Sermon
delivered on January 12th, 2020
Sunday Morning Service
By: Pastor Greg Hocson
Scripture Text: Galatians 1:1-9
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men,
neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from
the dead;) 2: And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of
Galatia: 3: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord
Jesus Christ, 4: Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from
this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5: To
whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6: I marvel that ye are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7: Which
is not another; but there be some that trouble you,
and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8: But though we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed. 9: As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye
have received, let him be accursed.
Introduction
“No Other Gospel!”
that’s
our theme this year. We begin this morning a series of sermons based on the
letter of the apostle Paul to the Galatians which will take us through the
month of October. The book of Galatians is one of the shorter epistles
of Paul. It is only six short chapters and the entire
book can be read in one sitting which I suggest you all do as we begin our
study of Galatians. It is a short book but do not be deceived by its size. The
book of Galatians is one of the most important books of the Bible. In this book
we find a clear and powerful declaration and defense of the true Gospel and
its implications. It is a very important and appropriate letter for us to be
studying at this particular time where the Gospel is under attack,
watered-down, tampered and distorted.
Being the pastor of this local church, I am deeply
concerned that all the who worship at Grace &
Truth be firmly grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to know what
the Gospel is. We need to know how God saves sinners. We need
to know for ourselves that we have been saved by this Gospel. Then having been
saved by this Gospel we may be able to declare and defend the Gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ. As born-again Christians we must be faithful in the preservation and propagation
of the Biblical Gospel.
It has often been said that “one generation knows and loves the Gospel, the next
generation assumes the Gospel and the next generation forgets the Gospel.” Those who know and trust and love and treasure the Gospel
have a serious responsibility to pass that Gospel to the next
generation. Because the Gospel can be so quickly be forgotten as we shall see
in this study.
My prayer as we study the book of Galatians is that we
would all be passionate about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May this study
cause us to be deeply committed to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Would to God that we would fall in love with Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Would to God that we would commit ourselves to
faithfully teach it to the next generation.
Would to God that we would own our great responsibility to accurately
convey the Gospel to the coming generation and the unborn generation. We need to think long and hard of the legacy we
would leave to future generations.
Let’s begin with these three headings — the Occasion for Galatians, the Outline of Galatians, and the Overview of Galatians
I - The Occasion for the Epistle
If we are going to understand Galatians, we have to know
the occasion for it. It is important for us to understand why Paul
wrote this letter. What was Paul’s purpose for this letter? What is
going on in this book?
Acts chapters 13 and 14 tell us that Paul and Barnabas, his partner in
ministry, came into Galatia, preaching the Gospel in the cities of Antioch,
lconium, Derbe and Lystra. And as they were faithfully preaching the Gospel,
souls responded to Christ and got saved and local churches were planted in
these cities. Paul established these Christians in the Gospel of grace.
So, at the end of Acts 14 we read how Paul went back to
his home church Antioch to give report to the church. Now while he was there at
Antioch, Paul received the disturbing report. The very churches
which he had planted in southern Galatia had been infiltrated by false
teachers who began teaching a different Gospel. They were
corrupting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These false teachers who were
troubling the Galatians were called Judaizers. Judaizers were Jews
who claimed to be followers of Christ. They claimed to be born again but
taught that in order to really become genuine Christians, the Gentiles would
have to be circumcised, keep the ceremonial law and obey the Old Testament
rituals. The teaching of the Judaizers contradicted the Gospel of
justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. They insist
that in order to be saved one must have Christ plus the keeping of the law.
Today, after over 2000 years, people are still trying to
mix Grace and the Law, and Faith and Works. And this is why I believe that the
study of Galatian is so important and very applicable for the days we are
living in. The “Judaizers”
are alive and active even in this very day, tampering and
corrupting the Gospel.
These Judaizers are clever, because they not only attacked
Paul’s Gospel, but they also attacked Paul’s authority.
They questioned the Paul’s apostleship. They claimed that he was not one of the
original Twelve. The goal of the Judaizers was to get the Galatians to deny
Paul’s authority, for if they could discredit Paul’s authority, they could discredit his message. These Judaizers resorted to character assassination. They
know that one way to deny the message is to undermine the authority of
the messenger. If you could discredit someone, you nullify what they
say. Just look at the current political debates. Politicians resort in slander
and character assassination. It’s not about issues it’s all about character.
So, in this letter, Paul defends his apostleship,
and the reason why that is important because he delivered the content of the
Gospel. Paul could not remain silent. He could not allow the Gospel to be
corrupted and the churches to be weakened. And so, Paul sat down and wrote out
a response, which call the book of Galatians.
II - The Outline of the Epistle
Now, quickly I want to give a simple outline of the Book of
Galatians. In chapters 1 and 2, Paul gives a personal vindication (defense)
of his apostleship. In chapters 3 and 4, Paul gives a doctrinal
explanation about justification by faith. In chapters 5 and 6, he
gives a practical exhortation to sanctification by grace
through faith.
