When Grace battles Legalism .. Grace wins every time!
Galatians 2:1-21
Intro:
Join me tonight in Galatians chapter two where Paul continues his defense of grace! Just put it down
somewhere: Jesus Christ is the Lord of Liberty! He sets the prisoner free! And I don’t know what has you
in bondage tonight .. but I do know that whatever it is .. Jesus Christ can set you free from it. Jesus
Christ can break the chains! He takes your slavery and exchanges it for liberty!
When Grace battles Legalism .. Grace wins every time!
Illustration - Baseball Game
I read this week about a baseball game that one day took place. It seems that the Lord’s team was playing Satan’s team. The Lord’s team was at bat, the score was zero to zero, and it was in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. Coach and the Lord stood by observing the game.
As they watched .. a batter stepped up the plate whose name was LOVE. Love swung at the first pitch and
hit a single, because love never fails.
The next batter was named FAITH, who also got a single because faith works with love.
The next batter was named GODLY WISDOM. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass .. ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly wisdom never swings at what Satan throws.
The bases were loaded. The Lord then turned to Coach and told him He was now going to bring in His star player.
Up to the plate stepped GRACE.
Coach said, "He sure doesn’t look like much."
Satan’s whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired
his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen. But Satan
was not worried, as his center fielder let very few get by.
He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground. Then it continued over the fence for a home run! The Lord’s team won.
The Lord then asked Coach if he knew why LOVE, FAITH, and GODLY WISDOM could get on base but could not
win the game. Coach answered that he didn’t know why.
The Lord explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, faith and wisdom will get you on base, but only My GRACE can get you home."
And it is that GRACE that I want to talk to you about tonight.
Let us be reminded that the two greatest books in the Bible against a faith and works salvation are the books of Romans and Galatians.
"Justification by faith" is the topic of discussion.
"Judaizers" or Jews trying to bring Christians back under the Law is the target of Paul’s discourse. The legalistic Jew had crept into the churches of Galatia and perpetrated their own personal opinions on salvation and "Christian Law". They claimed that once you’d accepted Christ by faith you now must submit yourself to the Jewish Old Testament laws and ordinances to perfect your sanctification.
Paul illustrates the revealed truth by giving accounts of two of his major confrontations with the Judaizing concepts, the Council at Jerusalem of (Acts 15), and Paul’s confrontation with Peter at Antioch.
I. Paul relates to the Galatians what happened at Jerusalem in Acts 15; about 45 A.D. - (2:1-10)
• "fourteen years after" (Acts 9:23-28)
• "went up to Jerusalem" (Acts 15)
• "by revelation" (vs. 2) (see chapter 1:12)
• Barnabas was very instrumental in Paul’s early ministry.
Barnabas opened the way for fellowship with the church at Jerusalem (Acts 9: 26-28). Barnabas was sent by the church at Jerusalem to the church at Antioch to encourage them (Acts 11:19-24).
It was Barnabas who enlisted Paul’s help to minister to the church in Antioch (Acts 11:25,26). Barnabas accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey (Acts 13 & 14) .
• Verse 2 shows us there was much confusion even among the apostles. If the gospel was the same as (Gen. 3) to present (as some would suggest), then why did Paul have to "communicate it to them", and why privately? In (Acts 15:11) Peter himself finally gets it straightened out in his own mind. Peter was a slow learner, (Acts 10:1-48). The whole chapter was an attempt to teach Peter the principles of Galatians two.
• Titus, a Gentile, was not compelled to be circumcised. Notice Timothy’s circumcision following (Acts 15 in 16:3). Timothy was ~ Jew and ~ Gentile. The circumcision was done for testimony sake not because it was compulsory.
• (Verses 7-10) define the ministries of Peter and Paul and their areas of responsibility.
II. Paul gives account of his confrontation with Peter at Antioch - (2:11-14)
• This confrontation takes place after the Council at Jerusalem and sometime around (Acts 15:35).
• (Verse 11) "he was to be blamed." For what? (Verse 13), dissimulation or hypocrisy.
• Peter finds himself in what he considers a precarious position. He’s setting down eating dinner and fellowshipping with his Jewish "buddies". Peter is afraid he’ll be seen eating with the "heathen" and excuses himself to go to the restroom. When the time is convenient, Peter slips out the back door so as not to be seen. Some of the other Jews seem to be embarrassed likewise, they perform similar escapes and Barnabas watching all their escapades is infuriated by their hypocritical attitudes.
• Paul reprimands Peter publicly 14)
III. Paul states the doctrines and principles of justification by faith - (2:15-21)
Salvation is not Gentiles becoming like Jews, but Jews taking their place with Gentiles as sinners. Following are at least three verses that every Christian should know if not memorize! (Verses 16,20 & 21)
All "religion" no matter what brand or name tag it bears is faith plus some element of works. This goes for eastern religion, cults, protestant "Christianity" and Roman Catholicism. One of the unique things about true Bible Christianity is that it teaches there is nothing you can do to get saved or stay saved but accept God’s free gift on His terms of faith. All religion adds to the finished work of Christ. This promotes self righteousness and tends to glorify man and the flesh rather than God. (See Rom. 3:20,28; 4:5; Eph. 2:8,9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Rom. 3:30; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor. 1:18 etc.)
Justification is being accounted righteous before God, the sinner puts on the righteousness of Christ and God sees him perfect in the righteousness of His Son. Justification is the judicial acts of God whereby those who put their faith in Christ are declared righteous in God’s eyes, free from guilt or punishment.
(Romans 5:1) say: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Our Lord Jesus Christ."
(Galatians 2:20): Christian Growth
[1]. Realize you are dead.
[2]. Realize you are alive.
[3]. Realize it’s Jesus Christ in you and not you.
Allow me to illustrate further:
The evil that a Christian does is:
[1]. His own - (Gal. 2:18)
[2]. Yet it is not his own - (Rom. 7:17)
[3]. It comes from a dead man - (Rom 7:18)
The good that a Christian does is:
[1]. Not his own - (Gal 2:20)
[2]. Yet it is what the real him desires (Rom. 7:22)
[3]. The good fruit comes from something that is part of the new man - (Rom. 7:1-6)
See these verses:
Rom. 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Cor. 4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Gal. 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Eph. 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Col. 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col. 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Much of this sermon was gleaned from different sources. I would like to credit Dr. James Modlish for his outline.
