Verse 1, I think, reads the entire
chapter, there are only 18 verses. Galatians 6, 1 through 18. Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fall, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit
of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens,
the word here is infirmities, as best I can find out, bear
ye one another's infirmities, or put up with one another's
failures and shortcomings, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to
be something, When he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let
every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing
in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall
bear his own burden, or give an account of his own work. That's responsibility. Let him
that is taught in the words communicate unto him that teacheth, in all
good things. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh
shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be
weary in well-doing, For in due season we shall reap if we think
not. As ye have therefore opportunity,
let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are
of the household of faith. You see how large a letter I've
written unto you with mine own hand. As many as desire to make
a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised,
only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of
Christ. For neither they themselves who
are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised
that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creation. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel
of God. From henceforth let no man trouble
me, for I bear in my body the mark of the Lord Jesus. Brethren,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Let us join. The cross upon which
Jesus died is a shelter in which we can hide. And its grace, so free, is sufficient
for me. And deep is its fountain, and
wide as the sea. There's room at the cross for
you. There's room at the cross for
you. Though millions have come, there's
still room Yet there's room at the cross
for you. The hand of my Savior is strong. and the love of my Savior is
long. Through sunshine or rain, through
loss or in gain, the blood flows from Calvary to cleanse every
stain. There's room at the cross for
you. There's room at the cross for
you. Though millions have come, there's
still room for one. Yes, there's room at the cross
for you. Let me read the text again, Galatians
the 6th chapter, and our text is verse 14, Galatians 6, 14. But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." A little theology
tonight in our introduction, you'll bear with me. In the first
place, man is the only creature on this earth whom God has created
with faculties capable of knowing and worshipping God as he is. Man before the fall was created
in the image of God with an innate knowledge of God. He knew the
Lord, he walked with the Lord, he worshipped the Lord, He had
perfect communion with his God. He was the only creature who
did. But now something happened to
man in the Garden of Eden. And I want you to turn over in
the book of Ephesians to chapter 4, verse 18. Man fell. And by his fall in the sin, he
was alienated from that God. Now this is most important. It
is important that we know what happened to man, the condition
into which he was plunged by the fall, the condition in which
he is today, most important right here. By his fall in the sin,
man was alienated from God. He became spiritually a dead
sinner. In Ephesians 4, 18, the scripture
says, having the understanding darkened. Now he retained understanding,
but the understanding was darkened. He didn't lose his understanding,
but his understanding became darkened. Being alienated from
the life of God, he retained physical life. But he was alienated
from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them
because of the blindness of their hearts. Their hearts became blind. They had hearts, but their hearts
were blinded. Who, being past feelings, have
given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work. They still had work.
to work all uncleanness with greediness. Man in the fall became
an individual with darkened understanding, with perverted affections. He
has affections, but they are perverted. Now, the reason I'm
pointing this out is that many people misunderstand the term
dead in trespasses and sins. They would almost lead us to
believe that when man fell in the Garden of Eden and became
a dead sinner, that he became like this pulpit. But man never
has been like this pulpit. This pulpit can't hear me, but
you can. This pulpit can't think, but
you can. This pulpit can't understand,
but you can. This pulpit can't feel, but you
can. Man never was like this pulpit. It has no life. Man does have
life. And if you notice, the scripture
clearly points that out. It says, having the understanding
darkened. Being alienated from the life
of God. Working the works of uncleanness. When man fell, his understanding
was darkened. His affections perverted. His
will, and he has a will, but his will became imprisoned to
sin. His will surrendered to sin and
became the slave of sin. And his mind, he retained a mind,
he's got a mind. But his mind became, instead
of love for God, in the mind of Christ, became enmity against
God. Now the only way that a man can
return to God, to his original position, having a knowledge
of God, and the ability to worship and to walk with God and commune
with God, is to be regenerated, to be recreated. to become in
Christ a new creature, or to become born again, receiving
in redemption a new heart and a new nature. That understanding
which is darkened, once again being enlightened by the Holy
Spirit, being illuminated by the grace of God. And that hatred,
that perverted affection being changed and having by the power
of the Spirit the love of God shed abroad in his heart. And
that will which has become by the fall imprisoned and the slave
of sin being, becoming willing in the day of God's power to
do the will of God. And that mind, which has become
enmity against God, once again becoming the mind of Christ.
