Rev. David Holwick V Galatians sermon series
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
July 16, 2000
Galatians 2:15 - 3:9
|
I. Justification. 2:15
A. Somebody's got to be guilty!
While visiting my mom this month I was reminded that my
parents like television.
REALLY like it - morning, noon and night.
Even during meals.
Sometimes three TVs are on simultaneously.
Mom's favorite shows? Court shows.
Judge Judy, Roy Brown, Divorce Court and who knows what
other ones.
If they are on, she watches.
The cases are usually pretty dumb but they have a simple
appeal - one side will win, and one will lose.
Instant judgment!
Would you want God's Judgment Day to be like court TV?
According to the Bible, Judgment Day is even better.
Because before we ever enter his court, we can know we are
"not guilty."
Even though we should be!
B. Justification is central to Galatians.
1) Sinful humans can be brought into acceptance by God.
a) Not by works, but by simple act of trust in Christ.
2) It is a legal term, the opposite of condemnation.
a) To justify is to declare not guilty.
b) We are not only pardoned or acquitted, but accepted
and treated as righteous.
C. Justification is a universal human need.
1) God is righteous and we are not.
a) Something is wrong between us and God.
b) Our conscience and experience confirm it.
2) What can be done to correct it?
a) Believe in Jesus...
D. Justification is by faith.
1) Works is more popular.
a) You must do many things to please God.
b) It is the religion of the ordinary person.
c) It is also a big lie.
2) Faith is the correct alternative.
a) Acknowledge our sin, put whole trust in Jesus to
save us.
b) Not intellectual conviction only, but involves personal
commitment.
1> Believe "into" Jesus. 2:16
2> An ascending scale of emphasis in verse 16:
A> First statement is general. "a man"
B> Second is personal. "we ourselves"
C> Third is universal. "no one will be"
3) It is an amazing concept.
Lewis Smedes writes:
Why do we call grace amazing?
Grace is amazing because it works against the grain of
common sense.
Hard-nosed common sense will tell you that you are too wrong
to meet the standards of a holy God;
Pardoning grace tells you that it's all right in spite of
so much in you that is wrong.
Realistic common sense tells you that you are too weak,
too harassed, too human to change for the better;
Grace gives you power to send you on the way to being a
better person.
Plain common sense may tell you that you are caught in a
rut of fate or futility;
Grace promises that you can trust God to have a better
tomorrow for you than the day you have made for yourself.
#4483
II. Rationalization? 2:17
A. Paul's enemies said "faith alone" leads to sinful living.
1) Specifically, they say his Jesus promotes sin.
a) If believers can eat pork, like Paul says, what's
next - adultery?
b) This is most likely meaning of "it becomes evident
that we ourselves are sinners" in verse 17.
1> Note parallel with "Gentile sinners" in verse 15.
2> Eliminating kosher rules makes them sinners.
2) Grace has always been open to the charge it leads to
license.
a) If God justifies bad people, why bother being good?
b) Sadly, some Christians justify the charge.
c) The grace of Christianity includes a strong moral core.
B. Justification leads to a fundamental change.
1) Paul discovered God's grace and there was no turning back.
a) Verse 18 is Paul's commentary on his conversion.
1> He used to live under the Jewish Law.
2> When he came to Jesus, he had to put it aside.
A> In some other passages Paul says he didn't
experience spiritual torment as a Jew.
B> But some see a hint here of his dissatisfaction
with his previous walk with God.
b) He cannot rebuild the old system now without admitting
defeat, so he won't.
2) The most fundamental change is that Paul died.
a) When he became a Christian, the old ways ceased.
b) This is why justification is not a license to sin.
III. Mortification.
A. Becoming a Christian involves a death.
1) Jesus had to die.
a) His death provides our sacrifice.
2) With a works-religion, the cross is unnecessary.
a) "No way!" says Paul.
B. We have to die.
About 100 years ago, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke
one morning to read his own obituary in the newspaper:
"Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, died yesterday.
He devised a way for more people to be killed in a war
than ever before, and he died a very rich man."
Actually, it was Alfred's older brother who had died; a
newspaper reporter had bungled the obituary.
But the account had a profound effect on Nobel.
He decided he wanted to be known for something other than
developing the means to kill people efficiently.
He also felt guilty for amassing a fortune in the process.
So he initiated the Nobel Prize, the award for scientists
and writers who foster peace.
Nobel said, "Every man ought to have the chance to correct
his obituary in midstream and write a new one."
