The Liberating Power Of The Gospel [Galatians 5:13-15]

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Then he took him by the hand and led him into a very large parlor that was full of dust
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Because never swept The witch after he had reviewed a little while the interpreter called for a man to sweep
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Now when he began to sweep the dust began so abundantly to fly about that Christian had almost therewith been choked
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Then said the interpreter to a damsel that stood by bring hither the water Sprinkle the room the witch when she had done.
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It was swept and cleansed with pleasure Then said Christian what means this?
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The interpreter answered this parlor is the heart of man that was never sanctified by the sweet grace of the gospel
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The dust is his original sin in inward corruptions That have defiled the whole man
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He that began to sweep at first is the law But she that brought water and did sprinkle it is the gospel
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Now whereas thou sawest that so soon as the first began to sweep The dust did so fly about that the room by him could not be cleansed
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But that thou was almost choked therewith this is to show thee that the law
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Instead of cleansing the heart by its working from sin doth revive
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Put strength into and increase it in the soul Even as it doth discover and forbid it for it does not give power to subdue
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Again as thou sawest the damsel sprinkle the room with water upon which it was cleansed with pleasure
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This is to show thee that when the gospel comes in the sweet and precious influence thereof to the heart
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Then I say even as our source the damsel lay the dust by sprinkling the floor with water so is sin vanquished and subdued and the soul made clean through the faith of it and Consequently fit for the king of glory to inhabit
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John Bunyan's classic from pilgrims Progress if you would turn with me in your
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Bibles to the book of Galatians the epistle of Galatians in the New Testament chapter 5
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Galatians chapter 5 verses 13 to 15 Now as I jokingly say
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I don't have the Shekinah glory shining on my face because I don't have an iPad like Pastor Mike But he said soon enough.
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You'll be preaching from an iPad and I told him I don't think so. I'm a dinosaur I don't know why I said that because I'm younger than he is but nonetheless
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Scripture is still scripture. Amen verse 13
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For you will call to freedom brothers only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh
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But through love serve one another For the whole law is fulfilled in one word.
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You shall love your neighbor as yourself But if you bite and devour one another watch out that you are not consumed by one another
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The tone of this epistle The Apostle Paul's tone as the author is quite different than most of his letters most of his letters
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The epistles written to churches and individuals have some commendation
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This is the only epistle of the Apostle Paul that you leave uniquely stands alone Where he does not commend them the
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Galatian churches. It's in stark contrast for example to the book of Philippians We're to the
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Philippian Church He says in chapter 1 verse 8 for God is my witness how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus He goes on later in the book of Philippians to say in chapter 4 verse 1
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Therefore my brothers whom I love and long for my joy and crown
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But unlike Philippians that is not Paul's tone here in Galatians in chapter 3.
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He addresses the Galatian churches as Foolish two times He says why are you so foolish who has bewitched you haven't begun by the
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Spirit. Are you now being perfected by the flesh? In this book in Galatians chapter 4 verse 11
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Paul says I am afraid I have may have labored over you in vain
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Can you imagine a pastor saying that Paul said it to the Galatian churches I'm afraid that I may have labored over you in vain and in chapter 4 later on verse 20 of this book
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He says I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone For I'm perplexed about you
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Paul wondering if he labored in vain Addressing them as foolish perplexed about the
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Galatian churches And why as we will see from our text because they were abusing their freedom in Christ And why because as we will see from our text they were biting and devouring one another and of course
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He addressed him as such because from the outset of his letter. He said in chapter 1 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him
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Christ and are turning to a different gospel That's why
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Paul was so passionate about this because they were turning to a different gospel Not like nowadays with the church's people bouncing from one church to another
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Not because it's the true gospel or not, but because they were turning to a different style of worship
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It's contemporary or it's hymns. We all know the perfect balance we have here is both
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But that's not the issue to Paul they were turning to a different gospel So he said you're foolish
