as his message everywhere he
preached. And that is that salvation is
by Christ through faith and not of works. If you look at chapter
3, verse 13, Paul says, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us. or it is written, cursed
is everyone that hangeth on a tree. And Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, verse 14, that the blessings of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. That we might receive
the promises of the Spirit, not by work, through faith. Back in verse 6 and 7 of Galatians
3, he said, Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to
him for righteousness, know ye therefore that they which are
of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. In verse 11 of that same Chapter
3, he said, but that no man is justified by the law in the sight
of God, for it is evident that just shall live by faith. That's
what he preached in Galatia. Now turn back to chapter 2, verse
16, look at this. This is his message to that church. He repeats it in this epistle.
Galatians 2.16, 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, that we might be justified by
the faith of Christ, the faithfulness of Christ, the person and work
of Christ, and not by the works of the law. But by the works of the law there
shall no flesh be justified. Now that was his message everywhere.
Don't turn to these scriptures, but you know them, you're familiar
with them. Romans 3 verse 28 he said, therefore
we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law. Romans 5 verse 1, therefore being
justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. to the church at Ephesus, he
said, for by grace are you saved through faith. And that not of
yourself, faith not of yourself, even repentance and faith is
the gift of God. But after Paul left Galatia,
now he ministered down there, this is his message. But after
his departure, false preachers came in among the people. They
came in bringing two errors. One, they insinuated that Paul
was not really an apostle. At least he was inferior. He
was not with Christ and the twelve when our Lord walked the earth
and before he was crucified. And they contended that the church
shouldn't listen to Paul, that he wasn't really an apostle and
if he were an apostle, he is at least inferior to Peter, James,
and John. Also, these false preachers seduced
many people. Many people followed their error,
drawing people away from the gospel of Christ, the gospel
of salvation by Christ without works. But these false preachers
didn't deny that Christ died for us. Now note this, they didn't
deny that Christ died on the cross for sinners. They didn't
deny that we should believe on Christ. Their contention was
that Christ, though he's necessary, he's not sufficient. That there
are certain things that we must do in addition to believing on
Christ. There's certain things that must
be fulfilled by us in addition to believing on Christ. He's
necessary, but his blood and righteousness is not sufficient. With them, these things were
circumcision, Sabbath days, eating certain meats and drinks, obeying
Moses' law. Let me show you some of these
things. Turn to Galatians 4, first of all. And Paul warns
the people about the error that these men had brought in. And
he says in Galatians 4 verse 9, But now, after you have known
God, or rather are known of God, He knew us before we knew Him.
He loved us before we loved Him. He chose us before we chose Him. You know God, He said, and you're
known of God. How turn ye again to the weak
and beggarly elements, such as circumcision, and Sabbath days,
and meats, and drinks, and ceremonies, and tithing, and all these things
that Moses' law commands. He calls them weak and beggarly
elements. Where unto you desire again to
be in bondage? Do you desire to be in bondage?
Listen, you observe days, and months, and times, and years,
I'm afraid of you. That's what these fellows had
come in and said, now you can believe on Christ, but you've
got to be, you've got to become a Jew, you've got to be circumcised,
you've got to keep the Sabbath day, you've got to plow, you've
got to obey these different days, and dietary laws, Paul says,
I'm afraid of you lest I've bestowed upon you labor and vain. In the book of Colossians he
mentions these things also to the church of Colossians. Turn
to Colossians chapter 2. Now these are the things that
they insisted. And I say to you again, they
didn't deny that Christ died on the cross. They didn't deny
that he shed his blood. They didn't deny that he's the
Son of God. They insisted that the people
believe on Christ, but Christ was not enough. Faith is not
enough. Belief is not enough. You've
got to do these other things in addition to believing on Christ. And these other things are mentioned. Look at Galatians, Colossians
2, 16. Let no man judge you in meat,
leaving off certain meat, or in drink, or in respect of a
holy day, or of the new moon of Sabbath
day, which are a shadow of things to come. These are types of Christ
and pictures of Christ. The body is Christ. Let no man beguile you of your
reward in a voluntary humility, worshipping of angels, intruding
into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by
his fleshly mind, and not holding the head, from which all the
body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered, and knit
together increases with the increase of God. Therefore, if you be
dead, listen, if you be dead with Christ, crucified with Christ,
risen with Christ, dead with Christ from the rudiments of
the world, the elements of the world, these pictures and patterns
and types and Old Testament laws, why, as though living in the
world, are you subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste not, handle
not. abstain from, do, don't do, which
all are to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines
of men. And in today's preachers who
come along and deny that salvation by faith in Christ alone, only
in Christ, That he died, but that's not enough. We have to
do other things and add to what he did. Instead of adding circumcision,
Sabbath day, they add other things. Other ceremonies and ordinances
and requirements of men. And Paul, his design by the Spirit
of God in the book of Galatians, listen to this, is to establish
the truth of the gospel. that we are justified before
God by our Lord Jesus Christ only. Christ in him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily we're complete in him. We're saved by Christ only through
faith alone without any works or deeds or duties or baptism
or contributions of any sort, that redemption is by Christ,
that every one of his people are saved exactly like the thief
on the cross, who contributed absolutely nothing to the redemption
of his soul, would walk that day in the company of his Redeemer
into the glory of God's heaven. Now let me read three passages
of scripture. I want you to turn to these.
