ETERNITY IS TOO LONG TO BE WRONG
Galatians 2:16–3:5
INTRODUCTION
A. 4 RIDDLES
1. Do you know what they call a Hotdog in the Winter? A Chilly Dog
2. What do you call a snow man’s dog? A Slush Puppy
3. What do you call a 100 year-old ant? An antique.
4. Why did the chicken cross the Basketball Court? Because he heard the referee call “Fowl.”
B. TEXT
“Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ....because by the works of the law no one will be justified” Gal. 2:16. “I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?...Does God...work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? [faith]” Gal. 3:2,5.
C. THESIS
1. The biggest reason Paul wrote to the Galatians was because they started trying to save themselves by their own efforts, instead of by God’s way – Jesus Christ. This is relevant, because we too may be trying to save ourselves by “Do-it-Yourself Religion.”
2. Paul told them they were making a mistake and could not go to Heaven if they depended on their own goodness. So the title of this message is “Eternity is Too Long to be Wrong!” We better make sure we get it right!
I. MANY CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IN SALVATION BY WORKS
A. THE JUDAIZERS & US
1. The Judaizers (legalistic Jewish Christians) came to the gentiles and taught, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5) or they “can’t be saved” (Acts 15:1). They made salvation – even after believing on Christ – conditional on works. Everybody should know this isn’t correct, right? Yet...
2. The American Worldview Inventory 2020 survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) accept a “works-oriented” means to God’s acceptance. This was found to be true of 46% of Pentecostals, 44% of mainline Christians, and 70% of Catholics. A big part of this is because the percent of Christians who say they read the Bible daily has dropped from 14% to 9%!
B. PAUL’S PROPOUNDED FIVE ARGUMENTS to prove to the Galatians their salvation was by faith & not earned by works:
1. Their PERSONAL EXPERIENCES proved salvation was by faith, not works. Gal. 3:2,5.
2. ABRAHAM WAS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, not works, Gal. 3:6-14. We are too.
3. THE PROMISE OF CHRIST PREDATED THE LAW of Moses (Gal. 3:16-17) and was thus superior.
4. TO BE UNDER THE LAW IS TO BE IMMATURE, told what to do. In Christ we become mature adults with the Spirit, trusted to follow our consciences, as Sons of God. Gal. 4:1-7.
5. The ALLEGORICAL ARGUMENT of Hagar & Ishmael, versus Sarah & Isaac. Gal. 4:22-31.
6. All these arguments show that the Galatian’s choice of works-salvation is faulty and a violation of God’s clear revelation. The big question is: Will you have salvation God’s way, or are you determined to do it yourself?
II. DO-IT-YOURSELF RELIGION IS CHOOSING THE ORDINARY OVER EXTRAORDINARY
A. IT’S APPEALING TO THE NATURAL PERSON
1. Frankly, do-it-yourself religion is very appealing; the Galatians were irresistibly drawn to it, and we can be too. It’s appealing the same way as red-hot coils on an electric stove are appealing to a little child who reaches out to touch that bright red coil.
2. We prefer the ordinary way, the way we know about, over the unknown or extraordinary. That’s why people want to believe in evolution – to explain our world and our lives by natural processes, rather than by God creating it. Evolutionists claim to be using reason instead of faith. Yet they violate reason by believing that order and complexity can come out of chaos and mindless chance. Logic says it can’t. Order and complexity ONLY result from intelligent direction. The evidence of this is so overwhelming that evolutionists are often left scratching their heads. When they simulate chance creation of the universe (without directed programming), the computer never fails to create, no matter how many times they run it. They say that everything must be “repeatable” to believe, but they’ve never “repeated” chance formation of the universe. Yet they believe in it religiously, because it IS their religion!
3. Paul proved our inclination to choose the ordinary by showing how God promised Abraham a son. After 10 years, Sarah suggested they ‘help God out’ by Abraham marrying Hagar, which he did, and Ishmael was born by ordinary means. But 14 years later God caused Sarah, who was barren all her life, to bear a son. It was a supernatural birth.
4. Sarah told Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son, Isaac” (Gen. 21:10). God confirmed this, because God was using their lives as an allegory. Hagar and Ishmael represent being saved by works, and Sarah & Isaac represent supernatural birth and being saved by grace through faith.
5. Paul says to the Galatians, “You are doing what Abraham did. You are trading in God’s supernatural power of redemption through Christ for the Law of works. Only Jesus’ sinless life, death, & resurrection can save you.”
