Let us turn tonight in our Bibles
to Galatians chapter 3. We're looking this evening at
the first five verses in this chapter, Galatians chapter 3. O foolish Galatians, who hath
bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? before whose
eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you. This only would I learn of you,
receive you the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing
of faith. Are you so foolish, having begun
in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? Have you
suffered so many things in vain, if it yet be in vain? He therefore
that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you,
doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith. In these verses that we've just
finished reading, the Apostle Paul asked five questions of
those in the churches of Galatia. Those in these churches who had
listened to false teachers who had been mistled into believing
that Paul, when he brought the gospel to them, had not declared
the whole gospel, that there was more that he had not preached
to them. They were told that they needed
to add to Christ's finished work. When the Lord Jesus Christ on
the cross, when he said, it is finished, All that God requires
for the saving of a sinner, the Lord Jesus Christ had completed,
had done. The work was finished. He's the
end of the law to all them that believe. But these Judaizers,
we call these false teachers Judaizers because they were Jews,
they were from Jerusalem. And they came down to these Gentile
churches and they began to teach them that it was necessary that
they become subject to the law that God had given to the nation
of Israel at Mount Sinai. And it really was teaching them
that they should become Jews. Now Paul, he asks five questions. The false teachers were guilty.
There's no question about that. They were guilty in what they
had done. But Paul makes it clear that
these believers, they were responsible. They were responsible and they
should have known better. We've all heard the proverb,
all that glitters is not gold. And it's hard to think that This
teaching, that you have to submit yourself to the law of Moses,
could possibly glitter in the eyes of any child of God. But, evidently, it did. And I thought about that, and
I wanted to mention two reasons why this may have been the case. First of all, because Satan is
very subtle. He is very subtle in teaching
what he teaches. And the scripture says that he
himself is turned into an angel of light. And a second thing
is what the Apostle Paul calls the flesh. In verse 3, he is
referring to the carnal nature that all of us have. And the
carnal nature with which we are born, it naturally gravitates
toward works. It just naturally runs in that
vein. You give a person something to
do, you give him certain rules and regulations and tell him
he'll be saved if he just does these things. Men love to have
it so. Men love to hear that. The flesh
just gravitates in that direction. Where the gospel tells us, believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. The law
says do, and thou shalt live. Now, we want to look this evening
at each one of these questions. I've changed them up somewhat,
but you will recognize them. The first question is in verse
1. Who hath bewitched you that you
should not obey the truth? Now two times in these five verses
the apostle uses the word foolish, foolish in reference to these
Galatians. And he uses the word foolish
in the same way that the Lord Jesus Christ used this word when
he spoke to those two disciples that he accompanied on the road
to Emmaus. You remember he said unto them,
O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets
have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and to enter into his glory? In the case of those
two disciples, they should have known better. Oh fools and slow
of heart to believe all that the prophets have said. They
should have known better. They had the Old Testament which
clearly testified that the Messiah would suffer. You cannot read
Isaiah 53 and not see the suffering of the one who was promised to
come as the Savior. Why this surprise them? It's
hard to understand. Plus, the Lord Jesus Christ told
these men, along with the other disciples, at least three times
in the Gospels, this is pointed out to us, he said, we're going
up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man, he referred to himself
as the Son of Man, shall suffer and die and rise again the third
day. And yet, when it took place,
they were bewildered. The point I'm making is, this
is the reason the Lord said, O fools, and slow of heart. They
should have known better. And when the Apostle Paul refers
to these in the churches of Galatia as foolish, they should have
known better. They should have known better.
They were responsible. When you consider what it must
have been like to hear the Apostle Paul preach the gospel, Can you
imagine that? And that's who they had heard.
That's who they had learned the gospel from. That's whose ministry
under which they had believed in Christ, the Apostle Paul. The gospel, he said, which they
had heard was so clear. The way he preached the gospel,
he said it was so clear. Notice, it was as though Jesus
Christ was crucified before your very eyes. The gospel was so
plain. Remember he told the church at
Corinth, I determine not to know anything among you save or except
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Jesus Christ and His death is
the heart of the gospel. We know that. And Paul said to
these Galatians that His preaching of the gospel was so clear and
so plain, and yes, I would add, so anointed of God the Holy Spirit,
it was as though they actually witnessed the crucifixion of
Christ. They should have known better.