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I've wasted my efforts on you I'm perplexed about you Let me give you four
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Biblical truths from our text about the liberating power of the gospel as I've entitled this message
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For biblical truths about the liberating power of the gospel truth number one
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The liberating power of the gospel frees us from a law enslaving works righteousness
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The liberating power of the gospel frees us from a law enslaving works righteousness he begins that way in our text verse 13 for you were called to freedom brothers and as you will notice in verse 13 he mentions the word freedom twice only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh not to understand what
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Paul is saying here in verse 13 I don't have the next few weeks to unfold this for you so I'm going to give you some background we're going to jump around a little but we have to understand the weight of this freedom freedom from what notice in the context in chapter 5 he begins this chapter in verse 1 for freedom
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Christ has set us free stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery
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Paul is building up to this in the first two chapters actually chapter 1 and chapter 2 through verse 14 of chapter 2 he gives his personal life testimony and calling to the ministry from chapter 2 verse 15 through the end of chapter 4 he gives the doctrinal aspect of the book and now in chapter 5 he begins the practical implications of that doctrine and he says do not submit verse 1 to a yoke of slavery a yoke was an apparatus for animals particularly to oxen that they would hook them together as they plowed the field so they can do it in unison it was for the benefit of plowing but it was a burden if you will to the animals and Paul is saying here this is the burden to submit again to a yoke of slavery he's attacking the heresy of the
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Judaizers which we're going to look at briefly notice how he addresses these heretics these
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Judaizers verse 10 of our chapter 5 he says the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty whoever he is verse 12
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I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves at the beginning of this book
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Galatians chapter 1 verse 7 he says of the Judaizers there are some who trouble you and want to do what distort the gospel of Christ chapter 2 of Galatians he says beginning in verse 4 yet because of false brothers secretly brought in notice they were brought in secretly who slipped in to spy out what our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus why so that they might bring us into slavery and he continues in verse 5 of chapter 2 to them to these
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Judaizers these heretics we did not yield in submission even for a moment why so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you that's what it's all about the truth of the gospel as I was studying this passage in preparation and I came across his birth
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I thought to myself we did not yield in submission even for a moment that would make a great theme verse for a radio program why
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Paul why are you so passionate about this why are you calling us foolish what do you feel you've wasted your efforts on us why are you perplexed about us because you're yielding in submission to those heretics who've distorted the truth of the gospel in church history in God's providence there have been many councils to correct the heresies that have come about for example the
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Council of Nicaea in 8325 was correcting the at the
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Aryan controversy who area said that Jesus was not God simply because the father the first member of the
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Trinity created the second member of the Trinity therefore Jesus could not be eternal therefore not
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God in the Council of Nicaea with the Nicene Creed corrected that in 4d 451 ad the
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Council of Chalcedon it crystallized the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ now all those councils were to attack heresies that related either to the
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Trinitarianism of God the triune God or Christological issues as related to Christ but before that the very first controversy that Paul is addressing here in Galatians was soteriological nature related to the doctrine of salvation and address the question what must
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I do to be saved what must I do to be saved let's look at the background of this turn with me to the book of Acts chapter 15
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Acts chapter 15 so when Paul is telling us in verse 13 that the liberating power of the gospel freezes from the law enslaving works righteousness our freedom in Christ where is that coming from Acts chapter 15 beginning in verse 1 glad to hear some pages turning
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I'm glad not everybody has iPads but some men came down from Judea and we're teaching the brothers what were they teaching them unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses oh by the way who did
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Moses receive the law from God himself unless you're circumcised according to the custom of Moses you cannot be saved these were the
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Judaizers who are saying you have to be circumcised in order to be saved verse 2 and after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with him
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Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and the elders about this question so being sent on their way to the by the church they passed through both
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Phoenicia and Samaria describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers when they came to Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church in the
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Apostles and the elders and they declared all that God had done with them but some believers who belong to the party of the
