They Are Brothers & Sisters In Christ

Brothers and Sisters in Christ in the Galatian Churches

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. How does verse 11 start?

And I, brethren.

Christians don't always, we don't always talk like this, calling each other brother. Or calling a woman sister, a Christian woman sister. Or the older women are like mothers, Paul said. But that's what Paul says to them.

They're the brethren. What does that tell you? He loved them, absolutely. So he's writing to Christians in the region of Galatia. Multiple churches would have received this letter. And he calls the people brethren.

These churches had a lot of problems. That's clear. Legalism was starting to creep in. But at this moment, here's the point, they are still legitimate New Testament churches. And Paul reflects that by calling them brethren.

They're still brothers and sisters in the Lord. You know, some people think that they don't need church. Because admittedly, the Galatians had a lot of issues. A lot of people think they don't need church or they don't want to go to church because churches have too many problems.

It's like, well, have you ever read the New Testament? Like this is nothing new. Have you ever read Paul's epistles? Yeah, churches have problems.

Why?

Because churches have people. And people have problems. And guess what? You're a people too. You have problems. But seriously though, anyone who thinks there is no church worthy of their presence, they have bigger problems than they know.

So you know the saying, if you're looking for a perfect church, you've heard this. If you're looking for a perfect church, first of all, the perfect church doesn't exist. Just consider the first church, if you will, that had Jesus as the pastor.

Right?

Jesus and 12 members, the apostles. The first church with Jesus himself as their pastor had a founding member who was indwelt by Satan, Judas Iscariot. The first original church in Jerusalem at Pentecost, that's when it was formed, you had people, Ananias and Sapphira, lying to the apostles trying to look good about how much money they gave.

And then the church at Corinth had a man involved in a relationship with his stepmother. I mean, that must have been awkward at family reunions. And the people had no issue with it. I mean, that's the incredible thing that the church members had no problem.

It's like, what is happening here? And you remember those things were eventually dealt with.

Why?

Because the little leaven leavens the whole lump. But the point is, churches have problems. So if you're looking for the perfect church, you know, you found the wrong place. But if you ever do find the perfect church, don't join it.

You will be the one who ruins it. But you're not going to find it, so you don't have to worry about it. Point is, Paul calls them brethren. Despite all their problems, they're still brothers and sisters in Christ.

And I appreciate that. Verse 11, he says, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? So he seems to be responding to something specific. It appears as though the Judaizers were telling people that, hey, Paul actually agrees with us.

They've already done this with James. They tried to claim that James agrees with them. That the saints in Jerusalem, they sent letters with them. So, you know, James is with us. The church in Jerusalem is with us.

And now they're saying, it appears, even Paul agrees with us. Now, is that true? We know better. But the average church member in Galatia, they didn't know. They're hearing different things from different people.

Why would they say that Paul agrees with us? Some people have thought that there was an inconsistency in the apostle Paul's life or ministry when he had a young man circumcised. And who was that man?

Right.

Paul had Timothy circumcised. So if that was known, and it may have been, the Judaizers could have pointed to that and say, see, Paul had Timothy circumcised. Clearly, Paul agrees with us. Here's the thing.

Whether Paul was right or misguided in doing that, it was a ministry strategy. It had nothing to do with Timothy. You can't go to heaven unless you be circumcised. So they were wrong in saying that. So without getting into the weeds of this whole issue, Paul is writing to do what?

Set the record straight. If this is what the Judaizers are saying, that I preach circumcision, or that I'm still preaching the law, then why am I being persecuted by the Jews? It doesn't make sense. It's either salvation by the law or the cross.

And if I'm preaching salvation by the law, then the offense of the cross has ceased. So he's showing them, this makes no sense. Stop listening to these people. I mean, Paul must have been frustrated. And I think that might be why he says this in verse 12.

Look at verse 12. Paul, in reference to the Judaizers, he says, I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off. Cut themselves off. Okay, we're talking about the offense of the cross.

Well, some people have been offended by this statement. Some of you don't know what he's saying. Others do. I think of a preacher. I'll explain it in a second. But I think of a preacher today said this thing about another false teacher.

Oh, no doubt he would be accused of he's not being Christ-like. Was Paul not being Christ-like? He's writing under inspiration of the Holy Ghost. He says, I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off.

Let me just read from the NIV. The NIV translates verse 12 this way. As for those agitators, I wish that they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves. You get what he's saying? So he's not saying the Judaizers should cut themselves off like they should excommunicate themselves.

