Expository survey through Galatians at Christ the Word Church with Nate Prazuch.
[00:00:20] Galatians 2, Paul's setting it straight, setting straight their understanding of salvation, the way of salvation, the true gospel. Good thing to always be reminded about. He's told them, leading up to this point, that he himself has gone through what they're going through right now. He's been in their shoes. He's been kind of duped and tricked maybe with a message that wasn't the real message of salvation, but he thought it was when he was a Pharisee for so many years. He believed a lie.
[00:00:49] And I think his heart went out to the people in Galatia, and he didn't want them to follow down the same path he went to. He let them know recently here in Galatians that he had gone up to Jerusalem after those 14 years, had the endorsement of Peter and James and John, had their blessing on his ministry.
[00:01:08] And now Paul turns and gives them assurance of the truth of the gospel. And he wants them to know that the gospel truth can hold anyone accountable. Even apostles, even pastors, even friends and family. But if you go up to the top, whoever is in the CEO office of the church or the pastor's office, they can be held accountable by the truth of the gospel too.
[00:01:34] And we'll see here what Paul means by that. Our passage today begins in verse 11 of chapter 2, but I'd like to read first what he just says previous to where we kick off so we can get that transition of his thought process. So in Galatians 2, I'll begin verse 9. And Paul writes, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me. And they accepted Barnabas as their co-worker, me and Barnabas as their co-workers.
[00:02:03] They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles while they continued their work with the Jews. Now verse 11. But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with Gentile believers who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.
[00:02:32] As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? You and I are Jews by birth, not sinners like the Gentiles.
[00:03:00] Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ, only to be found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Again, absolutely not.
[00:03:29] Rather, I'm a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law which I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law. I stopped trying to meet all its requirements so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless,
[00:04:00] for if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. The Word of God. Let's pray. Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you for your ministry, and we thank you for teaching us and your disciples and your apostles. Through them we learn, and by reading the scriptures that they've written, we learn the truth. We want to stick to the truth.
[00:04:26] And so by your Spirit, we pray that you lead us to understand the truth this morning. We thank you, Lord, and be with us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. While Walter had spent years behind concrete walls and iron bars, the prison had taught him its rules. Lights out at ten. Count at six. When to stand. When to sit. Name a number when the guard inquires.
[00:04:54] He learned to live by the clock and the lock and the whistle. None of it ever made him free. It only made him obedient. Then to everyone's astonishment, someone else stepped forward to serve his sentence for him. And the judge accepted it. And the record was closed. The gate was swung open, and Walter was handed a pardon with his name on it. For a while he lived like a free man. Slept in his own bed.
[00:05:25] Slept past the crack of dawn. Ate at his own table. Walked out his front door whenever he wanted to. And some of his old cellmates came to visit. They weren't unkind, but they were hard men who still lived by the code. One of them said, a real man finishes his time. Another one just looked at Walter's relaxed shoulders and shook his head. Walter felt the old shame rise up from his past. That night he put on the gray uniform he'd kept,
[00:05:54] drove to the prison, and asked the guard to be let back in. The guard checked his clipboard and frowned. There's no paperwork for you. There's no sentence here. It's been served. But Walter insisted. He wanted to be under the rules again because the rules were what he knew. The old way gave him some strange sense of comfort and some misplaced sense of accomplishment. That's what Peter did at Antioch. And that's why Paul rebuked him to his face
[00:06:24] to go back to the old prison cell of the old covenant law. It's to say that the substitute didn't satisfy the sentence. To go back and serve the time which had already been served is to say that his Savior's sacrifice for him was meaningless. Paul says, I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
[00:06:53] Our first verse for this morning I want to read here. Paul writes, But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. Now remember, Peter is an apostle of Christ. Paul is an apostle of Christ. But Peter lived with Jesus and Paul didn't. So here's Paul, kind of the new guy on the block, the new apostle. What did he call himself? One as of, one of untimely born.