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Pharisees rose up and said it is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses notice as Paul and Barnabas were going back to the church in Jerusalem the very first church that was established as we read in the book of Acts when
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Peter proclaimed the gospel message on Pentecost they're going back to the Jerusalem church and on their way as they're passing through the different regions they're declaring what
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God has done in saving who the Gentiles while others are saying no they have to be circumcised continuing in verse 6 the
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Apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter and after there had been much debate
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Peter stood up and said to them brothers you know that in the early days
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God made a choice among you that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe here there is recounting what happened in Acts chapter 10 when he saw a vision from heaven of a sheet right and God said kill and eat no
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I'm I'm a circumcised you there's no way some clean God said what
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I have cleansed don't consider unclean and by God's sovereign and divine providence he goes to the house of Cornelius who also had a vision and proclaims the gospel to Cornelius a
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Gentile that's what he's referring to here in verse 7 verse 8 he continues Peter does as he addresses the leaders and God who knows the heart bore witness to them to the
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Gentiles the uncircumcised party by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us and he made no distinction between us and them haven't cleansed their hearts by faith now therefore why are you putting
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God to the test watch this by placing what a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers know we have been able to bear you're placing a yoke that our forefathers and we ourselves can't bear on the
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Gentiles and he comes to the conclusion in verse 11 but in contrast to that yoke of slavery we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the
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Lord Jesus just as they will both Jew and Gentile saved in the same manner by the grace of the
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Lord Jesus not by the works of the law not by circumcision and then they wrote a letter this was a
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Jerusalem Council to address the issue what must I do to be saved jump back with me to our book in Galatians go to chapter 2 if you will to give you a little bit more background of what he means in verse 13 about our freedom in Christ having read what happened between Peter and Paul and the
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Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 listen to what goes on here in Galatians chapter 2 verse 11 but when
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Cephas Peter came to Antioch I opposed him to his face Paul is opposing Peter because he stood condemned for before certain men came from James he was eating with the
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Gentiles but when they came he drew back and separated himself fearing the circumcision party this was the same
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Peter who we just read in Acts 15 the first heresy that you have to be circumcised to be saved who gave the proclamation we can't put that yoke of slavery on them we're saved by the grace of God in here by his actions he's being a hypocrite he's being with the
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Gentiles but when the circumcision part of the Jews come around he flees back to hang out with the Jews thus enforcing their heresy and then thus by his actions proclaiming yes you need to be circumcised it's interesting because in Acts 10 after his proclamation of the gospel to Cornelius in Acts 11
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Luke records that he went to the circumcision party the Jews and they criticized Peter and as Peter explained to them what
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God did they said after they realized the Holy Spirit fell upon them the circumcision party rejoiced and praised
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God Acts 11 18 that God had granted repentance unto life even to the
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Gentiles and here Peter the one who made that proclamation at the
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Jerusalem Council the one who proclaimed the gospel to Cornelius is being hypocritical but it doesn't end there verse 13 in chapter 2 and the rest of the
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Jews acted hypocritically along with him who else so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy
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Barnabas the only disciple who welcomed Saul at his conversion because nobody knew
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Paul was truly converted none of the disciples believed it and we read in Acts chapter 9 that they were fearing
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Paul because they knew before his conversion he was persecuting Christians he was chasing to put him in jail he was there at Stevens martyrdom was he not in full support and it was only
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Barnabas who welcomed them into the fold and introduced Paul to the disciples it's the same
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Barnabas who was led also astray Paul continues verse 14 but when
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I saw that their conduct their conduct we said it was by his conduct that he was promoting this heresy that you needed to be circumcised was not in step with the truth of the gospel
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I said to see first see first watch this before them all he didn't rebuke
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Peter in private he rebuked him in public and what does Paul say to Peter if you though a
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Jew live like a Gentile and not like a Jew how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews he's forcing this yoke of slavery that they need to be circumcised in order to be saved turn with me to chapter 5 of our text let's look at the context a little bit within this chapter to understand verse 13 for you will call to freedom freedom from a law enslaving works righteousness that what's
