This chapter is one that needs to be studied over and over. It includes the personal testimony and ambition of Paul. It also gives us some of the great principles that governed Paul's life.
There are some things the believer must do as we live for Christ. First, we must guard ourselves in several ways and that’s what I want to look at today.
1. Look at verse 1 Paul tells us to guard ourselves by rejoicing in the Lord.
If we are constantly rejoicing in the Lord it becomes awful hard to wander off.
As you walk through life, two things are always confronting you:
1. Circumstances and 2. False teaching.
No matter where you go, the trials of life, both minor and major will confront you. We have to stand face to face with the trials of life, some of which might be... temptations – financial stress - divisions -lust of the eyes – inhumane behavior - lust of the flesh - criminal acts - greed - death - selfishness - arguments… The list could go on and on. Not one of us is capable of escaping the trials of life
There is another very important fact as well. No matter where you walk, you will be confronted by the false teachers of this world. You will always be confronted with different ideas about how to handle life and the trials we face.
There is the teaching that says, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
In other words ignore the trials and problems of life. Life is to be enjoyed by those who have the health and money to enjoy it, so go for the gusto and do your own thing."
There is the teaching that says, "Discipline and control yourself. Take care of your body and mind.
Don't give in to the lusts and passions of this life.
The abuse of a mind and body is a waste. Live as long and contribute as much as you can by living a disciplined and controlled life."
There is the teaching that says, "Don't go overboard. Enjoy life, do what you want; but do it within reason. Don't overly abuse your mind and body. It's all right to indulge occasionally; just don't do it too often and hurt yourself."
There is the teaching that says religion is the answer to both life and death, "Join a religious group and follow its rituals, adopt its beliefs, and live the best you can. This will give you a strong self-image and the confidence that God will accept you.
Just be as good as you can and God will accept you, based on the goodness you build up."
The point is this: the believer is bombarded by both trials and false teachings every day of his/her life.
If you walk throughout the day rejoicing in the Lord, your mind will be focused on the Lord.
You might say: “Preacher, I don’t have a lot to rejoice over.”
You can rejoice over what Christ has done for you-- rejoice because the Lord has justified you…because He has secured righteousness for you… adopted you… He was willing to die for you… willing to bear your condemnation and judgment…He rose from the dead for you, giving you a new life…giving victory over sin and eternal hope and the confidence of eternal life.
Rejoicing in the Lord is one of the very best ways to guard against the trials of life and false teaching. When a person rejoices in the Lord, his/her mind is focused on the Lord and what the Lord has done.
2. Paul tells us to guard ourselves by following what is written, in the Scriptures.
Paul says that he is writing some things that he had apparently written before. What he is about to write is so important that it has to be repeated.
What was written in the Scriptures is to instruct us and to help us in living for Christ. Not one of us can grow without following/obeying the Scriptures. If we fail to study and obey the Word of God, we will fall or give in either to the trials of life or to false teaching.
Only as we obey the commandments of the Lord--can we show our love and loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ.
John.14:15 Jesus says “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
[In other words; obey, follow, heed My commandments]
3. Look at verse 2 Paul says to guard yourself by watching out for false teachers.
Paul was always facing false teachers who were savage in their attacks against him. He mentions three groups of false teachers in this verse.
1. Beware of false teachers who act like dogs.
It’s important to understand here that both Jew and Gentile called each other dogs as a term of hatred.
The word "dogs" was the lowest title possible to convey hatred and ridicule.
Dog, as used here, does not refer to the domestic pet of today, but to the wild dogs that roamed in the forests by day and the city streets by night.
They were scavengers who could be very vicious and dangerous, if confronted.
The point Paul is making here is: there are some false teachers who are just like wild dogs.
They are scavengers who seek out anyone they can consume with their false teaching. And if anyone should stand up to defend the flock and the truth, they become vicious and dangerous, ready to attack the defender and destroy him.
Jesus said in Mt.7:15 “"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
They may look like one of us but their only purpose to seek and destroy what God is building…
2. Beware of false teachers who are evil workers.
This refers to those who teach that righteousness, morality, and religion are all you need to be acceptable to God. They are absolutely sure they are righteous and good or at least good enough to be acceptable to God. They believe there is just no way God would ever reject them because they look so good.
This also refers to those who live and teach evil, not only by what they say but by the way they live.
Some live immoral, and wasteful lives, while others try to mix both a religious and indulgent life-style together.
The point is this: there are those who are always opposing the fact that salvation is by grace alone.
They do not believe nor do they teach that Jesus is God's Son.
They accept His teaching, but ignore or deny salvation by His blood and in so doing oppose to the gospel of salvation by His grace alone.
They believe they can make their own way to God by doing whatever good they think is needed to make themselves acceptable to Him.
3. Beware of false teachers who are Mutilators:
The KJV uses the word concision which refers to the Judaizers. Flip over to Gal.2:3-5 NIV “3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.”
Judaizers were Jews who professed Christ but still hung on to their Judaistic religion, in particular to the ritual of circumcision and obedience to the Law of Moses. They believed a person became a Christian, first, by ceremonially becoming a Jew. Then the person was to embrace Judaism with all its rituals and ceremonies.
They also believed the men had to be circumcised, and begin to obey the laws of Moses, then and only then could he accept Christ as his Savior.
In their mind, Christianity was a mixture of Judaism and Christ.
They believed that keeping the Law was JUST as important as Christ and Christ was NO MORE important than the Law. AND SO
When Paul went to Jerusalem, he took Barnabas and Titus with him. Barnabas was a Jew who had been converted in Jerusalem. He was well known by most believers and he was, actually, one of the very first missionaries.
Titus, however, was a different story. He was a Gentile convert. He was not a Jew. This meant that he had never undergone the ritual of circumcision, nor had he committed himself to keeping the Law of Moses and the rituals of the Jewish religion.
Titus was a perfect example of salvation by grace alone.
Apparently, it was Paul's intention to present him as a prime example of God saving people by grace through faith alone--without any religion, ritual, or rule whatsoever.
But when the Judaizers heard about Titus, it burnt their toast and they planted several of their followers in the church who demanded that Titus undergo the ritual of circumcision and make the Law of Moses the focus of his life.
Paul refused to give in to the false teachers. He also refused to tell Titus he had to undergo any ritual and focus upon the law in order to be saved. Paul fought to preserve the pure gospel in all its truth.
Today you and I must continue the good fight that Paul fought. We must preserve the purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We must NEVER get caught up in “Jesus and” The Bible says that Jesus is the only way to get to heaven. Not Jesus and some other book or Jesus and some other teaching or Jesus and some other belief system.
John 14:6 NIV – “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Invitation:
