Dying To Live
Galatians 2:15-21
I. The inability of the law from without v. 15-19
A. Salvation is not by natural birth v. 15
* Salvation comes through super-natural birth, NOT natural birth.
* Many Jews thought that because Abraham was in their ancestry, they had heaven as reward.
John 3:1-8 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: (2) The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. (3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (8) The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
* Jesus is contrasting the physical with the spiritual
-- natural birth –vs- supernatural birth
* For the lost man, his spirit is dead to God
* When a man is saved, his spirit is made alive to God.
- He can "hear" God, "see" God, & know God in his heart.
* It makes no difference what church your mother and father, grandmother and grandfather belonged to, salvation is not by natural birth.
* You cannot be physically born into God’s family.
Gal 2:15 (Message)- We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over "non-Jewish sinners."
B. Salvation is not by working hard
1) We know salvation is not by trying, but by trusting v. 16a
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works[trying] of the law, but by the faith[trusting] of Jesus Christ,...
* You may be trying your best…
* You may be out-running your neighbor and everyone else when it comes to good works
* You may be doing the best you can, but it’s not by trying.
* You may be working hard at keeping the ten commandments, but it’s not by trying
v. 16 – "knowing" – Paul had no doubts. He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt.
- He was absolutely certain, that it’s not by trying, but by trusting Jesus.
2) We experienced salvation through the Saviour, not self-effort v. 16b
Gal 2:16 …even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law…
* Paul speaks of his own personal conversion.
* It was not the result of Paul’s self-effort that led to his being justified.
* Salvation was not the result of Paul pulling himself up by his own bootstraps.
* Paul’s faith was not in himself and what he could do, it was in Jesus and what He had already done on the cross.
Gal 2:16 (Message) - We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it--and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good.
* Our faith in Jesus, not our working or self-effort, resulted in our justification
* Paul says he trusted and believed in the Saviour and not self-effort.
* So Paul had not only a head knowledge, but a heart knowledge of Jesus as his Saviour
C. Salvation does not result in sinless perfection v. 17
* In Jewish eyes, anyone without the law, was a Gentile and considered a sinner.
* For Paul to turn his back on the law, was to prove himself to be a sinner.
Gal 2:17 "But if while seeking to be justified [or, declared righteous] in Christ, we ourselves also are found [to be] sinners, in that case, [is] Christ a servant of sin? Absolutely not!
* Paul says, "Yes, we are sinners, but that doesn’t make Christ a promoter of sin"
* Jesus doesn’t make people sinners, …man is born a sinner!
* Vincent Word Studies – "A promoter of sin by causing us to abandon the law."
* To turn away from the law, and turn to Jesus, doesn’t make Jesus a promoter of sin
* Paul knew Jesus was his Saviour, but he also knew he wasn’t perfect!
Gal 2:17 Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren’t perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin? The accusation is frivolous.
Phil 3:12-14 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
D. Salvation is not attained through the law v. 18-19
1) Because the law stirs up sin v. 18
Rom 7:7-8 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (8) But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
* Illus.- tell child to stay out of cookie jar, he will "take occasion"
- it will be an opportunity
* Illus – put up a "Wet paint, Do not touch" sign, and people will take occasion
2) Because the law results in death v. 19
Gal 2:19 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God’s man.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:9-13 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. (10) And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. (11) For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. (12) Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (13) Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
* The inability of the law…
-- Law was not bad or evil, JUST inadequate,… not complete
-- Law from without couldn’t change the heart
-- Law can’t make one spiritually alive to God,… can’t justify or save !
II. The enabling of Christ from within v. 20-21
* Note – Paul now speaks of current living of Christian life.
* Paul says it’s an "inside job".
* It’s not the law from without, but Jesus from within that makes the difference.
A. Jesus lives in all believers
John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; (17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
* Jesus lives in all believers, but not all believers live in Him.
- Not all believers abide in Him.
John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
B. Jesus’ life is only manifested in those who die to themselves
* God is interested in self-denial, not self improvement
- The old man can’t be improved upon… haven’t we learned that yet
- Only option is death to the old man
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
* When we die to self-effort, God’s life is manifested in us.
* Stop trying to use the law, or obedience to it, to earn God’s favor.
* Stop trying, Start trusting
* Stop trying, Start resting in what Jesus has done for you.
* Paul has contrasted the law and Jesus…
- the law has come up short… UNABLE to make him right with God.
- unable to justify him before God.
- unable to give him the power to live the Christian life
* The law was weak…
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
http://www.eaglesoartech.com/sermons/
