June 10, 2011
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FREE AT LAST [2]
Freed Through Faith
Galatians 2
06/08/2011INTRO
* How are you righteous before God?
* Review: Freed By Grace... God’s pleasure in you is NOT based on your performance for Him
> that truth is both FREEING & FRUSTRATING
> we want to please God (2Cor 5:9)
> BUT If His pleasure in us is not based on our performance for Him, HOW DO WE PLEASE HIM?
1. Three Pictures...
* vs 1-10 - A picture of LEGALISM... Right behavior with wrong BELIEF.
> legalism = working to earn the favor of God... a good thing LINKED to a wrong belief, the belief that doing those things earns God’s favor.
* vs 11-14 - A picture of HYPOCRISY... Right belief with wrong BEHAVIOR.
> LOOKUP Acts 10
> vs 14 = hypocrisy = believing the Gospel but not living in line with it
* vs 15-21 - A picture of FAITH... Right belief AND right behavior.
> key word? = FAITH (vs 16, 20)2. Faith Alone... vs 15-21
A. Through faith in Christ Alone, we are ACCEPTED before God.
* We are justified by faith (vs 16,17,21)
> Martin Luther: the doctrine of justification by faith alone is “the article upon which the church stands or falls”
> John Calvin: "it is the hinge upon which everything turns"
> Charles Spurgeon: “Any church which puts in the place of justification by faith in Christ another method of salvation is a harlot church.”
> The doctrine of justification by faith alone is the HEART of the gospel.
* Justification is...
> ...the GRACIOUS act of God...
- vs 16c this is something God does (Rom 3:10-12, 23)
> ...by which God DECLARES …
- justification is a legal term, a judge declares a verdict. IMPORTANT, justification is an ACT, NOT A PROCESS!
- you cannot be justified “more” or “less”
> ...a SINNER …
- God the judge, dealing with man the guilty criminal (Phil 3:8)
> ... RIGHTEOUS …
- that the holy judge of the universe would look on me, a willful rebel, desiring my glory above His, idolatry in my heart, guilty... and say “Not guilty, righteous, innocent, accepted!”
- but we ARE guilty... how does God do it? (and still be a just judge?)
> ...solely on the basis of FAITH in Jesus Christ.
- 2 Cor 5:21 “ He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”
- all the guilt, all the penalty, all the judgment, all the wrath, all the death you deserved, and He poured all that ON CHRIST
- all the love, all that the Father is pleased with in the Son, His righteousness, His right standing, is poured out ON YOU.
- thats why to try and ADD something to what Jesus has done is such an insult to the Gospel!* Heidelberg Catechism = Question 60 = How are you righteous before God? Answer = Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; so that though my conscience accuse me, that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, and am still inclined to all evil; notwithstanding, God, without any merit of mine, but only of mere grace, grants and imputes to me, the perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ; even so, as if I never had had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me; inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart.
B. Through faith in Christ, we are ALIVE to God. vs 19-20
* vs 19-20 NOW, We LIVE by faith. What if faith is not only just the only way we are accepted before God?, what if faith is also the only way we are able to live before God? What if Faith isn’t just a one time decision, what if Faith is central in every facet of our lives?
* Paul has no room for the idea that once upon a time you pray some prayer and then your life looking the same after that... its not possible! Because we live by faith!
* vs 20 Dead and Alive? How does this work to be crucified w/ Christ?
> We die to SIN.
> We die to OURSELVES. (no easy believism)
> He COVERS our sin. (Rom 5:9)
> He CHANGES our lives. (“been crucified” happened in the past with present, ongoing implications)
- We are not in DEBT to Christ.
- We are INDWELT by Christ!* What if the Christian life is not about you living for Christ? But Christ living for you, & in you, Him working His life out through you moment by moment and day by day. Living by faith every second.
CONCLUSION
* How do we live to please God? Not more of me, but more of Christ in me.
* God’s pleasure in you is based on CHRIST’S performance for you.
> He is PASSIONATE about YOU!... how do you know?...
> He has PAID a price for YOU!Resources:
David Platt's Galatians Sermon Series (primary)
Mark Driscoll's Galatians Sermon Series
John MacArthur's Galatians Commentary
Warren Wiersbe's book "Be Free"