[00:07:23] Paul came later. Peter had known Jesus, eaten with him, saw him raised from the dead, saw him die. And now Paul is confronting Peter, of all people, to his face publicly. Well, what made Paul so bold to correct Peter in public? Was he being arrogant? Was he being stubborn? Everyone should be held accountable to the truth. And Paul knew that. And Paul knew he had the truth. And the truth could even hold
[00:07:52] an apostle of Christ accountable. Which is what happened here. If you're taking notes, your first note. The truth will embolden you when using it to keep others accountable. The truth will. Not your might. It's like the old saying, speak truth to power. I'm sure you've heard that before. When confronted by someone who's bigger than you, stronger than you, angrier than you, has more authority than you, but you have the truth,
[00:08:21] you've got a leg up on them. And I always use the example of if an employee goes to work and he realizes that he's going to be suspended because he's been late too many times. And he goes into the boss's office and says, but boss, boss, you know, I'm a really good worker and I didn't mean to and there was traffic and there was this and all the excuses. And you shouldn't do it because I'm really mad at you and I'm yelling. He's showing force. He's showing power, right? And all the boss has to do is look through his notes and say,
[00:08:50] you signed this policy, right? Yeah. It says if you're late three times in a week, you're suspended, right? And he says, well, then you're suspended, right? That truth overcomes the power, you see? And so when Paul saw Peter doing something that was what he called very wrong, he says, I got to do something about it because I know I have the truth and I think Peter knows it too. It's one thing about the truth is that it's true, right? Again,
[00:09:19] but when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face for what he did was very wrong. And you might be thinking, well, what about Matthew 18? You're supposed to go to your friend in private. And then if he doesn't listen, take one or two witnesses. And then if they still don't listen and you can bring it to the church, you're supposed to handle it that way, I thought, aren't you? That's from Jesus, after all. But there is also gospel precedent for public reprimand. And it's for when people are sinning,
[00:09:49] teaching particularly, preaching publicly, false things. I want to go to 1 Timothy 5. Paul tells the young pastor, Timothy, that pastors and teachers who do this type of thing, teach false things, should be reprimanded in front of the whole church, he writes, because this will serve as a strong warning to others. So what Peter's doing is leading others. And if he's doing the wrong thing, someone's got to say something. It's almost a duty of the Christian.
[00:10:19] And listen to what the wisdom passage says in Proverbs 27. It says, An open rebuke is better than hidden love. Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. Wounds from a sincere friend are better. Because you know a sincere friend loves you. And he might tell you something that hurts in the moment, but it's for your own good. It's because he loves you. And Paul loved Peter like a brother. Your next note
[00:10:49] reflects this. Those who truly love you will tell you the truth even when it hurts. I've had to tell people I've loved hard things. I've had to hear hard things from people who love me. But I took it in a different way. I didn't take it as they're my enemy. I took it as they're trying to help me. So we should be on both sides of that. One, being willing to receive this humbly correction like Peter did later on they're still brothers in Christ
[00:11:19] and they're still working together of course because Peter knew somewhere in his heart that Paul was right. We should also be willing to say something in love the right way to correct someone especially if they're leading others down the wrong path. I want to read it again. It says, But when Peter came to Antioch I had to oppose him to his face for what he did was very wrong. This is how Paul starts his thought. For the Christian there's a certain responsibility that we have to defend the true faith.
[00:11:50] Last week I read from Jude which is about defending the faith because there are many false teachers and preachers and just ministers out there and just false friends in the I should say false friends but friends in the faith who are teaching false things or doing false things. Should we be quiet? Should we say something? What's our duty? We have a responsibility to defend the faith. The Greek word means to oppose when Paul says I had to confront him. I had to oppose him. It means to set
[00:12:20] oneself against. It means to resist. To withstand. You know you square up with somebody if you're going to fight them right. You take a different stance. You square up. You face it head on. You don't shy away or run away. I had to oppose him. I had to resist him and stand in front of him. To block him almost. And in the New Living Translation it says I had to do this.