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Paul is talking about as we see from the Jerusalem Council in his confrontation of Peter and we'll see it here again even in this context beginning in verse 2 of chapter 5 look
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I Paul say to you why did he say his name there by the way he introduces himself at the beginning of the letter he's trying to emphasize that this is a serious matter and that he wants them to listen to him because at the beginning of the letter he introduced himself as quote an apostle not sent from men nor through the agency of man but through Jesus Christ and God the
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Father he was an apostle of Christ when he wrote to the
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Philippians he said I'm a slave of Christ but here because he's confronting heresy a very important heresy what must
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I do to be saved the Judeas are saying you need to be circumcised and he's saying absolutely not he's using his apostolic authority and actually he highlights it even more in chapter 1 when he says in verse 11 for I would have you know brothers that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel for I did not receive it from any man nor was
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I taught it but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ so Paul wants to highlight here in chapter 5 that is
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I Paul I the Apostle sent from God sent from Christ with the gospel of Jesus Christ who is about to say what
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I'm about to say verse 2 of chapter 5 he continues I Paul say to you that if you accept circumcision what
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Christ will be of no advantage to you if you accept circumcision for what purpose well from the background of the context for the sake of salvation if you say like the
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Judaizers say that you are saved by being circumcised by the works of the law then
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Christ will be of no advantage to you a little over a hundred years before Spurgeon came on the scene there's another preacher named
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John Gill and he says about this verse that Christ will be of no advantage to you the following and I quote with this view rendered
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Christ unprofitable may Christ death to be in vain his sacrifice of no effect in his righteousness useless besides Christ is a whole
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Savior or not at all to join anything with him in his righteousness in the business of justification and salvation is interpreted by him as a contempt and neglect of him as laying him aside and to such persons he is of no profit and if he is not what they have and whatsoever they do will be of no advantage
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Paul continues in verse 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that's the point again he mentioned in verse 2 and in verse 3 for what purpose for the sake of salvation that he is obligated to keep the whole law so policy okay you want to say you need to be circumcised to be saved it's all or nothing you gotta keep the whole law the perfect law actually know of only one person in history has ever done that the
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Lord Jesus chapter 3 verse 10 that's why Paul said for all who rely on the works of the law under a curse for it is written cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them and actually at the end of this book in chapter 6 he says of the
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Judaizers verse 13 for even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the whole law the ones who are saying you gotta be circumcised to be saved they're not even keeping the whole law they're guilty as charged he's unmasking the false teachers verse 4 he continues strong language you are severed from Christ you will be justified by the law you have fallen away from grace we just think about justification in one of our courses standing before the throne justified that term justified simply means that a holy
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God declares a person righteous the Judaizers were saying that happens through the works of the law through circumcision
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Paul says no earlier in chapter 2 of this book he says this very clearly chapter 2 beginning in verse 15 we ourselves are
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Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ so we also have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law because by works of the law no one will be justified you think they would get it
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Paul said it in a span of one sentence three times no one is justified by the works of the law ie circumcision chapter 3 verse 11 he says it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law law for the righteous shall live by faith many people have stumbled over this verse in verse 4 of chapter 5 as we're still discussing our freedom the liberating part of the gospel from this law enslaving works righteousness they say well these are believers who may lose their salvation well we know that can't be true with the testimony of Scripture we don't have the time to go into the breadth and depth of all that but we know that salvation is completely a work of God because the only thing you and I have contributed is our sin praise
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God because of that only salvation is of God we have to be born of the
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Spirit so it can't mean these are believers who lose their salvation that's wrong as I said well these are true believers who are stuck in a rut of legalism now it's true that some believers can get stuck in a legalistic mentality they might be involved in churches where they don't allow hip -hop concerts at their church
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I don't know but this is not what Paul is talking about what is he talking about here in verse 4 he's referring to the unbelievers how do we know that number of reasons look what he says you who would be justified by the law they're seeking to be justified declared righteous before a holy
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God by the law by works righteousness by circumcision he also uses the term in verse 4 you are severed from Christ very strong Greek language you are separated from Christ not joined to Christ and lastly he says in verse 4 you have fallen away from grace it's the only time that phrase is used in the