And that, my friends, is the new birth. That is something
that cannot take place apart from the power of God. We are
redeemed not only by Christ, And many people will go along
there, saying that the blood of Christ makes us free. And
we are bought by the blood of Christ, but not only are we redeemed
by Christ, but we are redeemed by power. And it takes not only
the price of Christ's blood, but the power of God's Spirit.
Something's got to be done for this sinner who has, as a result
of the fall, become imprisoned, has become rebellious, has become
enslaved, has become warped and perverted and darkened in his
understanding. Now when man failed, he did not
lose his original faculties. I've pointed that out already.
He has understanding. He does not understand the way
of God nor the will of God. You have to say that man has
understanding because he understands higher mathematics, he understands
buildings, he understands English, he understands reasoning and
logic, but he does not understand God. Man has retained his faculties,
for he has a mind, he has a heart, he has understanding, he has
affection. But his whole being is corrupted. That's what's happened to him.
He has become corrupted. His responsibility is not destroyed,
but he has become corrupted. He has turned to another God. He thinks, all men think, but
their thoughts are not the thoughts of God. They do not think on
the things of God. Men love, all men love. You say,
that's not so, there's some people who don't love anybody. They
love themselves. They love themselves. You try
to kill one of them, they'll defend themselves to the last
end. They love themselves. All men
love somebody. Maybe just themselves, but they
love somebody. And all men reason. They think
they reason, but they reason wrongly. And all men act. All men act in some way, but
they act in rebellion. So man, though he has fallen,
still retains certain faculties. The faculties of thought, the
faculties of love, the faculties of reason, and the faculties
of work. But these faculties have become
perverted. Now that accounts for idolatry.
That accounts for the idolatry of the complete heathen in Africa. that account for the idolatry
of the so-called enlightened mind of America. Turn with me
to Romans 1. I think I can show you that.
Romans chapter 1. Man has retained certain faculties,
faculties of thought and love and reason and so forth. Therefore,
his twisted nature Demand that he worship something. His twisted,
warped nature demands that he have a God. In Romans chapter
1 beginning with verse 21. Now watch it. In verse 19 says
that which may be known of God is manifest to them. God has
written the law on every man's heart. The scripture talks about
the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
And here in Romans 1, God talks about nature revealing the things
of God and the conscience revealing the things of God. So every man,
whether he's a heathen, hot and taut in the heart of Africa,
or whether he's the enlightened professor in the local university,
he has some religious nature. And he's going to worship somebody. That religious nature demands
that he worship. That which may be known of God,
verse 19, is manifest to them. God showed it to them. Verse
21, because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as
God. They see the heavens, but they
don't give God the glory. They see the trees and the plants,
but they do not give God the glory. They recognize the conscience
within them and the law written on their heart, but they do not
acknowledge God. They think, but not of God. They love, but not God. They
ask, but not for God. It says that they glorified him
not as God, and they were not thankful. They don't acknowledge
God, don't give Him the credit nor glory, but they became vain
in their imagination, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
They professed themselves to be wise, not God's wisdom, but
the wisdom of men, and they became fools. And they changed, watch
it now, the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image. They've got
to worship something, somebody, So they changed the glory of
God into an image, and they made that image like to what? Like
to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed bees, and creeping
things. Man fell, my friend, but he did
not become as this pulpit. He became dead in sin, trespasses
in sin, spiritually dead. But he still remained a responsible
individual. He still remained a thinking
individual, though his thoughts were completely twisted. He became
an individual capable of love, but he loves himself and hates
God. He became an individual capable of reason, but because
he has no spiritual foundation upon which to build his reasoning,
He reasoned wrongly. He remained an individual capable
of acting, but no longer capable of acting in holiness because
he doesn't understand holiness. His understanding is darkness.
He acts in rebellion and in sin. And he remained an individual
whose heart demanded somebody to worship, so he made him a
god. And it goes on, wherefore, verse
24, God gave them up to unclean them through the lust of their
own heart, to dishonor their own bondage between themselves.
They changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshipped,
and they worshipped, all men worshipped. They have a nature
that demands it. All men are religious by nature,
and all men worship. But what do they worship? Just
like their thoughts. They think, but they think of
evil. They love, but they love themselves. And they worship,
but not God, because of the warped, perverted understanding. They
worship and serve the creature. more than the Creator who is
blessed forever. For this cause, God let them
go, gave them up unto their vile affections. Now that's the condition
in which man has been plunged by sin, and that accounts for
idolatry. That accounts for the success
today of religion without life and without faith. For a man
with his twisted mind, and his perverted affection, and his
warped understanding, and his darkened heart, even reads the
Bible itself, and comes up not with the truth, but with error. He can't see the things of God,
because his sight is twisted. He can reason about all natural
things, but not spiritual things. He can understand natural things
because nothing's happened to him naturally, except he's become
disease-infested, and he's become a dying creature naturally. He's
become a weak creature naturally, but spiritually he's completely,
totally, utterly depraved and warped. And even when he reads
the Bible, he comes up with a twisted religion and a warped way of
thinking. I read an article recently. I'm
building up to this right here. I read an article recently which
told of the new breed, a new Christianity, it said, A new
gospel, a new evangelism, a new cross has moved into the churches,
and men are interpreting the Bible today in such a way that
they are replacing the old gospel, the old cross, the old evangelism,
and the old Christianity. Paul talked about that, that's
no new thing. Turn to Galatians 1, now this
man says it's a new thing, but it's no new thing. I'll show
you what it is. I'll show you what, it's a form
of idolatry. Man, just in this generation,
is doing the same thing he did in the last one, and the one
before, and the one before. His religious nature has demanded
he worship something, so he's taken the Bible and he's coming
up with a new gospel, he says, a new Christianity, a new cross. It's no new thing. Galatians 1, verse 6, Paul said,
in the first century, I marvel that you are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grave of Christ unto another
gospel, which is not another gospel, but there be some that
trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. That's
what it is. It's natural man trying to interpret
the gospel of Christ and consequently perverting it. But Paul says,
though we are an angel from heaven, preach unto you any other gospel
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. It's no new gospel. It's no new
cross. It's just that natural mind,
that darkened understanding, that perverted reasoning, that
corrupted affection, looking into God's Word and twisting
the Word of God and coming up with something which I believe
to them is perfectly logical. I have no doubt that many men
who are preaching what they call a new cross or a new gospel today
are preaching what they think is right. Having the understanding
darkened, they're perfectly capable of misunderstanding the gospel.
Having the affections twisted and the reasoning perverted,
why it's not hard to understand how they could come up with a
warped gospel. Being a warped man, he's gonna
have a warped gospel. That's like that song where the
Thompson sings with his guitar, takes a crooked man to sing a
crooked song. Takes a crooked man to come up
with a crooked gospel. That's right. And a crooked man
can only come up with a crooked gospel. And a man whose mind
is perverted and understanding darkened, what else can he come
up with? You don't expect to get clean
water from a dirty fountain. You don't expect to get dirty
water from a clean fountain. But let's look at this new cross
versus the old cross. Paul says, God forbid that I
should go with faith in the cross of Christ. But they say we've
got a new cross. Let me compare them for you tonight. First of all, the old cross.
The cross of old, or the cross of our Lord, was the symbol of
death. When our Lord said, take up your
cross and follow me, He wasn't telling you to go out and hew
your cross out of an oak tree. He wasn't telling you to go out
and build you something to carry across your back. Our Lord wasn't
even talking about the infirmities of the flesh. I've heard people
say, well, I've had to wait on my husband for years. He's been
a sick man, but I guess that's my cross. That's not your cross. Somebody else says, well, I've
been a shut-in all my life, never been able to do anything, guess
that's my cross. That's not the cross. The cross
is the symbol of death. When a man received the cross
of old, when a man received Christ as his Lord and Savior back in
the days of the apostles, it wrote death, death to his sins,
death to his sins. Dishonesty, hatred, evil, adultery,
wickedness, sinfulness was slain at the cross. The old man was
crucified with his deeds. That's what the scripture says.