III - The Overview of the Epistle
In this letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul basically
accomplished three significant things regarding the defense of the Gospel,
namely, he exposes the false Gospel, then he expounds the
true Gospel, and then he explains the relationship of the Law
and the Gospel.
A. Paul Exposes the False Gospel
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon
removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert [distort] the
gospel of Christ.
The Judaizers who
came into and infiltrated the churches in Galatia started to convince the Christians
that in order to be saved, it is necessary for them to become Jews.
This means that in order to be right with God, they must be circumcised and
obey the laws of Moses. These false teachers are not denying that a Christian
must trust in the death of Christ in order to be saved but they also believed
that faith in Jesus Christ is not enough. They insist that circumcision
is necessary in order to complete their salvation.
In Galatians 4:10, Paul
mentions that the false teachers were also instructing their converts to
observe the feast days.
Galatians 4:10 Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Warren Wiersbe commenting on this verse wrote, “Does this mean that it is wrong for Christians to set aside
one day a year to remember the birth of Christ? Or that a special observance of
the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, or the blessing of the harvest in autumn
is a sin? Not necessarily. If we observe special days like slaves, hoping to
gain some spiritual merit, then we are sinning. But if in the observance we
express our liberty in Christ and let the Spirit enrich us with His grace, then
the observance can be a spiritual blessing.”
But if we observe special days and months and times and years in order to
gain spiritual merit we are putting ourselves under the law. So, Paul could not remain silent. He exposes in this
letter the false Gospel that these false teachers are teaching.
B. Paul Expounds the True Gospel
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of
Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified.
Here, Paul clearly articulates the Gospel. He answers the
all-important question that Bildad, one of Job’s friends asked,
Job 25:4 How then can
man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that
is born of a woman?
In other words, how can a man stand before God
without sin, completely right before Him? How can I stand before God as
if I have lived my life to never have done anything wrong and have
done everything right? The answer is obvious. You and I cannot do that.
Job 25:5 Behold even to the moon,
and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. 6: How much less
man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a
worm?
In chapters 3 and 4, Paul gives a doctrinal explanation
about justification by grace through faith. Paul appeals to the fact that even
Abraham was declared righteous because he believed.
Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and
it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7: Know ye
therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Paul emphasizes that Abraham’s faith in God’s promise came long before the law and
was in no way dependent on the law.
Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the
covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four
hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the
promise of none effect. 18: For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more
of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
In other words, the Law, which was given four hundred
and thirty years after the promise was given to Abraham, the Law had no power
to cancel it.
Salvation comes through faith alone. This is the Gospel of
Christ—salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone and
in Christ alone! Any supposed Gospel which contradicts this
Gospel is a false Gospel.
C. Paul Explains the Relationship of the Law
and the Gospel
An understanding of God’s law and the Gospel is essential to
comprehending the entire Bible and coming to truly know God. The Law is
not the Gospel, and the Gospel is not the Law. Paul makes that distinction
in this letter to the churches in Galatia. This distinction between the Law and
the Gospel if understood right brings great peace and comfort to the
believer.
The German Reformer, Martin Luther wrote, “Distinguishing between the law and the gospel is the highest
art in Christendom, one who every person who values the name Christian
ought to recognize, know, and possess. Where this is lacking, it is not
possible to tell who is a Christian and who is a pagan or Jew. That much is at
stake in this distinction.” -
Martin Luther, The Distinction between the Law and
Gospel,” January 1, 1532
For Luther, being able to distinguish
between the Law and the Gospel was the essence of true Christianity. Studying
the Scriptures for himself, Luther discovered Paul’s teaching on justification by
faith.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of
Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified.
Scripture teaches that we are not justified by the works of
the law. So, the question is, what is the
right and proper use of the law of God? We need to understand that the
law plays a major and important role in two areas, namely the salvation of
sinners and the sanctification of the saints.
This is the overview of the Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Here he exposes the
false Gospel, expounds the Gospel, and then explains the
proper relationship of the Law and the Gospel. These are the things we are
going to learn in the coming weeks.
Closing Thoughts
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon
removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert [distort] the
gospel of Christ.
Can you hear from these words, Paul’s great concern that the Galatians not
depart from the true Gospel.
We too should be concerned about the truth of the Gospel. We
should know it, defend it, and proclaim it. Without the truth of the Gospel,
there is no true Christianity. We should be passionate for the gospel.
Why is it important to understand the biblical Gospel? Why
is it of such personal concern that I embrace that Gospel? Having embraced it
why should I be involved in its propagation, in its preservation, in its
defense? Apostle Paul’s words in Galatians 1 are a very vigorous answer to all
those inquiries.
AMEN!