When I think about what he preached to them as he preached the gospel,
in setting forth Christ crucified. First of all, and I have several
things, first of all, he declared that he died, that is Jesus Christ,
God's Son, God's eternal Son who was made flesh, that he who
is the express image of the Father. And you know in the letter of
Colossians, the things he wrote about Christ, in him dwelleth
the fullness of the Godhead bodily. that this is the one who died,
the one who is both almighty God and man in one person. And number two, he declared that
he died according to God's eternal purpose, according to God's eternal
decree. His death was no accident. No,
Christ was not surprised when he was crucified. God the Father
was not surprised. Why? Because as the apostle Peter
said on the day of Pentecost, he was delivered into the hands
of sinful men by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. All that he suffered in suffering
and dying had been purposed, had been planned, had been determined
from before the foundation of the world. Now that does not
excuse the hands of those who crucified him. They did what
they wanted to do. They didn't know God's purpose.
They did what they wanted to do out of hatred. But in doing
what they wanted to do out of hatred, they were doing exactly
what God had determined and decreed to be done before the foundation
of the world. When Christ died, yes, he who
is both God and man, and number two, he died according to God's
purpose, God's plan. This had been God's plan from
the very beginning. When Adam sinned in the garden,
the plan had already been made before Adam was ever created.
The Savior would come and give his life for his people. Number three, he declared that
he died as a good shepherd for his sheep, his sheep who were
given unto him before the foundation of the world. The Lord Jesus
Christ did not die hoping that someone might believe in him. No, not on your life. He died
knowing that he was paying the penalty for the sheep that he
had been given, and it was his responsibility to satisfy God
so that he might bring them and present them before the Father.
Not one of them lost. And number four, he declared
that he died to finish the work of salvation. As I said a few
minutes ago, the work was finished there on the cross. The enemies,
the foes that all of us have by nature, sin and death and
hell and Satan, all of these foes that we have because of
our sinfulness, the Lord Jesus Christ He defeated. He bruised the head of the serpent. Yes, his heel was wounded in
doing it, but he accomplished it. And number five, he declared
that he died so that in this life, in this life, he always
has a people called out of darkness. God never has left himself without
a witness. Sometimes the remnant has been
small. The remnant, according to the
election of grace, has been small. Sometimes it's been large. But
always, in this world, he has a people who are singing his
praises. And in eternity, he will have
his bride. And she will be spotless. I mean she will be spotless. There will not be a wrinkle. a spot or a blemish in her, because
she will be cleansed by his blood and dressed in his righteousness. Since then, Christ by his death
and resurrection has perfected forever them that are sanctified,
that's what the scripture says in Hebrews, Christ by his death
has perfected forever them that are being sanctified. What does
that mean, are being sanctified? The word sanctified means set
apart, doesn't it? And the Lord Jesus Christ, by
His Spirit, is setting apart always in this world His people. Through the preaching of the
gospel, He's calling out His elect. What do our works? Think about it. What do our works,
our obedience to the law, have to do with the righteousness
that justifies a sinner? Nothing. None. Nothing whatsoever. In fact, to trust in any of our
works or our obedience to the law is to reject the righteousness
of Christ. O foolish Galatians, who hath
bewitched you? Who has cast this mist before
your eyes, that you should not obey the truth, that is the gospel,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth
crucified among you? Let me read Romans chapter 10. When I said, in fact, to trust
in any of our works. Or our obedience to the law is
to reject the righteousness of Christ. Works and grace cannot
be mixed. They just will not go together.
Romans 10 and verse 1, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer
to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Now they had
the law, and I would imagine many of them were observing the
rules, the regulations, and all of those things that the law
imposed upon them, the ceremonial part of the law. For I bear them
record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. When you believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ by God's grace, when you trust in him as your
Lord and Savior, he is your righteousness. The scripture says, But of God
is he made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Now, the second question is in
verse 2. Received you the Spirit by the
works of the law, or by hearing the gospel? Look at verse 2. This only would I learn of you.
Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing
of faith? I notice that the Apostle Paul
He addresses them as true believers who had received the Holy Spirit. But he asks them to think. Use
your mind. Think about this. And remember
how all of this came to pass. Was it while you were hearing
a message which told you do all things which are contained in
the law And under that preaching you received the Holy Spirit.
Or was it under the preaching of the gospel which told you,
that is the hearing of faith which told you, believe, trust
in Jesus Christ and be saved? Which message? Which message
were you listening to when God the Holy Spirit came into your
life? And there's only one answer.
There's only one answer to Paul's question, and I would point these
truths out to us. This is kind of a side, but something
that you face, I know. People come along and they say,
well, you know, you've been saved,
but you need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, or you've been
saved, but you need to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,
things like that. No one has ever been saved apart
from the work of the Holy Spirit. No one ever has. No one ever
shall be saved apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. And
for any man to teach that you can be saved, but yet you need
this second blessing, this second experience, whatever it is, in
order to receive the Spirit of God, is himself deceived. Paul addressed these Galatians
as believers and as having received the Spirit. And then notice something
else, this too is aside, but notice how that they had received
the Spirit of God under the preaching of the gospel. How many times
have I said this? When the gospel is preached,
not always, not every time, but when the gospel is preached and
God the Holy Spirit takes the preacher's word using the word
of God and communicates, the Holy Spirit communicates himself
into the heart of his people. As that old Puritan said, the
Holy Spirit rides in the chariot of the gospel. Of his own will
begat he us with the word of truth. Preaching the gospel,
sitting under the preaching of the word of God, is ever so important. God is chosen by the foolishness
of preaching to save those that believe. And I would remind us,
it's not foolish preaching, is it? It's through the message
which is preached, the world calls it foolishness. The world
calls the message that is the gospel foolishness, but it is
the message, the gospel that God uses, has chosen to use in
saving his people. People sometimes will say, well,
God can save people apart. We're not talking about what
God can do, what God cannot do. We're talking about what God
has chosen to do, what God has revealed that he will do, and
that is he will use A man declaring the gospel and communicating
himself, that is God the Holy Spirit, into the hearts of his
people. Now what does it mean here in
this verse about receiving? Paul asked, did you receive the
Spirit, received you the Spirit by the works of the law, by hearing
that message and obeying the law, or did you receive the Spirit
By the hearing of faith, the message of faith, the gospel.
What does he mean about receiving the Spirit? Well, look with me
in 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse
13, For by one Spirit, that is the Holy Spirit, by one Spirit
are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentile,
whether we be bond or free. Every person who trusts in the
Lord Jesus Christ, no matter whether he's Jew or Gentile,
That person is baptized into the body of Christ. Now we call this body the mystical
body of Christ. It's real, but it's something
that cannot be seen. But every believer, every child
of God is part of the body of Christ. Baptized into the body
of Christ. Keep your place there, but I
want to read a verse from Ephesians. that speaks to this as well in
Ephesians chapter 1. Let me read this. The scripture here says, Which
he, that is God, wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his
feet, and gave him, now notice, to be the head over all things
to the church, which is his body, the fullness that filleth all
in all. So when the Apostle Paul speaks
about receiving the Spirit, when a person trusts in Christ, he
hears the gospel and believes the gospel, that person is baptized
into the body of Christ, of which Christ is the head, and we are
members of his body. But notice also more in this
verse in 1 Corinthians 12, the latter part of it, and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit. God sends the Holy Spirit into
the hearts of his people, whereby we all cry the same thing, Abba,
Father, Father, Abba, Father. All right, here's the third question
back in our text tonight, verse 3. Are you so foolish, that having
begun in the Spirit, that you will now be made perfect by the
flesh? Verse 3. Are you so foolish,
having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? Your relationship with God is
based upon God's grace. It is all of God's grace. You
were chosen in Christ, accepted in Christ, complete in Christ,
and now are you telling me that you're going to be made perfect
by the flesh, by the works of the flesh? Are you going to be
made perfect by submitting yourself to certain rules and regulations? When you obviously are complete
in Christ, Remember later, I believe the apostle Paul wrote the letter
of Hebrews. I'm not sure. It makes no difference.