No, he's saying, well, you know. And if that seems just a little too harsh, remember, Paul sees them as leading people away from Christ. If you really believe that false teachers are leading people to hell, this is not harsh enough, maybe.

So we have to recognize what's at stake. If you believe the gospel, it's the power of God to salvation. If you believe in heaven and hell, then you understand why Paul is saying this. The offense of the cross.

So preaching works is not offensive.

Why?

Because it appeals to people's flesh. I'm a good person. I'm going to heaven because of what I do. It appeals to the flesh. The cross was an offense, and the cross remains an offense because it cuts to the root of human merit.

Most people think they're pretty good. Most people who believe out there, who believe in some sort of concept of heaven and hell, they believe they're going there because they are good. You know this is true.

And you know it's true because if you've talked to somebody about the gospel, this is what you come up against. If you evangelize the lost, this is what you hear again and again and again. Or if you preach that it's the cross plus your own works or something, that's not offensive.

What is offensive is grace alone, faith alone, in Christ alone. That's offensive. When the first Christian martyr was killed in Acts chapter 7, the Jews did not accuse Stephen for believing in Jesus, but of speaking against the law and the temple.

If Paul had said that the death of Jesus on the cross was just an example or a display of humility, an example of nonviolence, there's other methods of salvation. People wouldn't be offended. I mean true believers would be offended, but people out there wouldn't really be offended.

Why are people offended? Because we are saying, and Paul said, and Peter said, and of course Jesus said, Jesus told the Jews, you have to believe in me. Never mind the law, you have to believe in me.

He was exclusive.

Peter, Acts 4 verse 12, that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. That is the offense of the cross. Again, Jesus plus your own good works, that's not offensive.

Jesus plus other paths to God, that is not offensive. The offense is saying it is all by grace and it's in Christ and in Christ alone. Don't you know this? You realize there are Christian churches where if you preach Jesus as the only way, that upsets them.

That upsets them. So Jesus, let's make this real simple. Jesus is either the only way or he's not. What could be a third option? Either he's the only way or he isn't. Jesus, one of the earliest Christian creeds.

And I'm not much, I'm not one for creeds really. But here's a creed I can get behind. Jesus is Lord. This is considered to be the most simple and the earliest of all Christian creeds. Can you affirm that creed?

Jesus is Lord. It's like the verse 1 Thessalonians 5. Oh no, if I forget it that's going to look really bad. 5 .17. Pray without ceasing, right? John 11 .35, Jesus wept. Well now you just learned a Christian creed.

Jesus is Lord. But here's the thing. If Jesus is Lord, what does that mean? That means nobody else is Lord. That's the offense. So in conclusion, what are we to take away from this? Paul is basically saying if he would still preach circumcision, if he would compromise just a little bit on this one issue, circumcision, he could save himself all sorts of trouble.

He wouldn't be persecuted. He could make friends with the Judaizers. But you know, Paul wouldn't compromise on this, even this one issue.

Why?

Because it would be compromising the gospel. So you've placed your faith in Christ. I pray that everyone here has. If you haven't, you need to do that.

You need to do that.

But if you have placed your faith in Christ, you know, you will face opposition. You will. But there's always a way to escape the persecution or to escape the opposition. And you know what that is?

To compromise.

To let in just a little bit of leaven.

And then what?

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. So stay firm on the gospel. If we lose the gospel of grace, there's nothing else left. If you compromise on the gospel, nothing else will matter. The cross may be an offense.

Again, to the Jews, it was a stumbling block. To the Greeks, foolishness. But to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God to salvation. So this morning, you can rejoice. You have God's word.

We know what's what. Paul made it clear. He set the record straight. We have God's word. We have the true gospel. And if you have received it by faith, you can be exceedingly glad because your name is written in heaven.

So all the other stuff that's going on out there, you can have peace in your heart because your name is written in heaven. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you for men like the Apostle Paul who wouldn't compromise, who wouldn't budge.

Because he's an example for us. And Lord, I thank you so much for all the Galatians who stood with Paul instead of those who strayed with the Judaizers. Help us, Lord, through your spirit, not to budge on the gospel.

And Father, if there's anyone here who has never placed their trust in Christ, in his death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin, I pray today would be the day that they yield and say, Jesus is Lord.

And there is no other Lord. Jesus alone is Lord. I pray it in Jesus name.

Amen.