry. They didn't have
the New Testament, they wrote it. I didn't write it, but I had
it. And that's all I need in my ministry. Hebrews 2, verse
3. How shall we escape if we neglect
so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken
by our Lord, and was confirmed, the message of Christ was confirmed
unto us by them that heard him." That was the twelve. God also
bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders and diverse
miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will. These men were apostles. Now remember that, Paul an apostle. Not of men, not by men, but by
Jesus Christ. Personal choosing. Have not I
chosen you twelve, he said, but one of you is a devil, but I
have another one. Take his place. Apostles. Apostles. All right, verse 2. In his greeting, Paul says, And
all the brethren which are with Paul was in Rome, and his greeting here includes
those who were with him. And he writes not to one person,
but he writes unto the churches of Galatia. Paul, an apostle,
to the churches. Now, the word body, the body
of Christ, is always in the Scripture singularly. It's a single, singular
word. Body. Body of Christ. Never bodies. One body. There's one Lord, one
faith, one body. The body of Christ. The church
is the body of Christ. But the word church, while it's
used in a single fashion, the church. The church which he purchased
with his own blood. Yet the word church is used as
churches. There's one true church. The
Lord knows them that are his, one through church, one body.
But men may be in churches who are not in the church. But anybody
who's in the body of Christ is redeemed. There's one body, one
body. But there are many churches,
and we call them autonomous. Autonomous churches, meaning
they function independently of the others. Oh, they have fellowship,
they have the same Father, the same Lord, but they function
self-governing. They govern self-governing churches,
autonomous. They all have one purpose and
one object, one Father, one Redeemer, one message, one Bible, but they
are churches. So Paul the Apostle, and those
who are with me, he said here in Rome, greet the churches,
the churches. of our Lord Jesus Christ in Galatia. And here he wishes for them something
special. Oh, if I could just, we sang
that hymn, Barbaless Grace, of our loving Lord. If I could just
make this as special as it really is. Grace be to you. Grace be to you. The gracious
favor of God, the special favor of God, the special goodwill
of God. I'm talking about his special
grace, like Mary found favor with God. That's what Paul's
praying for these people in Galatia, the special goodwill and favor
of God. Thou hast found favor with God. And he said the same thing of
Noah. Noah and his generation, most of whom did not find favor
nor grace, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. I wish
for you, Paul said, that special goodwill, favor and grace of
God, and peace. Peace with God. All men are not
at peace with God. Somebody said he made peace with
God. No, you didn't. The peace with God that is special
and to be desired above all things was made by Christ through the
blood of the cross. He made peace with God. That's
what Paul is praying for these folks. Grace, goodwill, favor,
and peace with God. Peace of conscience. My sins
are blotted out, I know. It's well with my soul. My sins,
oh, the bliss of that glorious thought. My sins, not in part,
but the whole, nailed to the cross. I bear them no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord,
oh, my soul. Peace. Peace with God. Peace of conscience. And peace
before the law. which has been honored fully
by Christ, peace before justice. There is no condemnation to them
who are in Christ. Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? Who is he that condemns? Peace! Peace. So brethren, grace be
to you and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus
Christ. From God the Father who is the
only fountain of grace, who is the only source of peace, but
through our Lord Jesus Christ and from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is how that peace and that grace is ours, from God through
Christ. Watch this next verse. Who gave
himself, who gave himself for our sins. Now, the Father gave
And the Roman soldiers put him to death. And Pilate and the
Jews consented to his death. But he gave himself. He said,
no man takes my life from me. I lay it down. He gave himself.
And he gave himself for our sins. As a substitute. He who knew
no sin was made sin for us. That we might be made. By God,
the righteousness of God in him. For our sins. He gave himself
for our sins. For the remission of them. For
the forgiveness of them. For the putting away of them.
