1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,280 Good morning church. It's great to be together today, to pray together, to sing together, 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:16,400 and now to come around the inspired holy word together. And so before I preach to 3 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:23,600 you, would you please join me in asking our Father for his help in this morning. 4 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:35,920 Father God, words escape us with how thankful we are that we are not like people who clamour 5 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:45,000 around in the darkness, but have seen your light. Seen your light because by your grace, 6 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:54,920 you have shown it to us. This morning we asked that as we come around your word, that you would 7 00:00:54,920 --> 00:01:02,720 hold the light, the Lord Jesus Christ to us all, and that we would all be drawn to him, 8 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:09,320 that we would be changed by the Holy Spirit for the sake of Christ and for your glory. 9 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:18,400 We ask for this in his name. Amen. So if you've been with us for the past few weeks, 10 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:26,720 you'll know that we've been in a series in the book of Galatians, and more specifically, 11 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:34,840 in a part of the book where there's been a bit of controversy over the nature of the gospel. 12 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:42,440 You might remember it, in the first few words of this letter, the Apostle Paul reminded these 13 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:50,560 congregations in Galatia that the risen Jesus had met him on the way to Damascus and then 14 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:59,240 revealed the gospel to him. Later he summarised what he'd been taught by saying that we've been 15 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:09,680 justified by faith alone in Christ and not by works of the law. Now this message wasn't something 16 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:17,880 that was unique to Paul. No, as we saw in chapter 2, he explained that he went and met the apostles 17 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:25,120 there in Jerusalem, and it was there that they celebrated that they were preaching the very same 18 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:33,400 gospel and that they would continue in the mission fields that the Lord had called them to, Peter to 19 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:43,920 the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles. Now where there's been a bit of controversy, well we've 20 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:51,400 seen it with a group of Jewish teachers in the early days that travelled around to the different 21 00:02:51,400 --> 00:03:00,800 and various Gentile churches and they claimed Christ, but they said people had to stick to the 22 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:10,080 ceremonial Jewish customs as found in the law to be truly accepted before God. What's the problem 23 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:17,920 with this we might ask? Well Paul said using the story of Peter coming to Antioch as his backdrop 24 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:26,920 that that doctrine was leaving behind faith in the perfect and final work of Christ and his 25 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:35,680 substitutionary atonement to justify us for a life at working to be accepted before God by our own 26 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:43,400 efforts. In other words these Jewish teachers known as the circumcision group were incredibly 27 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:51,040 dangerous because they were encouraging people in a false gospel that would damn people to hell. 28 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:59,360 That's because they were saying yes Jesus is important but not enough, more has to be done 29 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:07,880 to really be saved. Horribly they'd infiltrated Galatia with this false teaching and the 30 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:18,440 congregations there were falling for a Jesus plus something else doctrine. That's the context of 31 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:25,720 what's been happening so far in this book. The people of Galatia had received the true gospel 32 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:34,760 of Jesus Christ yet false teachers had infiltrated their ranks and were calling them to a Jesus plus 33 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:44,520 something else doctrine and they were falling for it hook, line and sinker and they were in serious 34 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:51,840 serious danger. That's why Paul says to them in verse 1 of our chapter this morning you foolish 35 00:04:51,840 --> 00:05:00,920 Galatians who's bewitched you before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 36 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:08,040 To say that another way you've heard the preaching of the word you've embraced what was clearly 37 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:18,040 held out to you who has cast a spell on you who has taken you from the way of truth. Are you that 38 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:28,160 dim with it? This morning we're going to see our dear Apostle continue to call his brothers and 39 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:35,960 sisters back to the true gospel of Jesus Christ by pointing out to them two incredibly important 40 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:44,360 truths that we all need to reflect on here this morning. First he points them to the importance 41 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:52,240 of personal experience with the gospel. We'll see that in verses 1 through to 5 and then second he 42 00:05:52,240 --> 00:06:00,960 points to how even the law testifies that faith is instrumental in salvation which we'll look at 43 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:10,400 in verses 6 through to 14. Two things that Paul points to us this morning to encourage us not to 44 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:19,920 fall not to backslide into a self-justifying works based doctrine. So if you have your Bibles with 45 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:26,560 you this morning it would be handy to have them open but look with me at verses 2 through to 5. 46 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:34,840 We read I would like to learn just one thing from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of 47 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:42,760 the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish after beginning by means of the Spirit 48 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:50,560 are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain if 49 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:59,440 it really was in vain? So again I ask does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you 50 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:08,840 by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Okay church so the first thing that I want 51 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:16,920 you to notice here is that Paul is asking these people a bunch of questions to get them to really 52 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:24,680 reflect on their actions. Notice the questions every single one of them there is something that he 53 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:32,720 wants them to reflect on and think about in regards to their own life. We see here in verse 54 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:43,360 2 did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? It's a really 55 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:51,120 interesting question and I say it's an interesting question because it has to do with personal 56 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:58,520 experience of how we began the Christian life. It has to do with our experience of being born 57 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:06,680 again. It has to do with our experience of being spiritually dead to being made spiritually alive 58 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:17,880 by believing and embracing Christ. What Paul's doing here is he's bringing their mind back to 59 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:27,240 the gracious and personal work of the Holy Spirit when he first worked in their hearts. When he 60 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:33,800 first opened their understanding to the truth of Jesus and when they were ripped out of this world 61 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:43,560 and grafted into Christ. That's not something you easily forget from being spiritually dead to being 62 00:08:43,560 --> 00:08:50,600 made spiritually alive from being lost to knowing that you're lost they're then knowing that you're 63 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:59,760 found by the Good Shepherd. In other words Paul points them back to that time when they began their 64 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:08,480 Christian walk and he says that that work of conversion, that work of faith, did that come 65 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:18,200 from what you earned from your own good works? Did that come from your adherence to the law? 66 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:28,960 The obvious answer is absolutely not. Think about the context that we've looked at in this 67 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:36,720 series so far. These people were pagans, absolutely dead in sin and following the 68 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:44,000 course of this world quite happily. Thus all they deserved was wrath and condemnation but 69 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:52,320 then by the grace of the Living God their lives were infiltrated by the Holy Spirit. God broke 70 00:09:52,320 --> 00:10:01,200 through the darkness with the light of the gospel and showed mercy on them. He gave them saving faith 71 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:11,840 and united them to Jesus. Say that another way, the Spirit was at work not because they deserved it 72 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:21,560 but because God chose to work on them and bring them to Christ and so Paul asked did you begin 73 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:29,720 your Christian life by earning it? It's about as ridiculous as giving yourself credit for the hard 74 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:40,000 work you did in your parents conceiving you. So first he wants them to reflect on that. How did 75 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:49,760 you begin? Second he asks how have you been progressing? Look with me at verse 3. After 76 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:59,040 beginning by means of the Spirit are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Again 77 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:05,640 that's interesting what Paul's doing because he presumes that they've been born again, that they're 78 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:14,520 progressing in the Christian life. Notice that language there after beginning by means of the 79 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:23,680 Spirit. This is the thing that they began but now they've fallen for the lie that they had to 80 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:34,360 progress by relying on their own strength and flesh and Paul he points out the utter inconsistency 81 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:40,160 of this. By grace the Spirit's broken into our lives, by grace we've been born again, 82 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:48,560 thus by grace through the leading and the guiding of the Spirit we leave behind what we were and 83 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:59,920 we move forward in his strength and power, not our own. Church this is touching on something that 84 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:06,240 the scholars call the doctrine of sanctification. We thought about this a little bit last week. 85 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:13,920 Justification is a once-for-all declaration before the judge of the universe that you're 86 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:23,360 not just innocent but completely, totally, utterly righteous and because of the finished 87 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:34,920 and perfect work of Christ that status can never ever change. Sanctification on the other hand is 88 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:44,320 talked about in a few different ways in the Bible and always in the way of separation and here in 89 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:51,880 the text that we have before us this morning it's talking about the old life leaving behind what was 90 00:12:51,880 --> 00:13:01,880 and moving forward to what we now are in Christ. Paul talked about this last week in verse 20 of 91 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:11,440 chapter 2. He said I've been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The 92 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:19,480 life that I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself 93 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:32,040 for me. He's being justified by the death of Jesus and he no longer walks this life in his own strength 94 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:41,080 but empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit in him. To put this all as simply as I can by the 95 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:49,840 continuing work of the Holy Spirit who brought about our spiritual birth, our spiritual new birth 96 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:58,240 who united us with the Lord Jesus Christ we're led to be more and more like Jesus from the very core 97 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:05,760 of our being. It's as we trust and obey the word that we're being conformed more and more into the 98 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:18,320 likeness of Jesus. The Bible does speak about progression. It does speak about growing but it 99 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:30,600 is empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit. It's not animated in our own strength. So first our dear 100 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:38,160 Apostle he wants us to reflect on how we begin the Christian life. Second on how we progress