Transcript

Love = Truth

Sunday, May 6,2012
Galatians 1:1-10
Pastor Randy Smith

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It's been called the first international missionary trip. The Bible describes it in detail. After being set aside by the Holy Spirit, Paul and Barnabas enter the area of modern day Turkey. Back then the territory was called Galatia. Their mission was to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ which by God's grace did result in many conversions and the establishment of Christian churches throughout the Galatian region. The whole journey is detailed in Acts 13-14.

Overall, the trip was met with both opposition and success. Their traveling companion, Mark, deserted them early in the voyage (13:13). They received large crowds to hear the preaching of Jesus Christ in Pisidian Antioch (13:44). The Jewish leaders instigated resistance (13:45, 50), but many Gentiles were being saved (13:48). The text says Barnabas and Paul were "filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (13:52). The natives of Lystra thought they were gods (14:11), and the Jews in Lystra stoned Paul and dragged his thought-to-be-dead body outside the city (14:19). Nevertheless, the missionaries kept right on preaching, making disciples and strengthening churches (14:21-23). Finally when they returned home, they reported to their sending church in Antioch "all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles" (14:27). It was indeed an exciting time and much praise went to the work of God!

However, not long after their departure, false teachers entered the same region of Galatia. These Judaizers (as they are often called) began to instruct these new and very vulnerable believers in things contrary to what they learned from Paul. Their tactics were the common two-fold approach of any false teacher. First, before they could discredit the message, they needed to discredit the messenger. We know their attacks on Paul were vicious. They said he was a man-pleaser. They said he was selfishly motivated. They said he lacked the credentials and authority of an apostle. Then after Paul was taken out of the way, they began to alter the Gospel message that he brought to these churches. They claimed that Paul only told partial truth in fear of offending others. They claimed that it was now their job to finish what Paul had begun. They claimed that the free grace of Jesus is good, but in order to be really saved, good works, specifically Jewish traditions of the law must be followed as well. In essence, they preached a different Gospel.

Word gets back to Paul, and he is outraged. Paul knew that a different Gospel is really no Gospel at all. So in emotional duress he fires off this letter to the Galatians.

That is our introduction and as we dive into this book, I encourage you to keep these comments in mind as it will give you a better understanding of this letter's contents.

1. The Messenger of the Gospel (verses 1-2)

We begin the letter to the Galatians with Paul's introduction of himself. I'm calling this point, "The Messenger of the Gospel."

As it was common with the custom of the day, Paul always began his epistles with some opening remarks. He introduces himself and those with him in verses 1-2. Also in verse 2 you can see that he addresses the recipients, "the churches of Galatia." Oftentimes Paul will include some complementary remarks at this point, praising God for the faith or love of his readers - none of that is spoken of here. He has nothing favorable to say to these churches. The introduction in verses 1-5 is impersonal, stern and terse. The man is clearly disturbed. His heart is burdened. He is agitated, and he wants to get right to his point. His mission is to confront the false teaching and restore the Galatian church to the healthy place that they were prior to his departure.

This introduction in Galatians is interesting. It provides for us a snapshot regarding the two major themes of the letter: Paul's attempt to remind the church of his credentials and the nature of the true Gospel. Both of these are in response to the attacks from the false teachers.

Permit me to elaborate on both of these points. Since the false teachers sought to discredit Paul's authority, he reminds them from the get-go as to exactly who he is in Christ. He is, verse 1, "Paul, an apostle." Paul, one who disliked bragging about his accomplishments, pulled out the big guns and reminded them of his title as he would not permit the Galatian church to put the false teachers on par with him. This was not an ego trip from a man who liked to arrogantly flash his credentials as many do today. This was establishing his authority for the sake of the Gospel.

As an apostle, Paul saw the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. He was personally called, chosen and commissioned by Jesus Christ (Acts 9). He wrote inspired Scripture. He was equal to the twelve. He explains it in verse 1. "Not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead." It was not his words against their words. When Paul spoke, he spoke with an authority from God because he was an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Let me see if I can give you an illustration. Near the end of our recent plane ride to Phoenix, a man across the aisle laughed to his buddy that he never turned off his cell phone. Immediately the young lady in front of him craned her neck over her seat and reminded him that according to FAA regulations he was required to turn off his phone. His response was exactly as I expected, "Who are you to tell me what to do!" (Maybe it clarifies to say the flight was boarded in Philadelphia!) Yet immediately she flashed her airline badge and informed him of the consequences he could face. Needless to say, he quit protesting and immediately complied. What was the difference? The young lady came with authority.