[00:12:49] Paul didn't have to confront Peter. Really did he? Maybe he could have just said well let's just let sleeping dogs lie. He didn't really have to do it publicly did he? Maybe he could have just taken him aside. But he did it publicly. He didn't just let it slide. Paul was I think doing his duty. His righteous duty. Hoping that Peter's followers wouldn't be taken down the wrong path. Hoping maybe you know if he would have just said let's just
[00:13:19] not say anything I don't want to ruffle his feathers. I want to keep Peter as a good friend. I don't want ways between us it'd be kind of awkward. He could have done that. And I think most people are tempted to do that. What's our duty as a Christian? If it comes up to me if it's laid on my doorstep what do I do? Well Paul could have just left it alone. But at what cost? Would it have been at the cost of those people who were
[00:13:49] following Peter down the wrong path? The cost of their souls? It's a high cost. Just so Paul wouldn't hurt Peter's feelings. The truth is you and I have done the same thing. I know I have. Just for the sake of keeping the peace to keep our mouth shut. When the Lord has prompted us you've felt that prompting before maybe in different situations he's really prompted me to say something I really should walk over there and do something or say something and if you don't
[00:14:21] I think it's disobedience. When the Lord has prompted us to open our mouths to tell the truth in a moment in a particular space to a particular person and we don't I think it's disobedience and I've done it myself. Next note. We should prioritize actively defending the truth the true gospel over keeping people comfortable in their sins. Because you know it's just easier to keep people comfortable. I don't want to be the one to cause a scene.
[00:14:50] I don't want to be the one to make waves in the meeting. It's just easier to not do anything. And what did Peter do anyway that was so as Paul put it so very wrong? What was so bad that he needed to publicly remand the apostle of all people? Well if you've been paying attention to Galatians that you might have a clue or a hint what Peter was doing that was so wrong was compromising the gospel.
[00:15:20] Compromising the gospel changing the gospel being okay with it being modified over here customized over there putting a seal of approval on it. So how was he doing this exactly? How was he compromising? Paul tells us exactly how in verse 12 he says when he first arrived he says here's what he was doing when he first arrived he ate with the Gentile believers who were not circumcised. Great. He's supposed to go and eat with people who are new converts in Christ not circumcised
[00:15:50] Gentiles fine. You don't need to do all that stuff. You need to have faith in Christ. And Peter was doing that in Antioch first. But afterwards something changed. When some friends of James came Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. Why? He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. Okay, that's a mouthful. He was compromising the gospel because of peer pressure
[00:16:17] because he didn't want to be criticized. It says who's going to criticize him? The people who believe the false gospel. That you needed to do something else something on top of God's grace. Why would you want to have their approval anyway? Proverbs 29. It says the fear of man, Peter was dealing with this, lays a snare. But whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Peter should have trusted in the Lord.
[00:16:50] Verse 12 says he was afraid of criticism. We've all experienced that. We get it. I know I don't want to be criticized in front of everybody. Sometimes I'll quote old 1980s theologians like John Cougar Mellencamp who says if you don't stand for something you're going to fall for anything. Where are you going to stand if not in the gospel? Martin Luther said here I stand. I can do no other. When they were about to kill him, by God's grace somehow they didn't kill him.
[00:17:20] But he said here I am. This is where I stand. You're wrong and the gospel is right. If you got to take a stand and it won't be on the gospel where else are you going to do it? We have to take a stand sometimes. He was afraid of criticism. From who? From God? No. From these false teachers that said you have to add this to the gospel. You have to be circumcised. Otherwise you're not in. Peter, why do you care what they think? They're wrong. You have the gospel. You should open your mouth. Peter of all people
[00:17:50] with a big mouth. But he didn't do it. Translation when you come down to it, Peter wanted to keep the peace. So what did he do? He betrayed the gospel publicly. Put a seal of approval on what they were saying instead. Just so he wouldn't make waves. And Paul says, I'm not going to go for that. I can't go for that. I have to confront you publicly so they all see this. Because they're being led astray. Paul had a heart for
[00:18:19] the people. There's nothing to add. There's nothing that could ever be added to the gospel. There's nothing that ever could be added to the Lord's sacrifice for your sins. And I want to read from Colossians. Paul writes here to the Colossian church and reminds them. He says, you were dead because of your sins. You were dead, as good as dead, because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then,
[00:18:49] what happened? God made you alive with Christ. Who did that? God made you alive with Christ. For he forgave all your sins. This is a simple message. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. He canceled the debt. He canceled all the charges. Boy, Lord, I've racked up a lot of charges against you in my sin. I've racked up a lot of charges and you all have too. There's no way you could have
[00:19:19] paid for all those, Lord. Are you sure you got them all? Because I know there's some bad ones from way back. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and he took it away by nailing it to the cross. And we still, why do we always say, but Lord, I don't think you did it. I don't think you paid them all. I think I should help. I think I should do something extra.