Here Paul says it right here in our tape. God forbid that
I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus by whom the
world was crucified under me. That's what the cross is. It's
the symbol of death. But this new cross that is preached
today says nothing about death and nothing about separation,
but rather declares that a man can have his religion and also
his sins. Isn't that what's preached? That
a man can have his religion and keep his evil heart. That a man
can walk with Christ and walk with the world. The new cross
that is being preached today says all things continue as they
were. The cross of Christ says we become
in Christ a new creature, old things pass away and old things
become new. Then preacher, what has changed
for the cross that is being preached today? I'll tell you the only
thing that has changed for the new breed is their destination. And I mean by that this, the
old road that they once walked led to hell. Now they're walking,
since they believed on Christ, the same road, but that road
that once led to hell now leads to heaven. Same life, same road,
same walk, same friends, same practice, same job, same habit,
same attitude, different destination. That's an impossibility. That's an impossibility. The
Old Cross says, death to sin, death to the world, death to
our friends. If any man come to me, let him
deny himself, take up his cross, which is the symbol of death,
and follow me." Our Lord says, they shall cast you out of the
synagogue. Men who kill you will think they're doing God a favor.
You will be a peculiar people, a chosen people, a royal nation,
and holy priesthood, a people zealous of good works, a people
daily dying, daily crucifying the flesh, and denying ungodliness
and worldly love. You shall be a people walking
a new road with a new destination. Not the same road with a different
destination. but a new road. The life of the
old cross was the life of denial, self-denial, of separation and
of death. But the new cross that is being
preached today knows nothing of these demands, and it's a
perverted gospel. Secondly, the old cross was offensive. The old cross was a symbol of
death, and secondly, it was offensive. It brought the hatred of the
world and the persecution of religious leaders. The new cross
that is being preached today is popular, and it offers not
only popularity and pleasure, but it offers a union with all
other creeds, all other causes, all other cults, all other sects,
and all other beliefs. And that cannot be so. You know
what Paul feared? Paul wasn't afraid he was going
to make somebody mad. He was afraid he wasn't going
to make somebody mad. Paul didn't get alters, he gave
them. That's right. He wasn't afraid
he was going to make people mad. You know what he was afraid of? He was afraid he wasn't going
to make people mad. He said, if I please me, I am
not the servant of Christ. He feared lest his message become
inoffensive. The Apostle Paul says, if the
offense is not in the cross, the gospel is not in the cross
we preach. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness. To the Greek, foolishness. To
the Jew, a stumbling block. But you know what we're prayed
out today? We're prayed we are going to make somebody mad. We
wouldn't want to hurt anybody's feelings. We may dishonor God,
we may compromise the gospel, but God deliver us from ever
offending anybody. Well, I'm saying this to you,
if you preach the old cross of Christ, if you preach the blood
redemption of Christ, If you preach the demands of the cross
of Christ, you're going to bring down on your head the hatred
of this world and the persecution of ecclesiastical leaders of
this day. The preacher is not now and never
has been a public relations man. I heard a church in this city
right here when they were going to call a pastor. The deacon
said this about the pastor. One of them said, this is his
exact words, he can't preach a link, but he's a good pastor. Those were his very words, quoted
verbatim. He can't preach a link, but he's
a good pastor. I'll take issue with that. I
don't believe any man can be a pastor of a flock who can't
preach. I don't believe any man can be
a pastor of a flock who can't feed that flock. And I'll tell you the reason
the man said it. He said it because today the preacher is no longer
a prophet. The pulpit is no longer his throne. Today the preacher is a public
relations man. He's a business executive. He's
an organizer. He's a toastmaster. He's everything
under God's sun but a preacher. And you know it's so. We weren't sent by Christ into
this world to make Christ acceptable to big business. We weren't sent
to make Christ acceptable to the politicians. We weren't sent
to make Christ acceptable to the sports world or to anybody
else. Our message is not compromise. Our message is unconditional
surrender. Christ is not going to lean over
to get along with any man. Men are going to fall prostrate
before him in repentance and beg his mercy. That's our message. This world is under condemnation. God isn't trying to court nor
wound nor win this world. This world is condemned. Christ said the wrath of God
is upon this world. This world is an enemy of God. And those who live with it, in
it, and try to get along with it will die with it and be destroyed
with it. The cross which put an end to
the earthly life of our Lord will also put an end to the worldly
life of the believer. By which I am crucified to the
world. You see that? That's our gospel. That's what
makes it offensive. The cross which ended the earthly
life of our Lord, if received, will end the worldly life of
the believer. He dies with Christ to the world
and the world to him. And the power which raised Christ
from the dead will raise the believer to walk a new life. Now that's the offensive message. Today's preacher has got to get
along. He's got to move into the community,
and he's got to visit around and make everybody like him.