First to Romans 4. Romans chapter 4. This is what the worthy God is
saying. That we are justified before
God by Christ alone. His person, His work, His blood,
His righteousness. Through faith alone, without
any works or deeds or duties or baptisms contributions on
our part in any way, either before or after our conversion. Romans 4 verse 1, What shall
we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the
flesh, hath found? Now if Abraham were justified
by works, he hath whereof the glory, but not before God. But what saith the Scripture? about Abraham's justification.
Abraham believed God. Abraham believed God and it was
counted to him for righteousness. Christ said Abraham saw my day
and he rejoiced. Now to him that worketh in any
way is the reward not reckoned of grace but of death. But to
him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith, like Abraham, is counted for righteousness. Even as David
also describeth the blessedness of the man under whom God imputeth
righteousness without works. Say, here's what David said,
blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are
covered. Blessed is the man to whom our
Lord will not impute sin. All right? Let's turn to the
second one, Romans 5. Beginning with verse 8. Romans
5, verse 8. But God committed his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,
much more than being now justified by his blood. We shall be saved
from wrath through him through Him. For if when we were enemies
we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more
of being reconciled will be saved by His life. Through Him, by
His life. Now watch verse 11. And not only
so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom? Through whom? In whom? We have
now received reconciliation, the atonement, by him, through
him, by his life, the atonement. All right, one more, Titus chapter
3. This is the gospel, this is the
message, this is the glad tidings and the good news. Titus 3 verse
7. Titus 3, verse 4. Titus 3, verse 4. But after that,
the kindness and the love of God our Savior towards man appeared,
not by works of righteousness which we've done, any of them,
but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly,
richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified
by his grace. And if it's of grace, it's not
of works. If it's of works, it's not of grace. justified by his grace that we
should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Augustus Toplady wrote this, now listen, is not the labor
of my hands that can fulfill the laws demands? Could my zeal,
no respite, no, could my tears for every flow, all for sin could
never atone. Christ was saved, Christ alone. Nothing in my hands I bring,
nothing, only to Christ I cling. Naked come to thee for dress,
helpless look to thee for rest, foul out to the fountain Wash
me safely or I die. Horatius Bonar wrote this, listen. Not what these hands have done
could save my guilty soul. Not what this toiling flesh has
borne can make my spirit whole. Not what I feel or do can give
me peace with God. Not all my prayers My works,
my tears, can ease my awful load. Thy work alone, O Christ, Thy
work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin. Thy burden
alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within. But Spurgeon said, a human being while on this earth
is never free from the temptation to help God save him. He's never
free from the temptation to base his salvation on Christ plus
something that he does. Our old nature is sinful but
don't forget our old nature is religious. And our own nature
insists, and will keep on insisting, while we're only to have at least
a part, though small, in our redemption. But dear friends,
it's free grace that's safe. It's sovereign grace that's safe. It's sufficient grace that's
safe. And spiritual life is the gift
of God. But this is offensive to the
natural man who doesn't want spiritual charity. But I'll tell
you this, as far as salvation is concerned, I'm on welfare. As far as salvation is concerned,
I'm a charity case. I got nothing. I've got nothing. So let's look at that chapter,
part of it that Jim read a moment ago. And here Paul is exhorting the
Galatians and us to stand fast. Look at chapter 5 verse 1. Stand
fast. Don't waver. Stand fast, therefore,
in the freedom. That word liberty is freedom.
Stand fast, therefore, in the freedom wherewith Christ has
made us free. I'll tell you if the Son makes
you free, you're free indeed. He has made us free indeed. From
what? Let me give you four things.
He has freed us from sin. In Christ there is no sin. That's right. Blessed is the man to whom God
will not charge sin. Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It's God who justifies. We are free from sin. Now not
from the indwelling of sin. Because every one of us claimed
this title, chief of sinners. Not from the temptation of sin. Every one of us are constantly
aware of our sins every day. David said, my sins are ever
before me. Against thee and thee only have
I sinned, done this evil and thy sin. But we're afraid from
the penalty of sin. We're free from the dominion
of sin. Sin shall not reign over you.