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New Testament of course in our culture we have misinterpreted that saying of a televangelist who has fallen financially morally they have fallen from grace but that's not what
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Paul is referring to here from the context he's talking about being justified before God you have fallen away from what from grace why from grace well in chapter 2 verse 21 he makes that clear in this epistle he says
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I do not nullify the grace of God for if righteousness were through the law then
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Christ died for no purpose we just celebrated Easter the death and resurrection of Christ Paul is saying there if you could obtain righteousness before God before a holy
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God through the law then there was no purpose for his death now whatsoever that's why an axe
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Paul says of the gospel it is the gospel of the grace of God and I don't have time to get into it but chapters 3 & 4 the doctrinal section of the book he uses one prime example
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Abraham and he quotes in chapter 3 verse 6 from Genesis 15 verse 6
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Abraham believed God and it was credited imputed to him as righteousness and Paul continues to say in this section of Galatians the middle section that that happened 430 years before the law came into the picture to say that it has nothing to do with the law
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John Gilligan says about this verse verse 4 quote by their seeking for justification by their own works it was all one to them as if there was no
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Christ and no righteousness in him and no salvation by him they had nothing to do with him nor he with them and Paul continues in verse 5 as he builds up to our freedom in Christ for through the
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Spirit by faith we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything but only faith working through love notice the transition in verse 4 he's addressing you the pronoun changes in verse 5 to we we in conscious are not seeking to be justified by the law we through the
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Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness because why in Christ Jesus circumcision and uncircumcision counts for anything but only faith in Christ working through love that's why at the end of this epistle he says in chapter 6 verse 15 for neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision but a new creation earlier he reiterated we're not justified by the works of the law and I makes it more specific it's not about circumcision it's about faith in Christ it's not about circumcision it's about a new creation in Christ jump with me to verse 11
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Paul says but if I brothers still preach circumcision okay let's assume that you're correct and he's exposing them for their falsehood if I still preach circumcision for what purpose for salvation in order to be saved from the context we know that why am
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I still being persecuted great question in that case watch this the offense of the cross has been removed
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Paul says clearly in 1st Corinthians 1 that the cross is offensive to those who are perishing but if you can be saved by a works righteousness by the law by circumcision by what you do then there is no offense to the cross
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Christ died for no purpose as he said earlier well you know we don't want to offend people so we change the message we preach as if we had a right
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Paul knew that he did not have a right why because he was sent from God he was an apostle of God he was to preach the gospel of the grace of God that's why at the very outset of the epistle in chapter 1 verse 8 he says but even if we he includes himself or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you let him be accursed anathema eternally condemned as we have said before so now
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I say again he repeats himself if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received let him be accursed for am
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I now seeking the approval of man or of God or am I trying to please man if I was still trying to please man
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I would not be literally a slave of Christ people love using that verse you know
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I'm I'm not at the please man I'm not to please God well from the context Paula saying I'm preaching the gospel of the grace of God not the gospel of works righteousness because I'm a slave of Christ if I'm seeking to please
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God and not man I will preach the true gospel so this is what
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Paula saying in verse 13 for you will call to freedom that's a whole background of it from act 15 in the context of the book of Galatians freedom from a law and slaving works righteousness there's nothing you can do based upon the law and for them the
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Jews and Gentiles circumcision included that can make you right and justify before a holy God that's our freedom but it doesn't end there number two the second biblical truth about the liberating power of the gospel the liberating power of the gospel frees us from a flesh indulging sinfulness it frees us from a flesh indulging sinfulness notice continuing in verse 13 only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh that term opportunity is a military term basically means to set up camp for the flesh the flesh meaning that part of our fallen humanity this side of glory that still has a vestiges of sinful humanity don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh it ought to remind us of John chapter 8 the words of Jesus Christ so Jesus said to the
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Jews who had believed him if you abide in my word you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free they answered him we're offspring of Abraham we've never been enslaved to anyone how is it that you say you will become free
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Jesus answered them truly truly I say to you everyone who practices sin as a slave to sin the slave does not remain in the house forever the son remains forever so if the
