WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.240 Bible readings. If you have your Bibles with 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:04.839 you, please open them up at John chapter 3 and 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:08.740 we're just looking at verse 16 to 18. That's 00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:29.769 John chapter 3 verses 16 to 18. one and only 00:00:29.769 --> 00:00:32.149 son that whoever believes in him should not perish 00:00:32.149 --> 00:00:35.850 but have eternal life. For God did not send his 00:00:35.850 --> 00:00:38.890 son into the world to condemn the world but in 00:00:38.890 --> 00:00:41.609 order that the world might be saved through him. 00:00:42.270 --> 00:00:44.969 Whoever believes in him is not condemned but 00:00:44.969 --> 00:00:47.570 whoever does not believe is condemned already 00:00:47.570 --> 00:00:51.189 because he has not believed in the name of the 00:00:51.189 --> 00:00:55.850 only son of God. And the second Bible reading 00:00:55.850 --> 00:00:59.270 is from 1 John chapter 2 and we're just looking 00:00:59.270 --> 00:01:06.329 at the first two verses That's 1 John chapter 00:01:06.329 --> 00:01:19.310 2 verses 1 to 2 My little children I'm writing 00:01:19.310 --> 00:01:23.489 these things to you so that you may not sin But 00:01:23.489 --> 00:01:26.250 if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the 00:01:26.250 --> 00:01:30.569 Father Jesus Christ the righteous He is the propitiation 00:01:30.569 --> 00:01:34.230 for our sins and not for ours only but also for 00:01:34.230 --> 00:01:39.510 the sins of the whole world And now it's Michael 00:01:39.510 --> 00:01:43.989 to come up Morning again church It's great to 00:01:43.989 --> 00:01:46.010 be together around the Word of God and before 00:01:46.010 --> 00:01:49.689 we get into our text this morning Why don't we 00:01:49.689 --> 00:01:53.379 ask God to help us in understanding? these words 00:01:53.379 --> 00:01:57.120 of eternal life. Would you please pray with me? 00:01:59.299 --> 00:02:02.859 Father God, we ask that as we come around these 00:02:02.859 --> 00:02:06.900 inspired words that you have given to us, the 00:02:06.900 --> 00:02:11.300 Church, to the world, that we wouldn't take for 00:02:11.300 --> 00:02:15.780 granted what we're doing here this morning. That 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:20.139 you would be honored in this place. That you 00:02:20.139 --> 00:02:23.319 would be that your son would be held high, that 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:26.580 your spirit would work freely among us through 00:02:26.580 --> 00:02:29.560 the preaching of your word this morning. We ask 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:31.960 for this in Jesus' name and for your glory, Lord. 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:36.979 Amen. For the past few weeks, we've been working 00:02:36.979 --> 00:02:41.020 our way through the first letter of John that 00:02:41.020 --> 00:02:45.039 was written to the church in Ephesus. And as 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:49.000 we've seen, our apostle has been addressing some 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:52.719 false teaching that had found its way into the 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:58.180 church in regards to sin and how it relates to 00:02:58.180 --> 00:03:03.300 the Christian life. If you think back over particularly 00:03:03.300 --> 00:03:07.969 the last few verses, verses 6, 8 and 10, of the 00:03:07.969 --> 00:03:11.270 previous chapter, chapter one, we've seen the 00:03:11.270 --> 00:03:15.389 issue somewhat clarified and defined for us by 00:03:15.389 --> 00:03:20.469 John's use of the phrase, if we say. Those little 00:03:20.469 --> 00:03:25.909 if we say statements has been what John has responded 00:03:25.909 --> 00:03:29.669 to thus far. For example, in the first claim 00:03:29.669 --> 00:03:32.389 as we see there in verse 6, well that was something 00:03:32.389 --> 00:03:35.090 to do with the false teachers and how they had 00:03:35.090 --> 00:03:38.050 been saying that you don't need to care about 00:03:38.050 --> 00:03:41.969 sin anymore because as they taught the Christian 00:03:41.969 --> 00:03:46.270 soul had been united with God and so it didn't 00:03:46.270 --> 00:03:49.710 matter what anyone did with their bodies anymore. 00:03:50.379 --> 00:03:53.060 In the second claim as found there in verse 8, 00:03:53.219 --> 00:03:55.780 well that was about addressing the issue that 00:03:55.780 --> 00:03:59.719 once someone became a Christian they no longer 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:05.099 had a sin nature and thus could do as they pleased. 