In Christ there is no sin. He said He separated our sins
from us as far as the east is from the west. And I remember
them no more. He said I cast them into the
depths of the sea. We're free. We're free from sin. Stand fast
in that freedom wherewith Christ has made us free from the penalty
of sin, from the power and dominion of sin. I'll tell you something
else. He's freed us from the ceremonial law. All of those
Old Testament ceremonies and rituals and requirements that
Moses laid upon the Israelites, Paul called it bondage. And he
says to us here in this verse, don't become entangled again
in that yoke of bondage. Don't start worshipping days,
holy days. Don't start following ceremonies
such as certain washings and baptisms and duties and requirements,
holy days. All these rituals and ceremonies
are fulfilled That's what he said in Hebrews. Our Lord, he
said, I didn't come to destroy the law. I didn't come to destroy
the law of Moses. I came to fulfill it. And he has fulfilled it. These
rituals and ceremonies are not upon us. They're free. You don't have to sit around
when you bring your harvest in and count and recount and recount
to make sure you've got just 10%. You don't have to watch where
you sit, how you wash your hands, what you eat, those things, afraid
you're going to violate one of Moses' requirements. We're free! Aren't you glad? Free from the
law. Happy condition. Jesus is glad. And then, watch this now, thirdly. The preacher, what about the
moral law? Adam was under the moral law
as a covenant. Turn to Genesis 2. This is important
now, Genesis 2. If you never have looked at this
this way before, look at it now. Adam was under the moral law
as a covenant. In Genesis 2, God said to Adam,
verse 16, Now listen, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying,
of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat, thou
shalt not eat. That sounds like a law that thou
shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Thou shalt
not bow down to any grave and images, thou shalt not Do this,
that and the other. Thou shalt do this. And he said
to Adam, he said, Thou shalt not eat of it in the day you
eat. Thou shalt surely die. That's
a covenant. Adam was hungry and he broke
it. He had another God instead of
Christ. He believed the devil. He worshipped
and bowed to the devil. He disobeyed God. He disobeyed
that thou shalt not, thou shalt not eat it. And he died. Now we're not on, that law hasn't
been repealed. It's still true thou shalt have
no other God before me. Not even your loving children. You know you can worship something
besides a golden calf. You can worship a calf of flesh.
You put somebody or something before God and you've got your
an idol. Covetousness, avoid covetousness
which is idolatry. You don't want the thou shalt
as a covenant. I'm telling you, people talk
about the law or the rule of life. Let me tell you something
now. Thou shalt still stands. Thou shalt not still stand. But
not as a covenant, thank God. from that law as a covenant. And I'm telling you this, everybody
in here breaks it every single day. Now come on, we break it every
single day. In word or thought, imagination
or deed, we break the thou shalt. Thou shalt not, God said. If you do, you die. He died and
freed me from that law. Now you understand what I'm saying?
I'm not saying God's people don't lie and steal and commit adultery
and bow down before graven images and worship pictures outwardly. Boy, and here's some things go
on that we're embarrassed and ashamed of. So we break it. But we're not under the covenant. Christ died. in our place instead
and freed us from that law as a covenant. Understand? Then
fourthly, he freed us from the fear of death and judgment. He
said in Romans chapter 8 verse 1, there is therefore now no
judgment to them who are in Christ. The scripture said it's appointed
to me and wants to die after that judgment. But Christ said you're not going
to die. He that believeth on me will
never die. His body will sleep. He called
it sleep. He never did refer to his people's
departure as death. He called it sleep. They sleep. He did refer to it as death to
put it in the language of the apostles because they didn't
understand. He said in your language Lazarus
is dead. But in my language, he's asleep.
So we're not going to die. We're going to sleep. And after
sleep, there's no judgment. After death, there's judgment.
But there is no judgment to them who are in Christ. That's right. We're free. Stand fast. All right. Back to Galatians. If I stand fast in this freedom,
wherewith Christ hath made us free, free from sin, free from
the ceremonial law, free from the moral law as a covenant. We love God's law, but I don't
love it as a covenant. I sure don't. And free from death
and judgment. And verse 1 says, we have this
freedom Well, because Christ hath made us free. We didn't
do it. He did it. We didn't make any
contribution to it. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made you free. He did it all. All. Paid it all. He fulfilled the law. He died
on the cross. The just for the unjust that
he might bring us to God. He arose. He intercedes. He gave
us freedom to come to God by a new and living way, and He
erased our vile bodies. Now, look at verse 2 through
4. Now here's the, here's three
serious consequences of trying to add these things to Christ. Here's three serious consequences
of trying to add any kind of religious duty or deeds to the
personal work of Christ. Verse 2, Behold, I, Paul, say
unto you, if you be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
These false teachers had come to these Gentiles as the Jews
were already circumcised. That was a Jewish rite from Abraham. In fact, if a Jewish man wasn't
circumcised, he couldn't come in the temple. He couldn't come
in the tabernacle. He couldn't eat the Passover. And that's a picture of Christ,
see, who circumcised our hearts. But these false teachers came
in and said, we know Christ died. We know he put away sin. We know
that. But you've got to become a Jew.
