Eternity Is Too Long To Be Wrong

ETERNITY IS TOO LONG TO BE WRONG

Galatians 2:16–3:5

INTRODUCTION

A. 4 RIDDLES

1. Do you know what they call a Hotdog in the Winter? A Chilly Dog

2. What do you call a snow man’s dog? A Slush Puppy

3. What do you call a 100 year-old ant? An antique.

4. Why did the chicken cross the Basketball Court? Because he heard the referee call “Fowl.”

B. TEXT

“Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ....because by the works of the law no one will be justified” Gal. 2:16. “I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?...Does God...work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? [faith]” Gal. 3:2,5.

C. THESIS

1. The biggest reason Paul wrote to the Galatians was because they started trying to save themselves by their own efforts, instead of by God’s way – Jesus Christ. This is relevant, because we too may be trying to save ourselves by “Do-it-Yourself Religion.”

2. Paul told them they were making a mistake and could not go to Heaven if they depended on their own goodness. So the title of this message is “Eternity is Too Long to be Wrong!” We better make sure we get it right!

I. MANY CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN SALVATION BY WORKS

A. THE JUDAIZERS & US

1. The Judaizers (legalistic Jewish Christians) came to the gentiles and taught, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5) or they “can’t be saved” (Acts 15:1). They made salvation – even after believing on Christ – conditional on works. Everybody should know this isn’t correct, right? Yet...

2. The American Worldview Inventory 2020 survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) accept a “works-oriented” means to God’s acceptance. This was found to be true of 46% of Pentecostals, 44% of mainline Christians, and 70% of Catholics. A big part of this is because the percent of Christians who say they read the Bible daily has dropped from 14% to 9%!

B. PAUL’S PROPOUNDED FIVE ARGUMENTS to prove to the Galatians their salvation was by faith & not earned by works:

1. Their PERSONAL EXPERIENCES proved salvation was by faith, not works. Gal. 3:2,5.

2. ABRAHAM WAS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, not works, Gal. 3:6-14. We are too.

3. THE PROMISE OF CHRIST PREDATED THE LAW of Moses (Gal. 3:16-17) and was thus superior.

4. TO BE UNDER THE LAW IS TO BE IMMATURE, told what to do. In Christ we become mature adults with the Spirit, trusted to follow our consciences, as Sons of God. Gal. 4:1-7.

5. The ALLEGORICAL ARGUMENT of Hagar & Ishmael, versus Sarah & Isaac. Gal. 4:22-31.

6. All these arguments show that the Galatian’s choice of works-salvation is faulty and a violation of God’s clear revelation. The big question is: Will you have salvation God’s way, or are you determined to do it yourself?

II. DO-IT-YOURSELF RELIGION IS CHOOSING THE ORDINARY OVER EXTRAORDINARY

A. IT’S APPEALING TO THE NATURAL PERSON

1. Frankly, do-it-yourself religion is very appealing; the Galatians were irresistibly drawn to it, and we can be too. It’s appealing the same way as red-hot coils on an electric stove are appealing to a little child who reaches out to touch that bright red coil.

2. We prefer the ordinary way, the way we know about, over the unknown or extraordinary. That’s why people want to believe in evolution – to explain our world and our lives by natural processes, rather than by God creating it. Evolutionists claim to be using reason instead of faith. Yet they violate reason by believing that order and complexity can come out of chaos and mindless chance. Logic says it can’t. Order and complexity ONLY result from intelligent direction. The evidence of this is so overwhelming that evolutionists are often left scratching their heads. When they simulate chance creation of the universe (without directed programming), the computer never fails to create, no matter how many times they run it. They say that everything must be “repeatable” to believe, but they’ve never “repeated” chance formation of the universe. Yet they believe in it religiously, because it IS their religion!

3. Paul proved our inclination to choose the ordinary by showing how God promised Abraham a son. After 10 years, Sarah suggested they ‘help God out’ by Abraham marrying Hagar, which he did, and Ishmael was born by ordinary means. But 14 years later God caused Sarah, who was barren all her life, to bear a son. It was a supernatural birth.