in the 101 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:45,680 Christian life. Third he asks his audience is it all just an intellectual exercise on your part? 102 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:54,840 Verse 4, have you experienced so much in vain? Now notice what Paul's doing here because he's 103 00:14:54,840 --> 00:15:04,400 presuming that it's not just been an intellectual tip of the cat but a tangible experience. The 104 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:11,040 point that Paul's wanting to get to them is that they've enjoyed the ministry of the Holy Spirit 105 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:19,920 in a real and personal and tangible way. So in other words no this hasn't been an intellectual 106 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:28,200 persuasion for them but a living relationship that these people have with the living God. And so in 107 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:35,400 a roundabout way he's asking are you really that persuaded by these false teachers that you're 108 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:43,600 willing to leave what you know and have experienced to latch onto something that brings no real life 109 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:59,240 at all? Have you really experienced, the ESV says suffered so much in vain. Finally in verse 5 with 110 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:06,120 that kind of thinking as to what he's just been talking about. Paul once again gets them to reflect 111 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:14,720 on their experience on the power of the Holy Spirit that's been at work among them. He says 112 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:23,200 so again I ask does God give you his spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law 113 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:36,720 or by believing what you heard? By believing what you heard. These people had received the gospel 114 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:44,840 of Jesus Christ and God was pleased to approve the message they heard with signs and wonders 115 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:52,720 and various miracles. This wasn't actually unique to them in fact we read in the book of Hebrews this 116 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:59,720 salvation which was first announced by the Lord was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God 117 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:08,680 also testified to it by signs wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed 118 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:18,920 according to his will. Notice that they had seen miraculous signs performed among them which 119 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:26,040 validated and authenticated the ministry of the Apostles and the gospel they preached and I must 120 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:36,800 admit it's an interesting subject indeed. But notice what Paul is putting his finger on here. 121 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:46,520 Notice the point that he's making. It's not about the miracles but about the spirits mighty work 122 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:56,920 among them which hadn't come on the basis of their worthiness to receive it. Notice the point here 123 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:03,320 the Holy Spirit didn't work miracles among them because they deserved it or earned it from their 124 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:12,240 adherence to the law. No he was pleased to work among them according to his will to affirm the 125 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:24,240 message they heard. Faith alone in Christ alone. Church everything that Paul's talking about here 126 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:34,880 it points to one overarching fact. Everything we are, everything we have, everything we enjoy 127 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:43,280 from beginning to the end is a special work of grace by God. That's what Paul wants us to see. 128 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:51,360 You and I haven't received the Holy Spirit of God because we measured up somehow and passed the test 129 00:18:51,360 --> 00:19:04,200 for God to finally be pleased with us. Now his ministry among us, his work of grafting us to 130 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:16,280 Christ, his applying of Christ's perfect work to us wasn't deserved by any of us. But by a special 131 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:26,320 act of grace on God's part he bore us against all the odds to trust in his Son and fill us with his 132 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:36,040 most Holy Spirit. That's what Paul wants us to see here. And so in light of what our Apostle is 133 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:49,480 showing us think about these questions for yourself. Did you convert yourself? Do you sustain 134 00:19:49,480 --> 00:20:00,440 yourself in the faith? Do you slay that secret sin in your own power? Will you stand before God 135 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:09,360 one day and glorify yourself before him? That's what Paul wants us to wrap our heads around here. 136 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:21,400 Our Christian lives, they're a gift from God Almighty. As 18th century Puritan Jonathan Edwards 137 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:32,280 once said, the only part we play in our salvation was the sin that made it so necessary. How riot 138 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:41,640 he was. So in light of that, stop relying on yourself. You can't be perfected by your own 139 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:49,000 works any more than you could have been converted by them. If you have called upon the name of the 140 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:56,240 Lord, if you trust in Christ alone, the Holy Spirit has been given to you and the Holy Spirit 141 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:05,920 is the one leading and guiding. He is the one empowering you to be more and more like Jesus 142 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:16,720 every step of the way. Why is this so important for us to know? Why did the Galatians and why 143 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:30,280 do we here today need to know this gospel? Well, reflecting on what Paul's saying here, 144 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:38,480 kills legalism. We've thought about this already in this series, but just to jog the memory, 145 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:48,960 legalism causes us to look at the law and say, look how good I'm doing today. It always leads 146 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:56,360 to pride. People who backslide into this mindset tend to focus on how they're measuring up and deep 147 00:21:56,360 --> 00:22:03,760 down think that God must be really impressed with just how good they're doing. So he owes them 148 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:12,560 something. The tremendous problem with that way of thinking is that it comes from a faulty 149 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:20,800 presupposition that God isn't infinitely holy beyond all comprehension and that we're sinful 150 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:31,600 