[00:19:50] Paul goes on here in Colossians and he says, in this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Your next note. It's an age-old lie that man can do anything to help God save him, though they still try. We're still trying to help God save us. Man is as if he needs your help.
[00:20:21] Well, I think I should still get circumcised as a Gentile, all right? I think I should still do all the different sacraments and make sure I've given up to the church and go be a missionary and I got to do something. It's just in us to think that. So I understand how the world can look at it and say, that gospel doesn't make any sense. Of course it doesn't, not to the worldly mind because we need the spirit to understand it and Paul tells us that the world cannot understand the gospel because
[00:20:50] those things are spiritually discerned, he says. You need the spirit within you to understand them. That yes, our God is big enough to forgive all the sins against him, to cancel the debt. You don't have to go back to the prison and serve your time. It's been paid. There's no sentence left. Galatians here in chapter 5, Paul will tell the church, Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free and don't get tied up again in slavery to
[00:21:20] the law. He's saying don't go back into prison cell. There's no need to. What do I mean by going back into the prison cell? Giving yourself extra things to do in order to be saved. Adding to the sacrifice of Christ. Don't do it. Because like you and me, and Paul told the Galatians this, because they were like you and me. We as humankind, for some reason, want to crawl back in the prison cell.
[00:21:50] But I like the rules. It makes me feel like I'm doing it, like I'm helping, like I'm doing something extra. Only thing that can give you is bondage and pride or despair. You realize once you're in there, I can't do it. I can't do it. Now I'm in despair because I added these extra things to my salvation and I can't do it. There's too many rules. Look at 613 laws in the Old Testament. Plus, add all the pharisaical laws on top of those laws. It's just despair.
[00:22:21] I can't do this. And that's what you get when you go back into the prison cell of adding anything to the gospel. Or you get self-righteousness to say, oh, I can do it. I've done it all. I'm still doing it. And you're lying to yourself and your head gets puffed up. So puffed up you can't even hear God anymore. And all you think about is yourself. And it's just bondage. We're only saved when we repent of our
[00:22:50] sins and trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation. And we're only given that salvation by God's grace alone, through our faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, through what Scripture tells us alone. And Paul says, when he heard Peter, he says, I won't stand for this. My name is on this. If I let you do this, now I'm doing it too. I have to stand up. Paul says, I
[00:23:20] don't care who you are. You're an apostle if you're just one of the janitors in the temple. Don't mess with the gospel. Can't divide friends or family or pastors. I mean, actually, as you say, the truth will divide those things. But if we just keep our mouths shut for the sake of not making waves, all we're really doing is having a smooth sail all the way to Judgment
[00:23:50] Day. And some are going to make it and some aren't because some of us just want it to be quiet and have a nice smooth trip. Well, our friends and family are here and we know where they're going because we haven't given them the gospel. We don't want to argue about it, so we'll just be calm. We're almost there, guys. Judgment Day's coming. And then when we get there, they haven't heard it because you haven't given it to them. Maybe the Lord's telling you to be the one to do this. He told Paul in Antioch and Paul did it. And later Peter was thankful for it.