It's part of the word of God. But he said this in Hebrews 7,
19, the law made nothing perfect. The law, it made nothing perfect. Never was given for that purpose. It shows us our sin. It shows
us our need. And yes, there's many pictures
of Christ in the law. But the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did. And that better hope
is Jesus Christ, by which we draw nigh unto God. You began to run the Christian
race depending upon the Spirit. Paul says, are you now going
to run depending on the strength of your human nature? You began
trusting in the righteousness of Christ alone for your justifying
righteousness. Do you now think to add the works
of the law to his righteousness to make you perfect? How foolish. How foolish are you. The law
of Mount Sinai is external. And the only way you can respond
to that external law is by the strength of the flesh. The Spirit
is within and produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The fourth question in verse
4, have you suffered so many things in vain, if it yet be
in vain? These believers in Galatia in
the early days of Christianity, they suffered persecution for
the gospel of God's grace. And all believers, all believers
in all times, we should expect the same. But they had suffered
bodily many persecutions, trials, and afflictions. Now Paul says
that if the gospel of grace, the gospel of grace in Christ
is not true, then you suffered all that in vain. And if you
turn, if you turn from the gospel and follow these Judaizers and
think you're going to add to the work of Christ, you're going
to make yourself perfect, more holy by your obedience to this
law, and you do suffer persecution, that's not going to show, that's
not going to prove that you are God's children. You know, someone
said all of God's children suffer persecution. But not everyone
who suffers persecution is a child of God. That's just so. All of God's children in one
way or the other. The scripture says that we must
through many afflictions enter into the kingdom of heaven. But
not everyone who suffers persecution and afflictions are pardoned. In fact, remember what Paul wrote
in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 3. He said, if I give my body to
be burned, now that's a big sacrifice, isn't it? You give your body
to be burned. But he said, if I do it and I
have not loved, it profits me nothing. There must be the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit. There must be that new nature
that produces love in me. Yes, if I give my body to be
burned and I have love, that might be profitable. But just
to give your body to be burned and if we do not have love, it
profits nothing. To suffer persecution, to be
burned at the stake, If a person did not have the righteousness
of Jesus Christ, it would not help that person in his or her
relationship to God at all. It's not by suffering, not by
our suffering, it's by His suffering. Not by our death, it's by His
death. Now the last question in verse
5, under what message did He minister to you the Spirit? He therefore that ministereth
to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he
it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith. Now
the word which is here translated ministereth, he therefore that
ministereth, that word literally means supply, so that tells us
that he is not Paul or any other preacher. The he who ministers,
who supplies the Holy Spirit is God. God. The inward supply of the Spirit
is what we had in verse 2, but here this is outward, these miracles. And God had wrought miracles
among them, no doubt. Remember when Paul first preached
in Lystra, there was a man, Lystra is in Galatia. There was a man
there, the scripture says, who was a cripple from his mother's
womb, lame, never had walked. And Paul looked at him and commanded
him to rise and walk. And the man jumped up and started
leaping and walking. These miracles that were wrought
among them. You read that in Hebrews chapter
2. These are early days And these miracles were given to authenticate
the gospel message, to confirm the gospel message of God's grace
in the person and work of Christ. And Paul, remember, told the
church at Corinth, the signs of an apostle were wrought among
you, the signs of an apostle were these outward signs and
wonders, miracles. Now, in Hebrews 2, notice in
verse 3 and 4, How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation,
which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed
unto us by them that heard him? How was it confirmed unto us? God also bearing them witness
both with signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and gifts
of the Holy Ghost according to his own will. Now Paul asks,
was this under the preaching of the law or under the preaching
of the gospel that these signs, these wonders were brought among
you? And they serve for one purpose
and that was to confirm the message that they preached was the gospel
of Jesus Christ. I pray that the Lord would bless
this study to all of us here tonight. We want to sing a hymn
before we are dismissed.