above all else. A heart that can take pride in their own works before a thrice holy living God 151 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:42,000 hasn't a clue just how desperately wicked we are and just how gracious he really is. Church, 152 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:52,000 believe you me, we all get pulled back into this mindset, but it's here that Paul gives us the cure. 153 00:22:52,000 --> 00:23:00,480 But when you find yourself going back to that legalistic mindset, focus on the gospel. When 154 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:10,640 you feel yourself being dragged that way, say, how was I saved? How was I saved? How were those 155 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:19,760 chains that shackled me to hell? How were they set loose and how was I set free? Think about how, 156 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:28,320 despite everything that has happened in your life, that you still trust and obey. 157 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:36,880 That you still desire holiness. That you still, in the middle of the night, 158 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:42,160 ask the Lord to help you with the things that you struggle with. 159 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:53,200 We can't take credit for any of that. Brothers and sisters, we're all tempted, 160 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:59,760 all of us attempted to look at our own good works and throw them up to God as heavenly credit. 161 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:09,520 The fact of the matter is this. God's infinite holy, infinitely holy. And we were born, as I've 162 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:15,360 heard it put before, as vipers in diapers with our little fists up to heaven. 163 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:26,800 By His mercy, His grace, His incredible love, He reached down. He revealed, He saved, He sanctifies. 164 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:33,680 He's faithful when we're faithless. He's the one who is with us all the days of our lives. 165 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:40,720 He's the one who said, I will never leave nor forsake you. We did not leave, we did not forsake 166 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:47,840 you. I will never leave nor forsake you. We did nothing, nothing to deserve this. 167 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:56,880 We did nothing to earn it. It's a reality in the life of the children of God because 168 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:02,960 He loves you and me more than we could possibly ever hope to imagine. 169 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:11,520 That's first. That's what Paul points to. He points to the importance of a personal experience 170 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:19,680 with the gospel because in the light of the gospel, we're protected from backsliding into legalism, 171 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:28,320 protected from not relying on our own work, so protected from not relying on the work of the 172 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:37,440 Spirit in our lives in the process of sanctification. We don't become lawless people 173 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:45,840 because of the gospel. We don't become lawless people because of the gospel. We become 174 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:54,000 holy people because of the gospel. Holy people whose lives have been crucified with Christ 175 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:58,800 It's no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. 176 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:05,520 And that comes by faith. And that's the next thing Paul wants to show us here. 177 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:15,440 Faith is instrumental in the Christian life. And it's not a new thing. No, God has always 178 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:23,920 worked with His people in this way. Read with me verses six through to nine. So also Abraham 179 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:31,200 believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand then that those that 180 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:39,520 have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by 181 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:47,440 faith and announce the gospel and events to Abraham. All nations will be blessed through you. 182 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:54,240 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 183 00:26:55,840 --> 00:27:05,200 Right, so looking at verses six through to nine, Paul's drawing on Genesis 15. And he says, 184 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:16,160 Paul's drawing on Genesis 15. And he's showing us that blessing comes by faith. He takes us back to 185 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:23,840 a conversation that God had with Abraham to make that point in which God gave Abraham promises. 186 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:37,440 And what do we read here? Abraham believed God and what? It was credited to him as righteousness. 187 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:50,320 That's justification. And how are people justified according to Scripture? How are we justified? 188 00:27:50,320 --> 00:28:01,520 Paul makes the case here from the Scriptures. It's not works of the law, but on the basis of faith 189 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:11,600 alone. It's so clear what he's saying here. That's how God has always justified people. It's not by 190 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:22,640 adhering to the law, but by faith. That says Paul, that's who are justified, just like Abraham. 191 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:30,560 No, when I first became a Christian, I didn't actually know how to approach the Old Testament. 192 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:37,840 It seemed like a book that was written on a different planet. But then you notice these 193 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:44,080 words from the apostle Paul when writing to a young pastor, Timothy, there in Ephesus, 194 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:51,520 in his second letter. And he says to him, as for you, continue in what you have learned and become 195 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:58,800 convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it. And how from infancy, you have known 196 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:06,960 the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, through 197 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:19,200 faith in Christ Jesus. That is so important to see because Paul isn't speaking about the New 198 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:28,880 Testament there. He's talking about what we call the Old Testament. And he's telling Timothy, 199 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:38,400 as you read, as you study, as you meditate on the scriptures, it will make you wise for salvation 200 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:46,000 through faith in Christ Jesus. We don't have all the time to go through this morning and how it 201 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:52,960 all fits together, but the point is simple. God has always had one way of