And when he gets up on Sunday, he doesn't dare offend the ministers,
offend the deacons, Offend the Sunday school teacher. Offend
anybody else. Offend the law. Offend the faith. He's got to so design his message
that when he finishes, everybody's happy. Say Amen. But not Paul. The Apostle Paul tore the hat
off and poured in the salt and dared anybody to do anything
about it. His message was clear-cut. His
message was offensive. His message offended men. Why
did His message offend men? And why will the cross of Christ
offend men? I'll tell you why. Because their
nature's despised. Man's proud by nature, and he
will not receive charity. Haven't you heard people say,
well, I didn't think it hurt your feelings, I'd give you something.
The only reason in the world why you'd hurt his feelings by
giving him something is he's too proud to receive a gift,
too proud to receive mercy, and spiritually man's in the same
shape. He wants to perform his own religious
work. He wants to make himself acceptable
to God. Thirdly and finally, the old
cross was not only a symbol of death, The new cross says nothing
about death, separation. The old cross was offensive,
deeply offensive. Brother, where our Lord went,
there was a disturbance. Where Paul went, he either had
a riot or a revival. either ended up being praised
or imprisoned, one or the other. There wasn't any neutral ground.
And thirdly, the Old Cross. Now watch it. The Old Cross was
preached without fear, boldly, in plain, unmistakable terms. The cries of the Old Cross are,
repent or perish. That's clear, isn't it? Turn
or burn. believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and receive eternal life, refuse to believe on Christ and be damned. It is the blood that makes us
atonement for the soul. No man is justified by words. Those are clear, unmistakable,
undeniable terms. What's today's preaching? Today's
preaching is a jumble of pretty words philosophical phrases,
catchy slogans, and the dignity of man. That's the message today. If you don't believe me, take
a vacation and turn on your radio or go hear somebody preach. All
in the world you'll get from the pulpit is not repent or perish,
turn or burn, believe on Christ and deceive, refuse Christ and
go to hell. You don't hear those statements.
Turn from your sins or bear the wrath of God. Today's preaching,
pretty words, philosophical phrases, catchy slogans, and the dignity
of man. And the cry comes from the heart
of every saved person, is there not a prophet? A prophet who
loves Christ and is not afraid of men. A prophet who has no
earthly program to build, but only the kingdom of God to build. A prophet who has no reputation
to protect, no cause to defend, who is without the spirit of
covetousness, who will cry aloud, the way of the cross leads home. There's no other way but this. You'll never get sight of the
gates of light if the way of the cross you miss. My friends,
I do not promise the way of the cross is an easy road, but it
leads to glory. I do not promise that the way
of the cross will bring you friendship with all men, or some men, or
any man. But I promise you the way of
the cross will bring you the friendship with Him who is a
friend that sticketh closer than a brother, and will never leave
you nor forsake you. I do not promise you that the
way of the cross will bring an end to your trials and temptations.
They may be intensified, but these trials and temptations
will lead you to a growth of grace and a deeper knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ. I promise you this, That the
way of the cross will not be a living death. That's where
some of you are living now, a living death. But the way of the cross is a
dying life. Soon this old life will be put
aside. Someday the silver cord will
break. And I know more, as now shall
sing, with all the joy when I shall wake in the palace of the king
and I shall see him face to face and I'll tell this story saved
by grace and I shall see him face to face and tell this story
saved by grace I want us to sing a closing hymn
tonight Just about, of course, the two, but did you have one
selected? All right, you come and announce
it. We'll sing that in closing.