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:07.460 And the third claim as we see there in verse 00:04:07.460 --> 00:04:10.879 10, well that was about addressing that as a 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:14.819 Christian you could actually stop sinning altogether 00:04:14.819 --> 00:04:19.459 and become perfect on this side of kingdom come. 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:24.199 And so our apostle, he challenges the church 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:28.180 on what they were really in danger of falling 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:33.120 into by listening to these false teachers. He 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:37.339 addressed them to make it clear that as Christians, 00:04:37.399 --> 00:04:41.620 we will struggle with sin on this side of kingdom 00:04:41.620 --> 00:04:47.300 come. Because sin, it's an ongoing reality for 00:04:47.300 --> 00:04:52.620 the Christian who still lives in the flesh. Now 00:04:52.620 --> 00:04:55.279 over the past couple of weeks as we've looked 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:58.040 at John's teaching here, you may have started 00:04:58.040 --> 00:05:01.980 thinking to yourself, like the original audience 00:05:01.980 --> 00:05:06.620 was in danger of doing, that if sin is an ongoing 00:05:06.620 --> 00:05:09.879 reality and if we're always going to be wrestling 00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:13.819 and struggling and striving with it, then what's 00:05:13.819 --> 00:05:18.180 the point of doing anything about it? Because 00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:22.660 if we can't stop it, then what's the point in 00:05:22.660 --> 00:05:27.259 fighting it? John had something to say about 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:31.060 that attitude to all of us this morning, because 00:05:31.060 --> 00:05:34.199 he's in no way wanting to promote a lethargic 00:05:34.199 --> 00:05:38.540 or even an empathetic attitude towards sin in 00:05:38.540 --> 00:05:44.500 the church, but a culture of truth and holiness. 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:47.879 And so I want to show you just three things from 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:51.680 the text that we have before us this morning. 00:05:51.819 --> 00:05:55.060 First, John tells us clearly why he's writing 00:05:55.060 --> 00:05:59.620 to us the church. Second, he shows us the foundation 00:05:59.620 --> 00:06:03.199 of our forgiveness and how we are to fight sin 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:07.079 every step of the way. And third, he shows us 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:11.500 the only hope that anybody has in this world 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:15.509 to have their sin fully forgiven. as they stand 00:06:15.509 --> 00:06:19.110 before an Almighty God. And so if you have your 00:06:19.110 --> 00:06:21.689 Bibles with you this morning, have a look with 00:06:21.689 --> 00:06:25.029 me at just those first few words there in verse 00:06:25.029 --> 00:06:29.129 one of chapter two. John says, my little children, 00:06:29.569 --> 00:06:35.189 I'm writing these things to you so that, so that 00:06:35.189 --> 00:06:41.399 you might not sin. Right, I think it's actually 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:44.019 pretty straightforward what our apostle is telling 00:06:44.019 --> 00:06:48.160 us here. Everything that's come before, everything 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:51.339 that we've looked at so far in this series has 00:06:51.339 --> 00:06:56.680 been about how real and true Christians live 00:06:56.680 --> 00:07:00.600 in the light and the truth and the word of life, 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:05.220 which is the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's what 00:07:05.220 --> 00:07:09.720 John has been talking to us about so far. He's 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:13.279 pointed out that the true Christian is someone 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:17.500 who once walked in darkness, but because of the 00:07:17.500 --> 00:07:20.819 message of the apostles, because of the acceptance 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:24.000 of the truth of their claims and teaching, the 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:28.139 