Paul was an apostle. When an apostle speaks, he speaks with the authority of God. He was on a different level than the false teachers, and as he did in verse 1, he even distinguished himself from "all the brethren that [were with him]."

But what about today? All the apostles are dead. How can we possibly know what is true in this world of relativism? Well, the Holy Spirit has preserved their words in Scripture. This is why the church must be so careful to follow the Bible. For it is only when we submit to the teaching of the Bible that we may be sure that we are following God's will. The authority that Paul brought back then is the same authority that the Scriptures bring today. That is why we preach the Word of God, and the Word of God always has the final say.

2. The Results of the Gospel (verses 3-5)

So Paul defends his apostleship not because he was pompous, but because it was necessary to defend his message. Now as we enter verses 3-5, our second point, let's see how Paul defends the true Gospel. And the way he seeks to defend the true Gospel is to present the results of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us through the true Gospel. It is only when we receive the true Gospel that we will benefit from these blessed results.

In verse 3 we can see that the true Gospel results in grace and peace. Grace is God's unmerited favor that He bestows on those undeserving. Apart from any human merit, the Father accepts us through the work of the Son and grants us the gift of salvation and many other blessings. Peace is one element of grace. Because Jesus makes us right with God by removing our sin and giving us His righteousness, we are now at peace with God and hopefully peace with other believers in God's family. In other words, the greatest blessings in life come from what Jesus accomplished for us at Calvary through His death, burial and resurrection.

In verse 4 Paul elaborates on the work of Christ. "Who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age."

Like Paul, I never get tired of sharing the true Gospel. Jesus did not come to be another philosopher. He is more than a good teacher. He didn't die on the cross as a helpless victim of Rome or a willing participant to show us an example of love and devotion. As verse 4 teaches, it was according to the "will of our God and Father" that the Son "gave Himself" on the cross for a specific purpose. And that purpose was to be a sacrifice, verse 4, "for our sins."

We are all sinners. God in His holiness cannot accept sin. Jesus went to the cross to take our sin upon Himself, bear the penalty for those sins and, verse 4, "rescue us from this present evil age." Apart from Jesus, there is no forgiveness. Apart from Jesus, we are hopeless. Apart from Jesus, we are deceived pawns enslaved to Satan's world system. This is the Gospel that Paul needed to defend - the rescue mission of Jesus Christ to provide true victory in this evil world and true deliverance from the awful destination of all evil in the world to come. Nothing about your efforts. Everything about Jesus and His efforts to purchase our salvation. Nothing about looking to yourself. Everything about looking to Jesus. False Gospels elevate man. The true Gospel elevates God. And that is what Paul could not help but conclude in verse 5, "To whom be the glory forevermore. Amen." It is all of God and nothing of ourselves. All the glory goes to Him!

When the house is burning down and you are dying for lack of oxygen with both your legs trapped under a fallen ceiling, you are at the mercy of a strong fireman to save your life. And when he comes, you are found propelling yourself into his arms, not boasting about your 3rd grade track metals and ability to hold your breath under water longer than anyone else! This describes the true rescue work of Jesus Christ. The false teachers, like countless others today, reject this message. They wish to add human effort to free grace. God will permit no deviation. There is only one Gospel, verse 4, "According to the will of our God and Father." Heaven and hell hang in the balance. This is why Paul wrote Galatians and why he wrote it with such passion and urgency.

3. The Defection from the Gospel (verses 6-10)

Let move to the third point, "The Defection from the Gospel." Paul shared the true Gospel of free grace when he was among the Galatians. Many in the area accepted it. Once Paul departed, false teachers moved in on his heels. The church began to accept their lies that personal effort must be added to be saved. In other words, these new Christians began to believe the lie that the work of Jesus Christ on the cross in and of itself was not sufficient for salvation. Paul is greatly agitated.

Verse 6, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel."

Let's pretend you and I jog the boardwalk from Asbury Park all the way to Belmar. We had a great workout. Then just as we arrive in Belmar, you walk into the Dunkin Donuts and scarf down a dozen donuts. Nothing wrong with an occasional donut, but no doubt I would be amazed at your timing.