[00:24:21] Let's go to verse 13. Paul says, as a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter's hypocrisy and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. What people like Peter are doing, especially because they know better, is not only hurting their own walk with the Lord, but they're hurting others' walk. Walks with the Lord. If they continue down this road of just compromise the gospel or watering it down, Paul calls this hypocrisy, potentially
[00:24:50] leading others astray, and Paul calls what Peter has done very wrong. Your next note. Sin may result from our actions, yes, of course, but also from our inaction. If God's calling you to act and you don't, you're being disobedient. Sin. Jonah, go to Nineveh. Didn't do it. Sin.
[00:25:22] Talk to this person at the train station. I just want to be quiet. I want to make a scene. Disobedience. Sin. Yes, of course, when we actively do something that is sinful, we're sinning, obviously, but also when we have the righteously and divinely appointed duty of doing something and the Lord is prompting us in that moment and we say, no, I'm not going to do it, we're sinning. It becomes sins of omission. There are even sacrifices in the Old
[00:25:52] Testament for sins of omission and sins of commission. The sins that you did do outwardly, there's a sacrifice for that. The sins that you sinned because you omitted action, there's a sacrifice for that. Peter's sin here was not doing something. Peter's sin here was not standing up for the truth. After all, God had made him an apostle of Christ. As in, you go and build churches
[00:26:22] and defend the faith and get the gospel right. That's your duty. I've given you. And he didn't do it, at least in Antioch. What's another way of saying what he didn't do is he was just going along to get along. Not making waves. He had the duty to preserve the gospel, but he chose and said to keep the peace. You know, I don't know how
[00:26:51] many souls will be lost throughout all time for men and women just choosing to keep the peace. Jeremiah 6, the prophet speaking for the Lord says this about the people having no shame and no fear about their impending judgment. They just want to be left alone in sin and comfort. And their priests accommodated that and they just want to keep the peace.
[00:27:19] Jeremiah 6, verse 13. From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they're all frauds. They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound. It sounds like Paul telling Timothy, there's just pastors out there not tickling ears because that's what they want to hear. Giving assurances of peace when there is no peace. peace. You just want to keep the peace. There is no peace.
[00:27:49] You're just being quiet. Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all. They don't even know how to blush. Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord. Yes, you or I may keep the peace, whatever that means, when confronted with a false gospel message. And we may actually achieve some sense of a temporary peace in that moment, in that meeting, in that room. Temporary peace between
[00:28:19] us and the other person. There might be peace there. But how can we truly have peace in our hearts when we leave that place knowing that there really isn't peace between that person's heart and God? Because you know they got it wrong. And I just didn't want to have a scene there. So I'm going to go home and lay my head down and sleep well tonight knowing that there's no peace between them and God. And I could have said something right there. Which peace is more important? The peace between me and a person that might have an awkward
[00:28:48] moment with? Or the peace that really isn't there between them and God? And I could have said something. Paul continues his explanation in verse 14. He says, When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter, in front of all the others, since you, a Jew, by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow Jewish traditions?
[00:29:18] He's showing Peter what he's doing. Think of it, the fact that Peter was compromising the gospel just to keep the peace. Paul equated this to not following the truth of the gospel. He saw Peter trying to compromise and Paul said that's compromising the truth of the gospel. And he points out Peter's additional hypocrisy. Being a Jew by birth, having
[00:29:47] discarded the Jewish laws, understanding now my salvation is in Christ through faith by God's grace, not by these laws. Peter's light went on in his soul, in his mind, in his heart because God opened his eyes. Paul's saying you should know better. You do know better, Peter. But now he's making the Gentiles follow the old laws he discarded. Paul's saying you're not being consistent here. And you're an apostle of Christ and people are watching you and you're giving them a
[00:30:17] bad testimony to follow here, Peter. And he says it's hypocritical and he lays it out for Peter here in verse 15. He says you and I are Jews by birth, not, and he says quote unquote sinners like the Gentiles, we're Jews here, yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be made right with God. He says it again, because of our faith in Christ. And he says it
[00:30:47] again, not because we've obeyed the law. Remember we talk about how Paul emphasizes things. One way to do that is repetition. In two breaths, he says two things two times. We know that we're saved by faith in Christ, not by obeying the law. And he says it again, the next line. And then he goes on and he says, for no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. Just to put a cherry on top. He's saying, Peter, you know this.