true Christian now walks in the light and the 00:07:28.139 --> 00:07:33.430 life of Jesus Christ. But as John has said, as 00:07:33.430 --> 00:07:38.029 the Christian, as we walk, as we walk, as we 00:07:38.029 --> 00:07:41.089 walk in the light, well, we will struggle and 00:07:41.089 --> 00:07:45.329 strive and battle with sin every step of the 00:07:45.329 --> 00:07:50.490 way. And so John clearly tells us here from the 00:07:50.490 --> 00:07:54.490 get -go, the reason that I told you about the 00:07:54.490 --> 00:07:57.370 reality of the Christian life, my little children, 00:07:57.449 --> 00:08:01.379 which is a... is a way of John reminding us all 00:08:01.379 --> 00:08:04.639 that we're part of a spiritual family and not 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:08.060 doing this on our own. The reason that I told 00:08:08.060 --> 00:08:10.740 you about all of this isn't so that you would 00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:15.180 be disheartened and give up and give in. No, 00:08:15.180 --> 00:08:19.800 I told you the truth so that, so that you would 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:24.160 know the reality of the Christian life, so that 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:29.060 you may not sin. Now this is really interesting 00:08:29.060 --> 00:08:33.440 church because on the one hand our apostle knows 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:38.559 that we can't live without sin trying to hinder 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:42.120 and harm us every step of the way. Yet on the 00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:46.419 other hand he wants us to hate our sin and to 00:08:46.419 --> 00:08:51.279 abandon it and kill it wherever and whenever 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:55.779 we can. So straight off the bat we see why John 00:08:55.779 --> 00:09:00.830 has written to us the Church. It's to encourage 00:09:00.830 --> 00:09:08.409 us in our fight against sin and our life of holiness. 00:09:10.750 --> 00:09:13.809 This shouldn't come as any surprise to us this 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:16.529 morning because if we think back to chapter one, 00:09:16.629 --> 00:09:19.830 particularly verses three and four, John told 00:09:19.830 --> 00:09:23.509 us that he was proclaiming the good news of the 00:09:23.509 --> 00:09:28.710 gospel to us so that we might come into real 00:09:28.710 --> 00:09:33.850 fellowship with God Almighty himself. And through 00:09:33.850 --> 00:09:38.129 that fellowship experience a life of true joy 00:09:38.129 --> 00:09:43.970 in relationship. with God and his people. Remember 00:09:43.970 --> 00:09:47.750 that's how John opened this whole letter and 00:09:47.750 --> 00:09:52.289 he did that because he wanted us to grasp something 00:09:52.289 --> 00:09:57.230 essential when we truly understand the love and 00:09:57.230 --> 00:10:02.159 the grace of God. When that reality really hits 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:06.379 home and sinks deep into our hearts, we begin 00:10:06.379 --> 00:10:09.740 to see that a genuine relationship with Jesus 00:10:09.740 --> 00:10:16.379 produces real and lasting joy. And when that 00:10:16.379 --> 00:10:20.639 joy becomes real to us, we won't want to go back 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:24.960 into the sin and into the darkness in which we 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:29.210 were once enslaved. Picture this for a moment. 00:10:29.570 --> 00:10:32.669 You're sitting next to a beautiful campfire on 00:10:32.669 --> 00:10:36.769 a warm, a cold winter's night. The fire's warm, 00:10:36.889 --> 00:10:40.509 it lights up the night sky and it keeps the darkness 00:10:40.509 --> 00:10:46.070 at bay. You feel safe. You feel peaceful. You're 00:10:46.070 --> 00:10:49.279 content. Then all of a sudden off in the distance 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:52.919 you hear fireworks. They explode, they're loud, 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:56.039 they're colourful and they're somewhat beautiful. 