For the expiation of them. What does the word expiation
mean? It means the penalty is paid and the debt is cancelled. Expiation. Propitiation. He gave himself, his body, his
soul, his life, his obedience. He gave himself for our sins. For their remission. For their
expiation. The penalty is paid. The sin
exists no more. And for the satisfaction. that
God may be just and justify us. He gave himself for our sins. Watch this now. Let me tell you
something. You listen now right here. He
gave himself for our sins, the remission of them, the expiation
of them, the satisfaction of them, but that he might deliver
us. The word save means deliver. That's what the words say, I'll
deliver the captive. I'll set the captive free. I'll
deliver them. And he gave himself for our sins
that he might effectually, eternally deliver us from this present
evil world. Now brethren, our Lord refers
here through Paul to this present world. as we know things, this
present world. But there's a new world coming.
There'll be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. It's called the kingdom of God's
dear Son. There's a new world. This world,
this earth, even that heaven, shall fade away, shall melt with
the fervent heat. But there'll be a new heaven
and new earth. Now for us to have an interest and a part in
that new world. Not this present evil world.
We were born into it. We are part of it by birth, by
nature, by practice. This is our earth. This is our
world. But he's going to deliver us
from this. And this present evil world, there are three things
of great importance. Number one, Satan is the god
of this world. God calls him in several places,
the God of this world, the Prince of this world. We've got to be
delivered from him. We've got to be recovered from
the snare of Satan. Only Christ can do that, and
that by meeting Satan. Satan has come, found nothing
in me. The Prince of this world is judged and cast out. His power
over us has got to be broken. We've got to be delivered. from
Satan. Secondly, sin. Sin and evil is
the nature of this world. That's our nature by birth. We've
got to be delivered to holiness and delivered from sin. And thirdly,
death. Death is the end of this world,
the judgment of this world. Death exists in this world. This evil world is made up of
Satan, the god of it, sin, the nature of it, and death, the
end of it. And all of those things clutch
and capture every son of Adam. But Christ gave himself for us,
his people, his elect, his church, his body. He gave himself for
us, up to the testings of Satan, and the trial of Satan, and he
defeated him. Defeated him, drove him out.
To the punishment, he became sin who knew no sin. He died
the just for the unjust, he bore our sins, and he died. And he that believeth on me will
never die. So he's delivered us, saved us,
by himself, not by himself with our help, not by himself with
our approbation and approval, not by himself plus our decision,
by himself. He delivered us, set us free,
the captives, from Satan, sin, and death. by the sacrifice of
himself. Is that clear? That's what he
did. That's what he did. And he that
hath begun that good work, he's going to finish it in the day
of our Lord Jesus Christ. He never set out to deliver anyone
he didn't deliver, or to save anyone he didn't finally or to
choose anyone, he didn't glorify. Now, comma, grace, special favor,
peace be to you, from God, the source of grace, the fountain
of grace, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself that
he might deliver us from this present evil world. according
to the will of God and our Father. Now, folks talk about their free
wills. It won't deliver you from Satan
and sin and death. They talk about what they will
do and what they won't do. And the preachers come to them
and say, God's done all he can do, now it's up to you to do
something. But you are not delivered according to your will. But this grace and peace from
God our Father through Christ, who delivered us by himself from
Satan's sin, he did it according to the will of God our Father. Not your will, but his will.
Turn to John 12. John 1, verse 12. verse 12, according to the will
of God. He said, I come to do thy will,
O God. A body hast thou prepared for me.
I come to do thy will, O God, by the which will we are sanctified,
by the which will we are redeemed. John 1 verse 12, As many as received
him, to them gave he the power to become sons of Even to them
that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, natural
genealogy, family inheritance, not of the will of the flesh,
not of the will of man, but according to the will of God. According to the will of God.
Turn to Ephesians 1. Ephesians chapter 1. You see,
Paul said in Romans, it's not of him that will it. of him that
wanted this of God, that showeth mercy. Ephesians 1, verse 5,
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Verse 9, having made known unto
us the mystery of his will. according to his good pleasure,
which he purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the
fulness of time he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, even in him,
in whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according
to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will that we should be to the praise of his glory
who first trusted in Christ. That's beautiful, isn't it? That's
true. That's the words of the Apostle.
