Introduction:
I. The Common Conversion story
A. Rarerly, do we as a church here of an amazing conversion story, but those particular stories seem to overshadow most of our personal stories.
1. We have heard of people addicted to drugs and alcohol being converted by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. We have heard of people leaving lives addicted to lustful fornication.
3. We have even heard of people escaping the grasp of death to later become Christians.
4. They are placed before us almost as an example of true conversion, and here we set struggling with our seemingly unimportant and sellible conversion story.
B. Most of our conversions, though, are less spectacular, which creates a common story, they go something like this.
1. We lived a good life seeking to do the right thing in life.
2. We were extraordinary people that went the extra mile, smiled at people and helped the needy.
3. We did our best to to everything correctly; dotting every "i" and crossing every "t".
4. Their in lied our problem, a life of law abiding.
5. It wasn’t long that we figured out that we were not perfect and sinners just like the any other addict in the world.
6. We relied on self justification and hoping we could find righteousness on our own.
7. We found out we couldn’t and looked for another way.
8. The kicker is that we with common conversions question our conversion and dedication, because was not miraculous.
C. In retrospect, many faithful Christians struggle with a legalistic Christendom; they have never been able to find a way out of.
1. You may feel like you will never make it to heaven.
2. You may consistently say that you are incapable of doing everything right, so not confident about your salvation.
3. You’re afraid that you will make one last fleeting mistake before you die and be excluded for eternity.
4. It wasn’t until this question was posed that I understood my thinking.
5. If you committed a grievous sin directly before you die in a car accident, will you go to heaven?
II. The Galatian Christians struggled with the line of legalism also.
A. When Paul writes the letter to the Galatians, they are divided over the need of obedience to the law. Law = legalism
1. Some feel that the law must first be obeyed by all then the gospel be obeyed for anyone to be in a saved condition.
a. This cannot be correct because the Old Law was written for a distinct people and nation. It was never intended to be a law for the world, but for the Jewish Nation (Deuteronomy 4:1-8; Psalm 147:19-20)
b. The Law was also written for the time before Christ’s death. (Hebrews 9:16-17; 10:9; Colossians 2:13-14)
c. The Old law was a law of death. (2 Corinthians 3:6-9)
2. Interestingly, the apostle Peter even struggled with the conjoining of Jew and Gentile.
a. In Galatians 2:11-16, Peter is confronted by Paul because he had stopped eating with the Gentiles.
b. By doing so, Peter’s actions developed a problem between the Jew and Gentile.
c. Peter acted as though he agreed with the Jews standing that they were a better people in God’s eyes.
B. So Paul writes and gives them four perspectives of the Liberty of Christ
1. Salvation cannot be attained by any man through any kind of service.
2. The Law instead of bringing righteousness brought death.
3. True Freedom is found by Christ living in you.
4. Salvation is not found in the letter of the law.
Body
I. No man can buy heaven (v.17)
A. Though many may try, their false realization will lead them no where.
1. All of us have tried haven’t we…
2. How many of us patted ourselves on the back for a good deed?
3. How many of us made for sure of our good days in our prayer life?
4. How many have cleaned their rooms as a child for fear of the wrath of mom?
5. How many do right in fear of the wrath of God?
B. When we strive to find our own personal justification it leads us down a long and winding road.
1. Each of us may take a different path that may be longer or shorter, but they all lead to the same place.
2. We are unable to make ourselves righteous before God
3. Because, "all of have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23)
4. Even if we did claim to follow the Law today, no one would make it because their was no provision made for those who willfully broke the law. (Numbers 15:27-31)
C. So it is down that winding road that we find the crossroads of faith and we see the writing on the wall
1. Proceed on your current path and you will never find forgiveness.
2. Stop giving your own direction and look up to find your way out of this mess.
3. It is through Christ that we can find forgiveness eternally.
II. The Law instead of bringing righteousness brought death. (v.18,19)
A. Well maybe your not convinced. Another perspective for the liberty of Christ is: life is not found in the law.
1. Galatians 3:10 "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.""
2. 2 Corinthians 3:6-9 – The Old law was a ministry of death
3. Hebrews 10:28 "Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses."
4. Curse, death, condemnation, no mercy and no grace all describe the condition of one who has broken the law.
B. The Law only wears a mask of life.
1. It seems by the vision you see that eternal life is found the law.
2. I wonder what is under the mask.
3. We all know what is under there.
a. The mask is a mirror of self-pride, undue responsibility, and selfishness
b. But underneath the mask you will find death, destruction and eternal torment.
C. Paul said that he died to the law so that he might live
1. Even Paul saw it. His previous life of Judaism was no life at all instead it was a fearful expectation of judgment
2. As Christians we must realize that God does not want us to live that way.
3. True freedom is not found in the law, but is found in Christ living in you.
III. True Freedom is found by Christ living in you. (v.20)
A. Paul seems to have lost his mind when he says that he died in order to be free.
1. He says I am crucified with Christ
2. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me
3. But whenever we speak of commitment to Christ, we discuss this very concept.
a. God does not ask you to commit suicide for him, but he does ask that your entire life be devoted to his will
b. No longer should you decide to do something over his cause.
c. Nothing is weighed by what you think, but what He thinks.
4. I wonder how many of us have truly died to self?
B. Paul is saying that when you let go you will find freedom
1. Often in life we find ourselves holding on to the very end of the fabric from the rope of life.
2. Holding on tighter and tighter, saying that we can do it and do not need any help.
3. But then the day comes that our grip loosens and we fall.
4. We expect to fall a great distance, but when we are children of God; God is holding his hands out wanting us to let go in the first place.
5. You see the rope is our life line we think, but we should be looking for true living in God’s hands.
IV. Salvation is not found in the letter of the law. (v.21)
A. You cannot find salvation from "A-Z"
1. You can look in between the lines of an "A"
2. You can cross all the "t’s" you need
3. You can dot every I
4. You can look at the points of a "z"
5. But you will never find salvation in obeying the letter of the law
6. Instead of salvation you will find death, and guilt
B. You see if the Law could produce righteousness Christ died for nothing
1. Would God have sent his son to needless death
2. What would that make God
a. Liar
b. Heartless
c. Evil
d. Wicked
e. Traitor
3. But none of those things describe our God
a. Truth
b. Love
c. Good
d. Eternity
4. Our hope and expectation are given promise by his very words.
5. Our God is the God of all the earth.
Conclusion
I. True Freedom is not found in the law, it is found in the free gift of forgiveness and righteousness of God.
A. Legalism will only make you sick of living, and leave you with a life of guilt.
1. God does not want you to live a life of pessimism.
2. He has given you hope instead of dread, because of his grace.
3. No longer do you need to live for yourself by checking all of the right answers.
4. You now can live and feel free to stumble and make mistakes, because God will be right there waiting to catch you and stand you back up.
B. The Grace of God is the power that saves.
1. That gift was given with a price of Jesus Christ.
2. All you need to do is decide to reach for the gift and show God that you desire it.
3. He told us all to show him by reenacting the gospel of Jesus Christ.
4. The good news that brings salvation and liberty to live.
II. Illustration – The Room