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:00.299 For a moment they seem more exciting than the 00:11:00.299 --> 00:11:04.799 campfire that you're sat at. So you get up, you 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:07.340 leave the warmth and the safety of the light 00:11:07.340 --> 00:11:12.620 and you run towards the entertainment. But by 00:11:12.620 --> 00:11:17.740 the time you arrive, it's all gone. The sky is 00:11:17.740 --> 00:11:21.639 dark again, there's no light, there's no warmth, 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:28.100 just pitch black, cold darkness. Brothers and 00:11:28.100 --> 00:11:32.470 sisters, this is somewhat... of a picture as 00:11:32.470 --> 00:11:36.309 to what John is showing us here. When we understand 00:11:36.309 --> 00:11:40.330 the love and the grace of God as shown to us 00:11:40.330 --> 00:11:43.669 through the Lord Jesus Christ, when we know the 00:11:43.669 --> 00:11:48.190 joy of the Lord that's found in real and lasting 00:11:48.190 --> 00:11:51.090 relationship with him, when we're walking in 00:11:51.090 --> 00:11:55.149 the light and in the truth, then it really should 00:11:55.149 --> 00:12:00.929 change our attitude towards sin. I mean, yes, 00:12:01.429 --> 00:12:05.610 sin might seem more exciting and thrilling in 00:12:05.610 --> 00:12:09.409 the moment, but how could we want to leave the 00:12:09.409 --> 00:12:13.830 warmth of what we have for that darkness, that 00:12:13.830 --> 00:12:19.350 entrapment once again? Well, John is straightforward 00:12:19.350 --> 00:12:23.230 with us here this morning. He says if we understand 00:12:23.230 --> 00:12:26.850 the reality of the Christian life, even the ongoing 00:12:26.850 --> 00:12:30.509 sin that we will all face and what it's tempting 00:12:30.509 --> 00:12:35.110 us to do to go back into the darkness, then we 00:12:35.110 --> 00:12:39.610 will learn to hate it. You'll learn to ignore 00:12:39.610 --> 00:12:43.970 the so -called fireworks that seem so very tempting 00:12:43.970 --> 00:12:48.090 in the moment and want to grow in the grace and 00:12:48.090 --> 00:12:52.529 the truth and in the joy of the Lord. It's the 00:12:52.529 --> 00:12:55.389 first thing that we see here. We see why our 00:12:55.389 --> 00:12:59.549 Apostle John has written to us the Church. It's 00:12:59.549 --> 00:13:03.529 so we don't give up and give in to the sin that 00:13:03.529 --> 00:13:07.419 wants to take us from the light. and to steal 00:13:07.419 --> 00:13:11.039 our joy. The second thing that we see here is 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:15.580 John's encouragement for all Christians. You 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:18.139 see, John wants us to know that the Christian 00:13:18.139 --> 00:13:21.940 has a source of strength and hope to overcome 00:13:21.940 --> 00:13:27.299 the sin that so easily hinders us. And so how 00:13:27.299 --> 00:13:31.340 do we live a godly life even while battling ongoing 00:13:31.340 --> 00:13:37.039 sin on this side of eternity? Well, John tells 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:45.639 us here. John tells us, look to Jesus. Look to 00:13:45.639 --> 00:13:51.379 Jesus, and as you do so, remember these three 00:13:51.379 --> 00:13:57.940 things. Verse one, first, he is our advocate. 00:13:58.440 --> 00:14:01.539 Now in context, this is actually a word that's 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:05.419 associated with the Greco -Roman law courts and 00:14:05.419 --> 00:14:08.779 John uses this word because he wants us to picture 00:14:08.779 --> 00:14:12.379 ourselves as standing before the judgment throne 00:14:12.379 --> 00:14:16.480 of God and as we stand before him to be judged 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:21.019 for the things that we've done, John says, remember, 00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:25.299 you have a representative, you have an advocate 00:14:25.299 --> 00:14:29.000 in all of this. And he's not just any advocate, 00:14:29.259 --> 00:14:34.220 he's Jesus Christ himself. He is the one who 00:14:34.220 --> 00:14:40.019 represents you now and into all eternity. Now 00:14:40.019 --> 00:14:43.559 there's something really interesting that I want 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:47.659 you to catch here church. Notice that yes, Jesus 00:14:47.659 --> 00:14:52.960 is our advocate, but notice who he advocates 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:58.460 us before. John says it's before the Father. 