Series: Action [#39]
FREEDOM LETTER- DON’T BE STUPID
Galatians 3:1-14
Introduction:
If you have kids or grandkids, or know any kids; you have probably said something like, “Have you lost your mind? Are you stupid or what? What were you thinking?” If you want to have freedom in Christ, you need to not be stupid.
Galatians 3:1-5
Don’t be stupid…
1. Stop listening to what everyone is saying.
Have you ever fallen for a scam? As my dad always says, “If it looks to good to be true, it probably is”. Paul was angry with these Galatian Christians because they were listening to everyone that had to say. They had no discernment. Paul told them to stop being so stupid.
Just because someone says it doesn’t make it true. Paul is reminding them that salvation is through Jesus, and Jesus alone. I would encourage you this morning to remember this truth. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus. The Bible must be the final authority in your life- Not people.
Trusting Jesus is not a jumpstart, it is a new heart. It is not a defibrillator; it is a heart transplant. He takes His heart and puts it within us.
Galatians 3:6-9
Don’t be stupid…
2. Rely on your faith in God.
Notice, that all Abraham did was believe in God’s promise and it was credited to him as righteousness. When God told Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him, He was talking about us- Gentiles. If you rely on your faith in God, you will be blessed like Abraham.
Galatians 3:10-14
Don’t be stupid…
3. Be considered righteous before God.
There are only 2 ways to be accepted and found righteous by God.
You can be found righteous by God by…
* Perfectly obeying God’s Laws and never sinning.
Only Jesus did this. We are born into the nature of sin. Since we are sinners, then we are cursed.
You can be found righteous by God by…
* Having faith in Jesus Christ.
Because of sin, we are cursed; but Jesus became that curse for us. This passage tells us that anyone hung on a pole, (or a tree in some translations) is cursed. Jesus on the cross is proof that He became our curse. We have been redeemed through Jesus.
Conclusion:
Christians don’t be stupid. Do not believe everything you hear. Pray for discernment and follow the Bible.