Paul brings forth the same emotion over a matter much more serious. He proved his sincerity for the message and love for them by his willingness to endure great persecution in their presence. They were aware that he was stoned in Galatia for the Gospel (Ac. 14:19). In 6:17 he even refers to his body which bore "the brand-marks of Jesus." He shared a message that one can be right with God, verse 6, simply by receiving the free grace offered in Christ. Now they want to base their eternal destiny on their efforts? They accepted this message. And then the moment he departs, they reject him and reject the message for what he calls in verse 6 "a different Gospel." And this rejection is not only a rejection of him and a rejection of the true message, but as verse 6 says, a rejection of God. He says they are "deserting" God. "Metatithemi" in the original Greek means to transfer allegiance. It was a word commonly used of military defection. Paul says when we choose another Gospel, contrary to the one presented by the apostles, we are receiving a different Gospel that will always lead us to a different god. Therefore Paul can't figure out for the life of him why the church is willfully making such a foolish mistake. In 3:1 he says, "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?"

In verse 7 he reminds them that this "different Gospel" "Is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ."

This is what frequently happens. We want to somehow take credit for our salvation. We want to feel that we are better than other believers. So what we do is we add works to the Gospel of free grace. Every other world religion does this. Pure Catholic doctrine does this too. It is called legalism. It is creating a different Gospel that says Jesus Christ alone is not enough. Jesus simply becomes a means to an end that you must achieve on your own. It is the "you need 'Jesus -plus' attitude to be saved." You need Jesus plus baptism. You need Jesus plus the right cultural behavior. And back then it was you need Jesus plus the Law of Moses, especially circumcision. So clear in Acts 15:1, "Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'" So throughout the letter Paul kept beating the same drum that we need to keep beating today. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, period! The moment you add anything to grace, it ceases to be grace. The moment you contribute to a gift, it ceases to be a gift. The moment you seek to complete what Christ did, it ceases to glorify the sufficiency of the Savior as if His work on the cross were incomplete.

Look at 2:16, "Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified." Look at 2:21, "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." Look at 3:11, "Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, 'The righteous man shall live by faith.'" Look at 5:4, "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."

Listen my friends, I have never been accused of tolerating sin in my life or in the life of the church. You know my prayer for all of us is that we grow in spiritual maturity and glorify Jesus Christ with our actions. There is a call for Christian sanctification after salvation. Righteous living should come as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit. But let's not confuse the two. False Gospels say "do." The true Gospel says, "rest." And it is only when we receive the true Gospel that the works will be rightly motivated and rightly energized. This is the secret of the Gospel: We will actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God and hear more about all that God has already done for us. Works do not lead to salvation. Works only give evidence of our salvation. Or in other words, we do good works not to get saved. Rather we do good works because we are already saved. It is free grace that saves and then free grace that then empowers to obedience.

And if you have any doubt as to how seriously we, like Paul, must contend for the purity of the Gospel, look at verse 8. "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!"

Did you catch that? Can the Bible be any clearer as to how serious this matter is? The smallest deviation is not permitted! And should anyone choose to preach a different Gospel, Paul says they deserve God's eternal judgment. He says they are "to be accursed," "anathema" (in the original Greek), delivered over to God's eternal wrath. There are many doctrines that we can agree to disagree upon, the Gospel is not one of them. There is only one Gospel that saves, and as Paul said, regardless of how impressive the individual or angelic being might appear, anything that does not agree with the biblical Gospel brought by the apostles is to be rejected.

And if you think Paul was simply overstating the matter due to his emotionally disturbed condition, he repeats the statement again in verse 9. "As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" This comes with the strictest warning. Since the eternity of souls hangs in the balance, there is absolutely nothing more important than teaching and receiving the correct Gospel, the very Gospel taught in the Bible, the very Gospel Paul claims, verse 12, that he received directly from Jesus Christ.

Remember I said earlier that one charge against Paul was that he was a man-pleaser. The Judaizers taught that Paul shared an incomplete Gospel because he wanted to gain a favorable response from the Galatians. Does anyone who cast anathemas on people sound like a man-pleaser? Look finally at verse 10. "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ."

Like all of us, Paul knew that serving Christ meant that he needed to stop serving himself. Part of that is dying to our own selfish desires and part of that is receiving as Jesus promised persecution from the world that comes when we serve Him faithfully. All of us will either be a God-pleaser or a man-pleaser. Either we will fear God's displeasure and boldly share Jesus or we will fear man's displeasure and cowardly act around others as if we do not even know the Savior. If your goal is to be liked by others, you will not be a bond-servant to Jesus. Paul made it clear to his critics and to us today, if we wish to please men we can never call ourselves a bond-servant of Christ.

And the primary component of being a bond-servant of Christ is faithfully sharing the true Gospel, the only valid message of salvation. For this is what Jesus Christ purchased in His supreme sacrifice by going to the cross and taking our sins upon Himself. How can we be silent? How can we alter the message? How can we not receive this wonderful truth of reconciliation with God as a free gift of free grace on the basis of faith alone?