00:14:59.419 --> 00:15:01.960 It's before the Father, and I say this is interesting 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:05.519 because I think we're meant to feel the weight 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:09.899 of something in John's words here. You see, every 00:15:09.899 --> 00:15:12.100 single Christian on the face of the planet knows 00:15:12.100 --> 00:15:15.980 that as we walk in the light and the truth of 00:15:15.980 --> 00:15:19.960 the Word of God, we see things in regards to 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:25.240 our own sin and failures. and that we deserve 00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:28.139 punishment for the things that we've continually 00:15:28.139 --> 00:15:32.679 given into as we struggle and strive and battle 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:35.580 sin. I mean, if we're honest with ourselves, 00:15:35.820 --> 00:15:38.639 brothers and sisters, we know that we're not 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:42.799 perfect, no far from it. And we know that when 00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:46.379 we slip and when we slide and when we forget 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:50.879 and when we cast off, we're guilty. And if we're 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:54.539 really honest with ourselves, We know that there's 00:15:54.539 --> 00:15:58.000 nothing in and of ourselves that we can put forward 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:02.759 before the judge of the living and the dead to 00:16:02.759 --> 00:16:06.360 justify ourselves with. I mean if we were to 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:09.399 be judged on our own merit we would be judged 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:16.320 guilty and condemned for all eternity. We know 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:21.159 that and that can weigh desperately heavy on 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:25.620 a tender conscience. But John says here, my dear 00:16:25.620 --> 00:16:29.059 children, remember that at this very moment, 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:33.259 we have an advocate before our Heavenly Father. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:37.019 And because of Jesus, your Heavenly Father loves 00:16:37.019 --> 00:16:40.600 you more than you could possibly ever hope to 00:16:40.600 --> 00:16:44.399 imagine. That's why he sent his son in the first 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:47.779 place. He chose you before the foundation of 00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:51.679 the world and solved the problem of your sin 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.559 by the blood of his precious son on the cross. 00:16:55.700 --> 00:17:00.080 And that very Jesus, that very one who gave his 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:04.640 life on your behalf, now stands before the Father 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:14.539 and pleads our case. He is. our advocate. It's 00:17:14.539 --> 00:17:17.819 like standing in a courtroom knowing, knowing 00:17:17.819 --> 00:17:19.680 beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're guilty. 00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:24.680 Every failure in thought, word and deed is laid 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:27.859 bare for you to see and you know what the verdict's 00:17:27.859 --> 00:17:31.619 gonna be. It's guilty and you know that judgment 00:17:31.619 --> 00:17:35.140 is deserved but then Jesus steps forward. No 00:17:35.140 --> 00:17:38.380 one denies the guilty charge mind you but he 00:17:38.380 --> 00:17:44.190 simply says I have paid the price. And our Heavenly 00:17:44.190 --> 00:17:48.289 Father, He looks at you. He looks at me, not 00:17:48.289 --> 00:17:51.089 with wrath, but through the righteousness of 00:17:51.089 --> 00:17:55.109 His precious, beloved Son. And as the gavel comes 00:17:55.109 --> 00:17:59.630 down, it doesn't come down in condemnation, but 00:17:59.630 --> 00:18:05.089 in grace. We are declared before Heaven's court, 00:18:05.650 --> 00:18:11.730 forgiven, free. not guilty. That's the imagery 00:18:11.730 --> 00:18:15.609 that John wants us to see in this word advocate. 00:18:17.130 --> 00:18:20.130 Now there's something that we must not see here. 00:18:20.390 --> 00:18:23.130 We're not meant to take away from this part of 00:18:23.130 --> 00:18:26.799 scripture and that's that God the Father is somehow 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:31.039 versing God the Son in this scene. This isn't 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:35.279 about Jesus meek and mild versus an angry judge 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:40.640 intent on crushing us under his mighty gavel. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:43.740 That's not the imagery we're meant to understand. 