And the words of the Apostle are the words of God. God spake
to our fathers by the prophets. God spake to us by his Son. and
his apostles who wrote the Word and who could say, this is the
Word of God. You see, the Word of God came
not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God moved
and spake as they were taught by God. These things write. These things are true. Verse
5, both now and forever, forever
and ever. Now, Christ gave himself for
our sins that he might deliver us from this present world according
to the will of God our Father, to whom be the glory, to the
Father. Now, there are many reasons why
salvation is totally and completely of the will of God. There are
many reasons. I could give many. It's according
to his will, salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. But
there are two main reasons why salvation must be of God. The number one reason is this,
it's the only way men can be saved. The disciples asked the
Lord one day, who can be saved? He said, with men it's impossible.
So just mark it out, with men it's impossible. But with God it's possible, all
things are possible. So salvation has to be of God
because he's the only one who can save. With men it's impossible. No matter how many of you get
together and say, this is the way we want it to be. It won't
be. This is the way we think it ought to be. It won't be.
It's impossible. The second reason is this. To
be accepted of God, it has to glorify God. That's right. That no flesh should
glow in his presence. You see, you're calling brethren
that no flesh should glory in his presence. As it is written,
he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. So those are the
two primary reasons why salvation is totally, completely of God
and of him only. It's the only one. And it gives
glory to God. And that's the chief end of every
human being, is to glorify God. And why are we here? That's why
everything has been created to glorify God. He said, God hath
made all things, and for his glory they were and are made. And if you can't glorify his
grace, you'll glorify his justice. And that's just true. That's
an awful thing to say, but it's the truth. It's not a great expectation
for a lot of people in this world to glorify God's justice, but
that's the way it is. Everything is going to glorify
God. And that's what I've often said
to people who hear other preachers preach. I say, try the spirits,
whether they be of God. How do I know if they be of God?
Does their message glorify God? That's how you know. Does it
give him all the glory and all the praise and all the honor
and all the credit? If it's of God, it'll glorify
God. Now verse 6, Paul enters here,
the primary subject matter of this epistle. He comes starting at verse 6.
Paul reproves and rebukes any preacher or person who departs
from this gospel of God, who departs from this according to
the will of God, this he gave himself. to deliver us. Anyone who departs from that
gospel of Christ alone, Paul writes to rebuke and reprove
any person who attempts to add anything to that gospel, to add
works or law or anything to the work of Christ. He writes to
rebuke any person who adds works to grace, law to Christ, human
righteousness to his righteousness. It's a rebuke. And this is what
he says. I marvel. I'm amazed. I'm amazed that you're
so soon. And this is soon. This is...
I don't know what year the book of Galatians was written. I'd
say in 60, 55, 60 A.D. 30 years after Christ died. Just a few years after Paul had
preached down there. He said, I'm amazed that so soon
you're removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel. What's happening? False preachers
had come in and said, yes, Christ died, but that's not all it takes
to save. You've got to be circumcised. You've got to keep the Sabbath.
You've got to pay the tithe. You've got to do the works of
the law. You've got to become a Jew. You've got to go back
to the ceremonies and traditions of the Father, these things,
the dietary plans and the Sabbath and the Holy Days and the first
fruits and the feast. And Paul said that's removing
from the gospel. That's another gospel, which
he says in verse 7, is not another, but there'll be some that trouble
you, it's a perversion of the gospel. I believe his words go something
like this, I marvel, I'm amazed that anyone would turn from Christ
back to the law, back to Moses. I marvel, I'm amazed that anyone
would forsake the priesthood of our great high priest and
adopt the priesthood of Abram. And I'm a man, that amazes me.
I'm amazed anyone would want to substitute our rags of righteousness
for his robe of holiness. I marvel that anyone would turn
from the blood of cleansing to the bloodless ceremonies. I'm
amazed. My friends, Christ is all and
in all in the redemption of his people. Let's read several verses
on this subject. Turn with me to the book of Acts,
chapter 13. Acts 13, verse 38. This is a summary of the apostle's
message. Be it known unto you therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sin. And by this man all who believe
are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified
by the law of Moses. It's Christ and not the law.
Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9. I marvel, it is amazing that
anyone would turn from Christ to the law, from grace to works. In 2 Timothy 1.9, listen, he
has saved us. He called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior
Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality
to life through the gospel." Titus, just over two pages. Titus 3, verse 4. Listen. But
after the kindness, after that the kindness, the kindness, the
love of God our Savior, toward me and appeared. Read it. by works of righteousness
which we have done. But according to his mercy he
saved us by the washing of regeneration, the renewing of the Holy Ghost,
which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord. That being justified by my works,
by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of
eternal life. That's so clear. I marvel, I
marvel, Paul said, that any man would add to the works of Christ
anything that men do. Well, how serious is this? Well,
verse 8 and 9, how serious it is. The apostle, and this is
an apostle speaking, an apostle speaking for God. And he says,
though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you. And that which was preached,
which we have preached, let him be accursed. Or even an angel,
no matter the credentials, no matter the pleasing personality,
no matter the position of the person. He preaches any other
gospel than the gospel of God, the gospel of Christ, his blood,
his righteousness, his person and work, gospel of his grace,
free grace, gospel of his sovereign free mercy. Let him be accursed. I say, let everything be established
by two witnesses. He said, I'm going to say it
again. I'm going to say it again, if any man preach any other gospel
unto you than you have received, let him be accursed. That's how
serious it is. That's the reason the man who
approaches this place and opens that book, boy, what a burden, and faces
people. What a responsibility. We can all give thanks here this
morning that we heard the gospel, we know the gospel. This is the
gospel. I'll tell you why it's the gospel. Let me give you five
reasons. Number one, it's according to the scriptures. Number two, it gives God all
the glory. You're not going to weasel in
and get any credit. It gives God all the glory. Thirdly,
it honors the law of God. and satisfies the justice of
God and enables God to be God. Now, he's going to be God whether
I'm saved or damned, but he's going to be God now, and that's
not going to be changed. Number four, it meets any real
sinner's need. It's all any sinner wants to
hear, what God does for the sinner. That's all a real sinner wants
to hear. A play-like sinner wants to hear about himself, but a
real sinner wants to hear about mercy. If a man's in prison on
death row waiting execution, he doesn't want to hear you tell
him what you'll do if he can get out. He wants you to tell
him how to get out. He wants you to bring word from
the governor that he's pardoned. The governor. Bring word from
the governor. Fifthly, it'll keep you safe. I didn't do anything to get this
gift and I'm not doing anything to keep it. I'm kept by the power
of God. The same power that saved me
is the power that will raise me. The same power that chose
me is the power that will glorify me. The same power that washed
my sins will keep them clean. Now in closing, Paul says, do
I persuade men or God? What's the word persuade mean?
It means convince. It means to teach. That's right. Paul said, knowing
the terror of God, I persuade men. I'm not trying to persuade
God. I've got nothing to offer God. You don't either. I've got
no bargaining rights with God. You don't either. I have no message
to God. I've got one from God. So I'm
not trying to persuade God. I'm trying to persuade men. Be ye reconciled to God. Knowing
the terror of God, I'm persuading men. Don't follow these covetous
preachers that are building a name for themselves and a kingdom
for themselves and memoirs of themselves. Look to Him. I persuade
men. Be ye reconciled to God. Do I
seek to please men? What do we care what men think?
Their thoughts are not his thoughts. But this is the way we do it.
What do we care about the way you do it? Your ways are not
God's ways. Yeah, but don't pay attention
to what people think. Not me. What we think got us
in the mess we're in. Our thoughts are not his thoughts.
As the heaven is high above the earth, so high are his thoughts
above our thoughts, I want to know his thoughts and his ways. He may know his ways to Moses,
his acts to the children of Israel. I'll tell you this about this
gospel. If it pleases God, it will please the man seeking God. Do I please men? Some I do. I pleased you. I know by the
expression on your face. You know why it pleases you?
Because it pleases Him. And what pleases my Heavenly
Father, pleases me. That's right. It's called good
news. God's good news. Blessed are they that preach
the good news. How beautiful are the feet of
them. had bad good tidings from a far
country. Good news! He gave himself for
our sins that he might deliver us from this pleasant evil world
according to the will of God and his Father.