Few things will change us as much as looking at our life
as though it is finished.
#1719
1) Paul says he had to die to the "law" approach to God.
2) He had to die to everything in his past.
a) Selfishness
b) Hopelessness
c) Anger and rage
The fundamental sign of real Christians is that they
submit to the lordship of Christ.
They may not yet know much of what Christ requires, but
they have made the decision that whatever they learn,
they want to obey.
This should be so true that other people will see Christ
through you.
As Paul said,
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the
Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me." 2:20
IV. Vivification.
A. (Don't you hate it when preachers do this??)
1) "Vivification" - To give or bring life to; animate.
To make more lively, intense, or striking; enliven.
2) This is what Jesus can do for us.
B. Justification is not a legal fiction.
1) Some say it means "just-as-if-I-never-sinned" but of
course I have sinned a lot!
a) This is only a partial truth.
2) Our status changes but our character is not left untouched.
3) When we are united with Christ we become different people.
a) Going back to the old sinful life is impossible.
b) Christians are not free to sin.
c) Instead, we rise to a new life. 2:20
1> We don't live it - Christ lives it in us.
C. Elements of the new life in Christ:
1) Purity.
a) Desire for what is pure and right.
2) Self-control.
a) We live out our new desires.
3) Selflessness.
4) Consistency.
5) Yearning for justice and compassion.
V. Faith is the key.
A. Supported by personal experience. 3:2-5
1) The Galatians received the Spirit by believing.
2) They have seen evidence of God's power - miracles -
because they had a simple trust in Christ.
B. Supported by Abraham. 3:6-9
1) He believed, and received righteousness.
a) Quote is from Genesis 12:3.
b) God accepted Abraham before he actually did anything.
1> Before he left his home for Palestine.
2> Before he "sacrificed" Isaac.
c) Abraham accepted what God said, and at that point
entered into a relationship with him.
2) Those who accept what Jesus said and did, enter into
the same relationship.
C. Do you have this faith?
1) Are you dying to your "old nature"?
2) Are you alive to God?
=======================================================================
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#1719 "To Illustrate: Judgment," by Rex Bonar, Leadership Journal,
Summer 1991, page 49.
#4483 "Reflections: Grace Greater Than We Know," by Lewis Smedes, Online
Christianity Today, November 13, 1995.
These and 16,500 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
=======================================================================
John R.W. Stott, "The Message of Galatians," IVP,
'The Bible Speaks Today' commentary series
I. Justification is central to Galatians.
A. Concept:
1) Sinful humans can be brought into acceptance by God.
2) Not by works, but by simple act of trust in Christ.
B. Meaning:
1) Legal term, opposite of condemnation.
2) To justify is to declare not guilty.
3) We are not only pardoned or acquitted, but accepted and
treated as righteous.
II. Justification is a universal human need.
A. God is righteous and we are not.
1) Something is wrong between us and God.
2) Our conscience and experience confirm it.
B. What can be done to correct it?
III. Justification is by faith.
A. Works is more popular.
1) You must do many things to please God.
2) It is the religion of the ordinary person.
3) It is a big lie.
B. Faith is the correct alternative.
1) Acknowledge our sin, put whole trust in Jesus to save us.
2) Not intellectual conviction only, but personal commitment.
a) Believe "into" Jesus.
3) An ascending scale of emphasis in verse 16:
a) First statement is general. "a man"
b) Second is personal. "we ourselves"
c) Third is universal. "no one shall"
IV. The most common objection.
A. "Faith alone" weakens morality.
1) "If God justifies bad people, why be good?"
2) Christ is not responsible for our sin.
a) It is our fault if we sin after justification.
B. Justification is not a legal fiction.
1) Our status changes but our character is not left untouched.
2) When we are united with Christ we become different people.
a) Going back to the old sinful life is impossible.
b) Christians are not free to sin.
c) Instead, we rise to a new life.
1> We don't live it - Christ lives it in us.
V. There is no other alternative.
A. If salvation is by our own work, the cross is unnecessary.
B. Works deny the nature of God and the mission of Christ.
1) It is to refuse to let God be gracious.
VI. Conclusion.
A. Our greatest need is justification, or acceptance with God.
B. Justification is not by works but through faith in Christ.
C. Not to trust Christ is an insult to grace and the cross.
D. To trust in Christ is to begin a new life.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
Created with the Freeware Edition of HelpNDoc: Easy CHM and documentation editor