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Sun sets you free you will be free indeed Paul is saying the same gospel that liberated you from having to work your way to justification and it can only be done through faith in Christ is the same gospel that liberates you from a flesh indulging sinfulness third truth about the liberating power of the gospel the liberating part of the gospel freezes for selfless sacrificial service it freezes for selfless sacrificial service verse 13 but through love serve one another but through love serve one another notice the contrast instead of using your freedom in Christ as an opportunity for the flesh but in contrast to that serve one another why is it selfless and sacrificial well two reasons really because he says here is supposed to be through love it's the
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Greek word agape love which is a sacrificial love it's the love of John 316 for God's love that he gave chapter 5 or 6 we read it earlier it's a faith working through agape love and secondly it's selfless and sacrificial because notice the term here but through love serve one another there are three
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Greek terms in the New Testament that talk about a servant one is a term Viaconos which basically means a waiter a common servant that's where we get the term deacon deacon serve in the church the other word is
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Epiretes which is really a an obscure term it's one of a servant of lowliness but the third word is the word thulos slave a submissive servant and that is a term that is used here literally but through love be enslaved to one another but you say wait a second
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I thought we're slaves of Christ and here's our master true in a New Testament most of the time the term slave is used it's referring to us as slaves of Christ and here's our master when it talks about serving one another typically it's the other two terms but not here here it's a term to be enslaved to one another in the sense of our service is to be done selflessly and sacrificially it is a true paradox isn't it our freedom in Christ leads us to be slaves to one another in the church maybe
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I'll use that in my next membership class you want to be a slave to one another come and join the church I had a friend who once made an interesting comment very wise statement he said for many people in the church they've created their own
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God and he is the God of convenience I'll serve if it's convenient it's not a gape service it's not slavery service it's selfless and sacrificial but notice we serve one another you would think that Paul had settled the issue of our freedom from a works righteousness from circumcision from the works of the
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Lord and emasculated these Judaism you would have said that's enough he's done with it but he's not done there he shows that that doctrine that soteriological doctrine plays a role in our ecclesiology
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I mean we offer classes at IBS and we systematic theology offer different classes theology proper bibliology soteriology pneumatology but scripturally biblically all of those are intertwined you cannot separate justification by faith
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Paul is saying here from how you treat one another in the body you cannot separate soteriology the doctrine of salvation from ecclesiology the doctrine of the church you cannot separate the vertical from the horizontal but it's easy to do you know why because we love to compartmentalize but Paul does not do that here he doesn't finish with that all the practical one another's notice in our chapter chapter 5 in this book after he talks about the doctrine of justification by faith in our freedom from works righteousness that we are to not assert one another verse 26 of chapter 5 notice let us not become conceited provoking one another envying one another chapter 6 beginning in verse 1 brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness keep watch on yourself less you to be tempted bear one another's burdens verse 10 of chapter 6 so then as we have opportunity let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of the faith so here in the practical section of the book after he exposes the heretical
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Judaizers and he gives the doctrine of justification by faith our freedom in Christ now he says the implication of this is the one another's of the
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New Testament if you were to do a study of the one another's in the New Testament it would look like this these next ones are mentioned once in the
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New Testament welcome one another care for one another comfort one another agree with one another be kind to one another address one another in Psalms and hymns submit to one another admonish one another build one another up seek to do good to one another exhort one another stir one another to love and good deeds confess your sins to one another pray for one another show hospitality to one another close yourselves with humility toward one another there are a couple that I mentioned two times in the
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New Testament live in harmony with one another bear with one another forgive one another teach and instruct one another three times the
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New Testament says encourage one another four times it says greet one another but above all of them mentioned 17 times five times by the
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Lord in the upper room discourse with his disciples love one another and that is why in our text pauses in the very next verse verse 14 for connective but through love serve one another why is it through a copy lab for the whole law is fulfilled in one word you shall love your neighbor as yourself he said the same thing in Romans 13 8 through 10
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Oh nothing to anyone except to love one another for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law for this you shall not commit adultery shall not murder you shall not steal you shall not cover it and if there is any other commandment it is summed up in this saying you shall love your neighbor as yourself love does no wrong to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law policy in the liberating part of the gospel freezes for selfless sacrificial service and last but not least number for the fourth truth of the liberating part of the gospel the liberating part of the gospel freezes from a vicious assault on one another it freezes from a vicious assault on one another
