Sermon Central
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Paul's Call By His Grace Series
Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Dec 11, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: To establish that when it pleased God, He called the Galatians, Paul, by His grace; to reveal His Son (Christ) to him, and in him; that he might preach and teach Him among the nations: that all might be saved by grace through the faith in Christ Jesus.
1) Mark wrote: “Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread being defiled, that is to say, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they washed their hands oft, eat not, holding the elders'...Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? He answered and said unto them: Well, hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, these people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” Mark 7:1-7. For brevity, I have collapsed these verses. Let's consider Matthew's account of their accusation and condemnation of Jesus and His disciples.
2) Matthew wrote: “Then came to Jesus (the) scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands… before eating…Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, these people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,” Matthew 15:1-9.
3) Conclusion: These were the same traditions of the fathers, Jesus alluded to in His correction of these leaders’ “sayings and observants” during His Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. Jesus spoke of these leaders' misrepresentation of the law and commandments unto the ordinary people, and they were guilty of saying but not keeping the commandments of God, Matthew 23:1-8. He warned the people to be "aware of the leaven of the Pharisees," Luke 12:1. We can deduce in these passages just what Paul was being, “exceedingly zealous in the traditions of his fathers," he too did not know the "commandments of God, nor the will of the Lord."
a) I am afraid many today have committed themselves to excel in the traditions imposed upon them by their religious leaders. They know what is written in their Manuals, Disciplines, and Books of Theology; but, not the "will of the Lord,” revealed in the Holy Scriptures: “the word of God,” Ephesians 5:17; Colossians 2:8; Colossians 2:20-22.
b) I say this to their shame. How can one claim to love God so, and believe His Word; yet, not even know of, nor fully understand: "the truth of the gospel of the grace of God?" I, too, at one time was in the same blindness to the "righteousness of God," Romans 10:1-4. It was a young man named: Mitchell Scates that turned my eyes to the scriptures and away from "the traditions of the fathers.”
c) All must seek “out of the Scriptures” through intense study, meditation, and devotion to the word: to learn "the way of God more perfectly,” Acts 18:24-28; John 5:39; Acts 17:11.