salvation, 202 00:29:52,960 --> 00:30:03,280 grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That has always been the way. There's only ever 203 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:09,360 been one way of salvation and that is through faith in the gospel. And those who put their 204 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:18,880 trust in the Lord will never be put to shame, but be blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 205 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:24,560 It's so important that we see this this morning. Abraham wasn't saved by the works of the law, 206 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:31,280 but by faith in the gospel. That's what's so vitally important for us all to get. No one is 207 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:41,680 saved by our own works, but by faith in Christ. In the old, it was concealed. In the new, we have it 208 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:50,320 revealed. And blessed are all those who call upon the name of the Lord. And that's Paul's other 209 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:58,240 point here. Blessing comes by faith, but people remain under a curse if they reject Christ and 210 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:07,680 rely on their own works. We read in verses 10 through to 14, for all who rely on the works of 211 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:15,040 the law are under a curse, as it's written, cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything 212 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:21,360 written in the book of the law. Clearly no one who relies on the laws justified before God, 213 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:28,800 because the righteous will live by faith. The law isn't based on faith. On the contrary, 214 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:38,080 it says the person who does these things will live by them. Now what our apostle is doing here is 215 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:45,840 he's using quotes from all over the Old Testament to make his case. And this is the main point. 216 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:54,320 If you try and live your life on the basis of works of the law and not by faith, you would better do 217 00:31:54,320 --> 00:32:01,520 it perfectly. And you would better do everything in the law, because if you don't, you will be 218 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:09,120 damned. That's the case that Paul makes so clearly. The case that was revealed to him, mind you, 219 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:21,360 by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. If you reject Jesus, if you reject his sacrifice, 220 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:29,040 if you reject his sacrifice and you rely on your own works, you're under a divine curse for all 221 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:37,360 eternity and the wages of sin is death. There's only two types of people in this world, people 222 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:48,000 that rely on themselves and are under a divine curse or people that rely on God's Son and are 223 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:58,240 blessed for all eternity. If you're here this morning and you're still relying on your sense 224 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:09,840 of being a good person, on your own religious works, on your own attempts to impress God, 225 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:17,200 and dear friend, I hope you hear the gospel that was once and for all delivered this morning. 226 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:25,760 There is a way that leads to death and destruction and there is a way that leads to eternal life and 227 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:36,240 joy. Today, you are not hearing the gospel by accident. Today, you're being called to let go 228 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:46,960 and hold on. Let go of your own attempts and hold on to Christ's perfect work on behalf of his people. 229 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:56,880 As Paul says here, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. 230 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:08,320 As it's written, cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole. That's what's being held out to you this 231 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:20,080 morning. The Bible clearly says that anyone who relies on their own work is under a curse, 232 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:28,000 but the gospel, the gospel is that God sent his only begotten Son who lived a perfect life on behalf 233 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:34,960 of his people who stood in their place and received the wrath of God on the cross. He took 234 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:45,680 the curse that we all deserve. He took everything you deserve on himself so that he could be 235 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:53,600 set free for all eternity. How do you go from being under a curse to being blessed for all eternity? 236 00:34:53,600 --> 00:35:02,000 Well, we've heard it this morning. Give up. Give up on your own attempts and put your trust, 237 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:09,440 put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the inspired words of Scripture 238 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:17,680 He, it is He that redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the 239 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:29,280 Gentiles through Christ Jesus so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. 240 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:38,800 By faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Let's pray. 241 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:51,840 Father God, we thank you for the gospel. We thank you that you have redeemed us from the curse of 242 00:35:51,840 --> 00:36:01,120 the law, that you have taken us from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive 243 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:08,960 in the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you Father that you have filled us full of the Holy Spirit 244 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:15,760 and that where we are faithless you remain faithful to us. When and where we backslide into 245 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:22,480 legalism, when and where we backslide into faithlessness, you remain faithful to us, 246 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:29,760 to your people calling us back by the gospel. We ask this morning, Lord God, as we've heard 247 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:37,440 afresh, as we have put our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, that we would be reminded continually 248 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:48,880 that His work is perfect. His work is accepted on our behalf. His work is perfect. Lord, we ask that 249 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:56,000 we would live in light of that, that we would live in light of the gospel, that we would be led 250 00:36:56,960 --> 00:37:03,200 to share this gospel with those who are still trapped, who are still in the darkness. 251 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,320 We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.