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I chose those words specifically based upon what he says in verse 15 if you're wondering did actually hear him correctly did he say that I've instructed the ushers they have q -tips with them you can take out the wax out of your ears it is a vicious attack because what
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Paul says in verse 15 if you bite and devour one another watch out that you're not consumed by one another in the
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Greek the imagery is that of wild animals who are savagely attacking one another for the sole purpose of killing each other now what does that have to do with the doctrine of justification you can't separate soteriology from ecclesiology by the way he mentions the
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Holy Spirit in chapter three the same Holy Spirit who regenerates us is the same
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Holy Spirit who places into the body of Christ you can't separate the two there's no such thing as a lone ranger
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Christian so that's why he says this here if you bite and devour one another the way animals do savagely viciously assaulting one another watch out pay attention otherwise you will be consumed by one another
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Calvin who is noted for much of his work on soteriology in particular predestination election and justification as a reformer he has some wise words to say here about ecclesiology and he says about this quote
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I wish we could always remember when the devil tempts us to disputes that the disagreement of members within the church can lead to nothing else than the ruin and consumption of the whole body how distressing and watch this how mad it is that we who are members of the same body should be leagued together of our own accord for mutual destruction the liberating power of the gospel not only frees us from a works right to salvation but it frees us from an ecclesiology that prevents us from biting and devouring one another you say that what can never happen what's the context do not use your freedom what as an opportunity for the flesh until glory let me use my gift of encouragement your flesh is alive and well if you don't believe me for those of you who are married ask your spouse and Paul knows that and he says don't consume one another some of the other one another's in the
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New Testament which I didn't mention are from a negative vantage point that relate to what he says in verse 15 here Romans 14 verse 13 says do not pass judgment on one another
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Colossians 3 verse 9 do not lie to one another James 4 verse 11 do not speak evil against one another
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James 5 verse 9 do not grumble against one another the motive the liberating power of the gospel how do you do this
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I'm not gonna make this a five -step how to do message but call Paul continues and we finish with this notice verse 16 after saying that we are not to bite and devour one another so that we're not consumed by one another notice verse 16 but in contrast to that how do
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I not do this he says to them walk by the Spirit walk by the
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Spirit and if you walk by the Spirit you will not gratify the desires of the flesh walk in dependence and in the power of the
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Holy Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh what are those works of the flesh look at verse 19 of the 15 that I mentioned
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I want to highlight the eight of them which have to do with our one anothering in the body now the works of the flesh are evidence sexual immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery and here they are enmity strife jealousy fits of anger rivalries dissensions divisions and envy those are the things that can cause biting and devouring of one another and consuming one another in the body but the liberating power of the gospel freezes from those things if you're a
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Christian today not nominally by name but truly regenerated by the Spirit of God and you responded to the gospel of the grace of God by faith in Christ my exhortation to you
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Christian is rejoice Christ has freed you from a works righteousness salvation only by faith in Jesus Christ are you declared righteous if you're a
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Christian and you are using your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh my dictation to you is repent if you're a
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Christian and you have a not allowed the liberating part of the gospel that through love through an agape sacrificial selfless love you would serve one another in the body repent and serve one another if you're a
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Christian and you are some way or other biting and devouring one another repent so that you will not consume one another and if you're not a
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Christian I finished with the words of the Lord Jesus Christ who address these words to people who were trying to be justified declared righteous before a holy
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God by their own works righteousness back then it was the works of the law the Mosaic law specifically circumcision today could because you were baptized as an infant because you went through confirmation or whatever you've been through in your religious background none of that will stand before the throne of God and the invitation from Christ is to you
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Matthew 11 come to me Jesus said all who labor and a heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden let's pray father thank you for the truth of your scripture it is truth because it was written by the divine author of the
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Spirit of God we thank you for this specific passage of scripture and for the liberating part of the gospel that has freed us from a works right to the salvation that has freed us from a flesh indulging syphilis that has freed us to serve one another in love that has freed us from biting and devouring one another
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I pray for anyone here who does not know
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Jesus Christ does not have salvation is not justified by faith in Christ that they are seeking to be justified by any self -righteous works of their own that they would come to Jesus Christ alone in his perfect righteousness we pray these things for your glory in Christ's name