Text: Galatians 3:1-14
Title: How to be the person God wants me to be
Introduction
“Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” (v1b)
Many of you have seen the movie “The Passion of the Christ”. The Passion of The Christ was a great movie because...
1.It was the clearest portrayal of the crucifixion of Christ ever seen in a movie
2.It left you wanting to become a better person/follower of Christ
Imagine leaving the movie theater the night you saw “The Passion of The Christ” and meeting the Apostle Paul.
Apostle Paul I just saw before my eyes a clear portrayal of the crucifixion of Christ and I want to be a better person. I want to be the person God wants me to be? Where do I begin?
He would possibly say the same thing to us as he did to the Galatians.
V2-5 “I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or by believing what you heard. Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing- if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Paul’s Advice: I cannot be the person God wants me to be by human effort.
Paul could you be a bit more direct…I’m not sure what you mean?
•You’d be a fool to even try to be the person God wants you to be by human effort
•If you try to be the person God wants you to be by human effort you’d be suffering for nothing.
•Is Paul saying it can’t be done?
•Can I become the person God wants me to be?
The Answer is yes! V 5
I can be the person God wants me to by the Holy Spirit
Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
•If I need a miracle in my life; who according to our text is going to do it? God the Holy Spirit!
If I’m to become the person God wants me to be it’s going to be because the Holy Spirit did it.
If I’m going to be the person God wants me to be what then is my part?
My part is to believe what I heard.
•What did I just hear? I can only become the person God wants me to be by the Holy Spirit.
1.Where do I begin if I’m to become the person God wants me to be?
•I must begin by receiving the Holy Spirit.
•How do I receive the Holy Spirit?
•Do you receive the Holy Spirit by observing the law or by believing what you heard? (v2,5)
•The answer is that you receive the Holy Spirit by believing what you heard.
•What did the Galatians hear that allowed them to receive the Holy Spirit?
•They heard about the crucified Christ (v1)
•What did they hear about the crucified Christ?
• v10-14 is a summary of what they heard about the crucified Christ
“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.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
What they heard could be summarized in three parts
Part 1 .The words of God the Father
•“Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” (Deut. 27:26)
Most of the world has never even read the Book of the Law and no one in the world can honestly say they do everything written in the Law.
•All the world is cursed
•Instead “The righteous will live by faith.” (Hab. 2:4)
Part 2 The work of God the Son
•” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree “ (Deut. 21:23
•Christ rescued us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. Remember how God the Father said a person becomes cursed? Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law. By Christ becoming a curse for us does that mean Christ did not do everything written in the law? No Christ found another way to be a curse. Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. That why Christ had to go to the cross. So he could still do everything written in the Law and still be a curse for us.
Part 3 The work of the Holy Spirit
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
•The moment we believe that Jesus died for our sins and place our faith in Jesus’ work on the Cross we not only receive forgiveness but we also receive the promise of the Holy Spirit
•Where does obeying the law come into this? Is Paul saying we should not obey the law?
•Wrong teaching: Obey the law and you will then be able to receive the Holy Spirit
•Right teaching: Receive the Holy Spirit and then you will be able to obey the Law.
Receiving the Holy Spirit does not guarantee I will become the person God wants me to be it only makes it possible.
I can be the person God wants me to be by following the example of Abraham.
“Consider Abraham: He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham:” All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”
Abraham became the man God wanted him to be because we are told He was righteous, He was a blessing to all nations and He was the man of faith
We are to … consider Abraham
We are to …understand Abraham
We are to imitate Abraham
Abraham was a Household name to the Galatians but today many people have no idea who Abraham was.
Abraham was called by God and given two great promises
1.He would be given the land of Israel
2.He would be given a son
The land was already occupied and he was about 100 years old and Sarah his wife was almost 90
Abraham believed God and would not be turned from God’s promise by the test of delay
Abraham waited many years for God to fulfill his promise to him that he would have a son by Sarah.
•Delay deepens us (Rom. 5:3-4)
•Delay is God’s workshop
•Delay provides the very best time for God’s miracles
Abraham believed God and would not be turned from God’s promise by the apparent impossibility of the situation.
•Don’t focus constantly on circumstances
•Focus instead on God’s promise
Abraham became the man God wanted him to be only because he believed God could do what he promised to do.
God wants you and I to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to make us into the people God wants us to be.
Relying on the Holy Spirit is not a passive thing. We have to continually trust God and cooperate with God as he makes us into the person he wants us to be.