6. When we think we’re smarter than God, we fail. When we trust in Jesus Christ alone, we become the inheritors of His promise and His extraordinary provision for us.
B. BETTY CROCKER REVEALS OUR SECRETS
1. Betty Crocker made an instant cake mix that only needed one ingredient: water. It was so easy that anybody could make a cake with it. But the sales were bad. WHY? Because people wanted to feel like they had done more to make the cake, probably so they could take some credit for it.
2. So Betty Crocker backed up and made the mixes so people had to add water, oil & eggs. Then the sales picked up and everybody bought them.
3. Most people do the same thing with salvation; they don’t feel like they’re doing enough to let Jesus pay the whole price. They need to feel like they did something for it. The problem is a gift won’t be a gift if we earn it. The only way God will save us is if it’s paid for completely by His Son Jesus. In God’s Son we’re acceptable to God.
III. YOU CAN NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH TO MERIT HEAVEN
A. BILLY GRAHAM WAS QUESTIONED
1. A man came to Billy Graham and asked, “How perfect do I have to be, before God will allow me into Heaven? Do my good deeds simply need to balance out my bad deeds? Or do I need more good deeds than that? If so, how many?”
2. Graham answered, “God’s standard is far higher than that. In fact, His standard is nothing less than absolute perfection! In other words, just one sin—only one—would be enough to keep you and me out of Heaven. Why is this? Because God is absolutely pure and holy, and nothing unclean or impure is allowed in His presence.”
3. That’s why the Bible says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10).
4. So this means we have NO HOPE OF GOING to Heaven on our own. But, thank God, God has provided another way for us to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins. That’s why Jesus died on the cross. He took upon Himself the judgment and Hell that we deserve. God loves you that much!
B. THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN OF BEING GOOD
1. Paul showed how flawed was the Judaizer’s logic of demanding works, by saying, “IF RIGHTEOUSNESS (salvation) COULD BE GAINED BY THE LAW (being good), THEN CHRIST DIED FOR NOTHING!” Gal. 2:21.
2. Wow! What a truth! If we can be good enough to get to heaven, then why did God send down His Son to suffer so terrible a price? Obviously, it’s US who are wrong. Heaven is not in reach for us at all. If we ever get to Heaven, it will be because of God’s gracious mercy and the monumental sacrifice of Jesus, who loved us with everlasting love!
3. ILLUS. I told one of my favorite stories in Summit chapel service this morning.
a. A soap manufacturer and an evangelical preacher were walking along together. They were walking through a bad section of town. The soap maker said, “The Gospel you preach hasn’t done much good; there’s still a lot of evil in the world.”
b. After a few steps, the preacher walked over to a dirty little boy and said, “Your soap must not be very good, there’s still so much dirt in the world and look how many dirty people there are!” The soap maker said, “Well, soap is only useful when its applied!” “Exactly” said the preacher, “it’s the same with the Gospel!”
4. Maybe that’s the reason the Gospel hasn’t made a bigger impact in America: because over half the Christians are not relying on the power of God to change their lives, but on their weak wills and good intentions!
5. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” Rom. 1:16. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” 1 Cor. 4:20. “...in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left” 2 Cor. 6:6.
6. It’s about time we got back to a Gospel that will save, heal, and deliver! God, give us the supernatural again! Forgive us for hindering the Holy Spirit from working in the miraculous in our lives & in our churches!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Years ago, Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers in Great Britain in the 1800s, learned of a poor woman in his congregation who was having much difficulty in paying her rent.
2. He went to her door, planning to pay it for her. She heard his knock but didn’t answer, thinking it was the rent collector. She didn’t answer, not realizing that it was Spurgeon knocking on the door to bring answer to her prayers.
3. Jesus comes and knocks on the door of our life. How often we leave that door closed, when Christ has come to give us quality of life and freedom. Some of us think we can do it ourselves!
4. We’re so busy with the problems of life that we never hear the knock at the door when the Master comes to invest us with our inheritance! We live in our do-it-yourself religion, thinking, somehow, we have to earn what has already been paid in full on the cross!
B. THE CALL
1. Will you, by a simple prayer of faith, ask Jesus Christ to come into your life? He will! Then we’ll thank Him for loving us so much that He was willing to give His life to provide our salvation. Accept His gift today.
2. PRAYER for salvation and for all the “benefits” that come with it. “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” Ps. 103:1-5.
[This is a rewrite of John Huffman’s message “Do-It-Yourself Religion” published in 2003.]