[00:31:18] Why do I have to be the one to tell you? I'm the new guy. Paul reminded Peter about the simple gospel. Simple. He was preaching to Peter as if Peter didn't know. You know, we know Peter's personality a little bit. Kind of a knee-jerk kind of a guy and his motto was ready, shoot, aim sometimes. times. But he's telling Peter, look, man, these people are following you. And you know better. I've got to do this. I've got to tell
[00:31:48] you this here and now with them watching. Your next note. We know that we are saved by faith and not by obedience to the law. As Christians, we should know that. Because as Christians, we should know the gospel and that's what the gospel is. I mean, Peter just heard this from Paul twice in two breaths. We know we're saved by faith in Christ, not by the law. We know we're saved by faith in Christ, not by the law. And then Paul says no one's saved by the law.
[00:32:18] I love going to Romans chapter 11 here where Paul says in verse 5, at the present time there is a remnant, that means a small piece. Small piece. Chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. He's saying if we're saved by grace, God's grace. You don't deserve it. Through faith in Christ.
[00:32:48] If you have to work for salvation, then we've got the definition wrong and the word should be changed from grace to wages. Well, you've earned it now. We have to understand grace. Some people don't understand grace. What can I do to help? There's no way God could have paid for all my sins. Maybe he forgot about a few of them. I've got to do something. I've got to go back into prison cell. Serve my term. Many of us don't understand grace. Even Peter at that moment needed a little refresher
[00:33:17] from Paul. Verse 16 again. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. And now Paul carries out Peter's hypocritical actions to their absurd conclusion in verse 17. He says, let's think of it your way, Peter. But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ only to be found guilty because we've abandoned the law. Would that mean that Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not.
[00:33:48] Rather, I'm a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law which I already tore down. For when I tried to keep that law, it condemned me. And the Bible says the law can only condemn. It can't save. So I died to the law. I stopped trying to meet all its requirements so that I might live for God. He's saying, think of it, Peter. If we are saved by faith in Christ, but then God finds us guilty of not obeying the law,
[00:34:18] then Christ lied. Is he leading us into a false gospel? Of course not. We got it wrong. It's us we're in the problem lies of understanding. And this is what Paul's clarifying for the Galatians. And here comes Peter and he's clarifying it for Peter too. The gospel is what it is. And expect, we should expect the world to hate it.
[00:34:49] Because the world wants to get in there and fix it and change it. It doesn't fit me. I am who I am. I was born this way and all the rest of it. The gospel is what it is. And it can't be customized. And it doesn't leave room for man to get his dirty fingers in there. Salvation is from the Lord. There's no adding to it. There's no subtracting from it. There's no absurd for a true Christian
[00:35:19] to believe that he's saved by grace of God through faith in Christ. And then also that he still has to do something else. Something more. Trying to help God save him. And Paul says that's like walking back into your prison cell after you've been set free. In Galatians 5 he told us as much. Now verse 20. He says my old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but
[00:35:48] Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I can't do all the law stuff. But Christ did and he lives in me. And that's where my faith is. He's doing it. He's living my Christian life for me. Because I can't. I heard someone say a long time ago and I've heard many people say it. If you could lose your salvation
[00:36:19] you would. And you would lose it every day. And for a long time I didn't understand that. But after going through and learning through prayer and the guidance of the Spirit I understand now who saved me. And it wasn't me. it was Jesus. And he saves who he saves every time all the way.