You've got to do what Abraham did. You've got to be circumcised. And the fellow said, well, I'll
do it then if that's necessary. He said, if you do, Christ profits
you nothing. You forfeit his obedience, his
righteousness. You forfeit his sacrifice. You
forfeit his mediation. You forfeit his intercession.
You don't have a high priest anymore. Christ profits you nothing. It can't be Christ and circumcision. It can't be Christ and baptism. It can't be Christ and the church. It can't be Christ and my profession. Look at the second thing, verse
3. I testify to every man that is circumcised, or does any religious
work, in returning to the law, that he's a debtor to do the
whole law. Once we begin to question the sufficiency of Christ, He's
all I need. He's all God requires. He's all
the law requires. He's my salvation, wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. But I sit down and think, well,
I must tie. That's what they said in the
Old Testament. I must keep the Sabbath day. I must do this.
When you start doing that, you are indebted to do the whole
lot. Get you an Old Testament and
sit down and get ready to do the whole lot. For to offend
in one point is to be guilty of all. And not to do one thing
to fall short. Oh, that's serious. Here's the
third thing that keeps getting more serious. to try to add anything to what
he is and did and it's not just somebody says I'm saved by the
finished work of Christ. I'm saved by Christ who finished
the work. I'm not making a play on words
but to try to add anything to him or his work or and his work,
listen to verse 4. then Christ is become of no effect
to you who are trying to be justified by your deeds and works. You've
fallen from grace. You've departed from grace. For by grace are you saved through
faith and that not of yourself and you've departed from that
message. If you try to add anything to Christ. God saves us not because we're
gracious but because he's gracious. God blesses us because he's good,
not because we're good. God accepts us because of who
Christ is and what Christ did, not because of who we are or
what we did. That was so the first day I looked
to Christ. It is so after I've looked to
him for 49 years. And it'll be so when he comes
and I see him as he is, and I may like him, look into Christ. Clothed in the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are accepted of the Father as
if we had never seen him. Let me repeat that. One of the hymn writers said,
with his spotless Garments on, I'm as holy as God's son. Now
what are you going to add to that? What can you possibly?
Well maybe I ought to be baptized again. Would that help his righteousness
to be more glorious? To be more perfect? To be more
beautiful? Well perhaps I need to You know,
rededicate my life or something. Will that add to his holiness?
If you're doing that in order to be accepted, you're trying
to add to what he is. Clothed in the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ, I'm accepted of the Father as if
I had never sinned. But actually it's better than
that. Better than if I'd never sinned. That's right. better than that. For had I never
sinned, I could only stand in my own
righteousness, that of a man. But better, much better, far
better, infinitely better, for me to stand in his righteousness, the righteousness of God himself. And that's what God called it
in Romans 3, the righteousness of God, which is by the faithfulness
of Christ. Abraham believed God, it was
counted to him for the righteousness of God. I had rather stand in
Christ's righteousness than to stand before God having never
sinned. Because if I stood before God
having never sinned, I'd be standing in my righteousness, which could
fall any time. But in His, it can never fall. Isn't that right? So, verse 5,
and I'll close it. We who believe through the Spirit
of God wait, not work, not serve, Not endeavor, we wait. What are we waiting for? The
hope of righteousness. How? By faith. Not faith and anything, just
faith. I believe God. We were talking the other day
about when our Lord preached to the 5,000 And he preached what I've been preaching.
I'm the bread of life. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood hath everlasting life. And people said, that's a hard
saying. They all left. Five thousand. And after they
left, he turned to his disciples and said, would you also go away? And Peter said, to whom shall
we go? And that's what I ask tonight.
To whom shall we go? To what shall we turn? To what
duties or deeds or efforts shall we put forth? To whom shall we
go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and assure that you're the Christ, the Son
of God. And when Peter said that on another
occasion, Christ said, You're blessed. Flesh and blood didn't
reveal that to you, but my Father. We wait for the hope of righteousness
by faith. For in Jesus Christ, and this
is the last, for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth
anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love. Faith sees Christ, believes Christ,
receives Christ, comes to Christ, keeps coming to Christ, rests
in Christ. But faith works. But not in order
to be saved, but because we're saved. Faith works, not by law,
by love. By love. Encouraging to you. It is to
me again and again. I'd never get tired of that passage
of scripture. Words of assurance.