Series: Lies Satan Tells
GOD’S LOVE FOR ME IS BASED ON MY PERFORMANCE
Galatians 3:1-14
Paul was a young family man passionately in love with Jesus Christ. He was full of joy, funny and a delight to be around. He loved to go soul-winning and a wonderful servant of the Lord. His love for Jesus was infectious and many were drawn to Christ. In a desire to walk closer to Christ, Paul and his wife attended a Bible Life conference and began to stringently follow the teachings. But soon Paul’s spirit began to change. In his desperate attempt to walk closer to Christ he became judgmental in his spirit and his joy turned into guilt. His once infectious attitude disappeared and friends began to draw away as none felt good enough anymore.
Linda never felt “good enough.” All of her life she has been told that she would never amount to anything and never hearing a word of encouragement from family. In a desperate attempt to feel loved, she made a series of bad decisions which only made the condemnations even worse. Alone, aloof and in agony she has no where to turn but to God. But she doesn’t even cry out to Jesus because she doesn’t feel “good enough.”
The Performance Lie is as old as religion. Actually, religion is solidly grounded in the lie that man has to perform to gain God’s approval.
I. THE FOOLISHNESS OF THE PERFORMANCE LIE
“Foolish” (Gk)anoeetos : no understanding
“have you lost your minds/understanding”
“bewitched” (Gk)baskaino: to perform black magic, put under a spell; to deceive with devious and crafty means
A. Four Rhetorical Questions to prove their foolishness from Galations 3:2-5
1- Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?
2- Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Implying: You did not get Saved by works and you do not stay saved through the works of the flesh.
3- Have ye suffered so many things in vain? If it be yet in vain (sarcasm).
4- He(Jesus) therefore that ministered to you in the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?
Changing the Rules in the Middle of the Game
Paul was wanting his readers to understand that it is foolishness to change the rules in the middle of the game.
Trade God’s Grace for Man’s Efforts
Paul was also wanting his readers to understand the foolishness of trading God’s grace for man’s efforts.
B. One Biblical Example to prove their foolishness (Gal 3:6-9)
II. DESTRUCTIVENESS OF THE PERFORMANCE LIE (Gal 3:10)
- leads us to disobedience to the truth: v1 “that ye should not obey the truth”
A. Erodes my Belief in the Power of the Atonement / Work of Christ
It is to say, "I no longer believe that the blood of Jesus is powerful enough to forgive me of all my sing and keep me through all of my sin
Therefore, I believe Christ died in vain."
(Gal 2:21) I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
B. Damages my Relationship with Jesus Christ
It is to say, "no longer do I view Christ as my Savior, but now as my taskmaster."
C. Destroys the Abundance that Christ has Promised Us
We trade....
Relationship for Religion
Freedom for Bondage
Joy for Misery
Peace for Fear/Frustration
Assurance for Uncertainty
Grace for Legalism
III. CONQUERING THE PERFORMANCE LIE
A. Understand the Basics of Salvation
1. Salvation is not Based on the Performance/Works of Man
The Law was never intended to Save men from their sins (Gal 3:11-12)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph 2:8-9).
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5).
Man is incapable do to his depravity
(Rom 3:10) "As it is written, There is none righteous/good, no, not one."
(Rom 3:11) "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God."
(Isa 64:6) "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."
2. Salvation is Based on the Performance/Works of Christ (Gal 3:13-14)
B. Understand and Celebrate the Effects of Salvation
1. Justification
My sins have been completely forgiven.
(2Cor 5:21) "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
2. Regeneration
I have been made a new person in Christ.
(2Cor 5:17) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
3. Propitiation
God’s wrath has been completed satisfied.
(Rom 3:25) "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."
(1 John 4:10) "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
4. Reconciliation
My relationship with God has been restored.
(2Cor 5:18) "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation."
5. Glorification
One day I will be just like Christ.
(1John 3:2) "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
(Rom 8:29-30) "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