[00:36:50] My old self is gone. The old self is crucified. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. And now Paul is doing the work here in ministry through Christ in him. And Christ gets the glory. Paul is now living by faith which is what we should be living not by compulsion to do extra things or be okay with other
[00:37:19] things being done and you putting your seal of approval on it. No, if we are confronted with false gospels and we're here maybe the reason we're seeing it is because God made sure we were there so we could say something about it. We're his hands and feet on earth after all doing his ministry. He's within us and we have the truth. We should be able to stand on our foundations and say here I stand. Here's the truth. Like it or leave it and speak truth to power. And so Paul
[00:37:49] ends his thought with a hammer like usual. Verse 21. He says, I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless for if keeping the law could make us right with God then there was no need for Christ to die. He just lays it out there and says, do you mean to tell me that you could do something to help save yourself? Because if you're saying that then Christ didn't even need to die. He's saying that if you want to put your confidence
[00:38:18] in yourself to uphold other additional requirements that you may add to the way of salvation for you, then you're essentially saying that you can save yourself because you're going to do it your way. And you don't need Christ to do it for you. And then Paul would probably say, well go ahead and save yourself and good luck with that. But we cannot compromise on the gospel.
[00:38:50] We cannot compromise on the gospel for the sake of smooth sailing on the way to judgment day. Just so we have a nice trip because half of us in the boat are going to fall off the edge. We need to have a heart for these people who believe what they believe and they believe it strongly but we have the truth in Christ because he's within us and the Holy Spirit is within us and he's guiding us into all truth. We have it. What do we do with it? What's the old little kid song? This little light of mine? I'm going to let it shine.
[00:39:20] And the next line says hide it under a bushel? No! I'm going to let it shine. It's a kid song but it really is biblical. What's the point of having Jesus in your heart shining light and you just keep it hidden? God will put you in the places that he wants that light to shine. So when we're in those places like Peter was in Antioch, we don't do this. We say I'm standing here. Like it or leave it. I love you. I want to tell you the truth. It might be hard to hear
[00:39:50] but we're doing it out of love. We can't water down the gospel. Making it more palatable for us to for the world to accept. I'll just change this part and kind of cut that part off then I can take it. No. No. We preach the gospel as it is confronting sin and offending sinners because without the conviction of the Holy Spirit their hearts will never change because they're going to be thinking they're okay. I just heard yesterday
[00:40:20] someone talking online about how this is what we should be preaching and had no conviction of sin and no gospel in it. It was just about how good God was. That's not the gospel because you're right. God is good but he's also judge of sin and if you ever want to be reminded about that read Revelation 19 when he's coming from heaven on a white horse with flaming fire in his eyes and a sword coming out of his mouth which is the word of God
[00:40:49] to destroy the enemies of God with the rod of iron. That's God too. We need to preach the gospel as it is. Some people need to be shaken up a little bit. I do need help. I am a sinner. Thank you for telling me I never even knew it. Paul even said I didn't even know what coveting was until I heard the gospel that I knew I was doing it. Someone has to tell you. Someone has to tell these people and it might be you.
[00:41:21] Don't compromise the gospel just because we want to keep the peace, have smooth sailing on the way to judgment day, all for the sake of not being criticized by people who have their own gospel for themselves because we have the true gospel in Christ and sometimes the Lord will prompt you to say something and I beseech you to say it. If it's the truth, if you're called by God to do it, he'll take care of the rest and
[00:41:51] hopefully the Lord will be glorified and that person will come back to you later and say thank you for telling me that because I needed to hear it. Please stand with me as we pray. Lord, you know your plans of ministry and how your gospel will go out throughout the world. We know that we want to be your hands and feet but if we close our mouths we are not as effective.
[00:42:21] So Lord give us the encouragement, the truth, the clarity of mind when things come up, when we're put in these situations to speak out against watered down gospels, compromised gospels, false gospels, all of them and in love tell the truth to these people who need to hear it so they can also come to you and be saved by your grace and understand the simple true gospel that we're saved by your grace alone and by our faith in
[00:42:50] Christ once we repent from our sins and you bear them all and you wash them all away. Thank you Lord for your gospel message going out. We pray that we are effective ministers as we leave this place. We pray that you're also blessed by what we do. We pray all these things in Jesus name. Amen.