What if you had to climb a really steep trail - and somebody came along and said, "here, use my brand new 2004 Dodge RAM SRT-10 with its 500 horsepower engine capable of 525 pound feet of torque - able to reach 60 miles an hour in 5 seconds and tear up that mountain trail!"
So you say "thanks" but then instead of getting behind the wheel and starting up that bad boy - you get out, go around behind the pick up and start pushing it up the slope yourself?
Seems pretty stupid, I know - but that’s kind of what its like to begin a new life in Jesus Christ - "all things have become new" - you get a new, indestructible life - free from sin, free from the law - and you set about trying to live that life by human effort.
Having the goal of becoming like Christ is great - but its how you attempt to get there that matters. Such is the case with the Galatians - and with us many times as well. Today we’re going to talk about that - and I’m going to give you a comparison between what its like to attain your goals in the flesh as opposed to in the Spirit.
Paul starts out by expressing his astonishment that the Galatians have abandoned grace and gone back to obedience through the Law to please God.
Verse 1a
Foolish doesn’t mean ignorant or deficient - it means being intellectual but illogical. Intelligent, but not using that intelligence to perceive the truth.
It was so astounding to Paul that these people were going off on this false doctrine of being justified by obeying the law that they must of have been hypnotized by the false teachers (its sarcasm).
How often do we Christians act like sitting ducks - never really knowing our faith and able to defend it - but instead get swept into cults so easily. In fact Mormons are taught to prey on newly converted Christians.
That’s why its so important to study the Word and know your faith!
Verse 1b
Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
Portrayed means "placarded" - the gospel was given so clearly that they could not have mistaken it for a message about the Law instead of grace through the death of Jesus.
Verse 2
The Spirit is the "deposit" or the evidence that we are saved (1 Cor 1:22, 2 Cor 5:5)
Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit"
We get the Spirit as a gift through repentance and faith, not obedience to the Law - this is a vital understanding for trying to live in Christ by obeying the Law instead of being empowered by the Spirit - and is a key error that plagues many Christians to this day.
Verse 3
It’s like flapping your wings on a jet to help keep it flying
It’s also turning your back on the cross - saying that what Jesus accomplished means nothing after we are saved
You simply can’t be saved by faith then become mature by works - but we all do it - it is natural human nature - and especially in our modern American society.
We’ll talk about the difference between living in the flesh and living by the Spirit in a few minutes
Verses 4-5
The new Christians suffered a lot of persecution at the hands of the Jews. Paul is saying - if that was worth it, why are you now turning back to the same Laws the Jews were mad at you for abandoning when you became believers?
Sometimes we think that if we pray real hard, say just the right words, live a really clean life - that God is somehow obligated to work miracles for us.
Remember the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel? Its legalism - one preacher said he has a contract with God that the Lord is obligated to fulfill - that’s ridiculous. The only agreement with God that we have is through faith in Jesus to do whatever Jesus wants.
Its reliance and trust, not earned return on investment.
This is all very freeing - freeing from guilt if something doesn’t get answered, freeing from having to act a certain way (again I’m not talking about sinful behavior).
The Jews rely on being Abraham’s children - but Paul turns the tables on them:
Verses 6-9
This comes from Genesis 15:6.
It happened prior to the giving of the Law
It was based on taking God at His Word
The faith was worked out in the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22:9-18) but it was the faith that justified him, not the obedience
It gives these people a whole new light to experience Abraham in
Look at Romans 4 for a fuller explanation of this
The Jews understood the precedent argument (an earlier happening is more important than one that comes later)
Further, Paul says - to think that I can get my righteousness from anything the Law has to offer is futile:
Verses 10-14
Deut 27:26 "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out."
It seems that since everyone knew you couldn’t uphold the whole law - that something else (namely being related to Abraham and the sign of circumcision) would somehow earn enough merit to make you right with God.
Living a legalistic life sets us up for failure.
Christ becoming a curse didn’t mean that He had failed - but willingly let Himself become loathsome to the Father in order that all of our failures to live up God’s standards would be placed on Him, then because He was sinless, could then give us the way to become righteous through Him.
Verses 15-18
Abraham was a gentile, you know
This is a little bit legalese here but essentially it is saying that God promised a blessing to Abraham - and all nations - through someone to be born from his line - and that the giving of the law hundreds of years later did not change that promise - it in fact supercedes it.
If you get righteousness by being born into a family then who needs grace.
Its kind of like going to a church of a certain type because the "blessing" of God is on that movement - or that it’s the "in" church to go to.
It’s great to have an exciting thing going on at church - don’t get me wrong - but don’t expect it’ll be like picking the curtain with the big prize behind it because you found the "happening" church.
Conclusions
Comparison of Human Effort Vs. Life in the Spirit
Goal Religion by Human Effort
Please God by our own good works
Life in the Spirit
Trust in Christ and then live to please God
Means Religion by Human Effort
Practice, diligent service, discipline, and obedience in hope of reward
Life in the Spirit
Confess, submit, and commit yourself to Christ’s control
Power Religion by Human Effort
Good, honest effort through self-determination
Life in the Spirit
The Holy Spirit in us helps us do good work for Christ’s kingdom
Control Religion by Human Effort
Self-motivation; self-control
Life in the Spirit
Christ in me; I in Christ (self control becomes a fruit of the Spirit)
Results Religion by Human Effort
Chronic guilt, apathy, depression, failure, constant desire for approval
Life in the Spirit
Joy, thankfulness, love, guidance, service, forgiveness
Bottom line:
Don’t let yourself fall into the false assumption that once God puts you on the right path and cleans you up that you are any more able to walk with Him than you were before you knew Him. Let His Spirit live and work inside you - spend your energy trying to trust in Him, rather than earn His blessing.
So get behind the wheel of the God’s 6 bizzillion Spirit power engine - crank it up and take it for a spin up the trail of life - its quite a ride if you aren’t pushing!
For more Bible studies and an audio copy of this message, please visit:
www.CalvaryChapelNewberg.org.