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:49.559 And that's because Jesus stands as our advocate 00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:54.450 because our Heavenly Father He wanted to acquit 00:18:54.450 --> 00:18:58.109 his people of their lawless deeds in the first 00:18:58.109 --> 00:19:03.529 place. It's as we read before, for God so loved 00:19:03.529 --> 00:19:08.750 the world that he gave, he gave his one and only 00:19:08.750 --> 00:19:13.009 son that whoever believes in him will not perish 00:19:13.009 --> 00:19:18.589 but have everlasting life. See Jesus stands before 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:22.259 our Heavenly Father and pleads mercy on us in 00:19:22.259 --> 00:19:26.940 the first place because of the eternal plan of 00:19:26.940 --> 00:19:30.900 the triune God on behalf of His chosen people. 00:19:31.660 --> 00:19:36.420 This was the plan that they had from eternity 00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:41.859 past to deal with the sin of His chosen people. 00:19:42.380 --> 00:19:45.660 God wanted to send the Son, and get this, the 00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:50.819 Son actually wanted to come, says the writer 00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:53.319 to the Hebrews says, it was for the joy that 00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:58.819 was set before him that he endured the cross. 00:20:00.099 --> 00:20:04.119 And Jesus is now able to stand before the father 00:20:04.119 --> 00:20:09.119 on behalf of us, because as we see here in the 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:14.650 rest of verse one, he is the righteous one. Jesus 00:20:14.650 --> 00:20:18.109 is able to be our advocate, brothers and sisters, 00:20:18.369 --> 00:20:25.190 because second, he is the righteous one. Now 00:20:25.190 --> 00:20:28.029 this is really important that we get what our 00:20:28.029 --> 00:20:33.529 apostle is telling us here. Because it's on the 00:20:33.529 --> 00:20:39.890 merit of Jesus Christ and him alone that we are 00:20:39.890 --> 00:20:44.309 able to be set free from the penalty that our 00:20:44.309 --> 00:20:48.609 sin, our lawlessness, our law breaking, our wickedness 00:20:48.609 --> 00:20:52.869 deserves. You see, as we saw last week, God is 00:20:52.869 --> 00:20:56.930 righteous and just, which means that he doesn't 00:20:56.930 --> 00:21:00.299 just wipe our sins. under the carpet whenever 00:21:00.299 --> 00:21:05.380 we say sorry, no justice has to be served on 00:21:05.380 --> 00:21:08.680 our sin and wickedness and lawless deeds that 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:12.960 we have really and personally committed against 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:17.039 him. And so the fact that John says that Jesus 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:22.019 is righteous, that he stands before the judge 00:21:22.019 --> 00:21:25.799 of all the earth, Well, I would put it to you 00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:27.940 this morning that he's actually saying a couple 00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:32.039 of things. First, he's saying that Jesus in no 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:37.160 way broke the law of God. Why is that important? 00:21:37.220 --> 00:21:40.119 Well, it's important because as Jesus stands 00:21:40.119 --> 00:21:44.819 there, as our advocate, he stands there as someone 00:21:44.819 --> 00:21:49.839 who has no sin in and of himself because he fulfilled 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:54.119 the law. as he came to live on this planet 2 00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:58.460 ,000 years ago in the person of Jesus. Now that's 00:21:58.460 --> 00:22:00.980 incredibly important because he wouldn't be able 00:22:00.980 --> 00:22:05.420 to stand and plead on our behalf, plead his life 00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:10.279 on our behalf if he was a sinner himself. Now 00:22:10.279 --> 00:22:14.160 Jesus had to live the life we couldn't. He had 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:17.619 to be the person that we could never possibly 00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:22.420 hope to be so as to stand in our place and plead 00:22:22.420 --> 00:22:27.880 his perfect life for our broken and sinful one. 00:22:29.099 --> 00:22:31.599 A second reason that it's important that we understand 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:34.799 that Jesus is the righteous one is because he 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:39.059 took the penalty of what we deserve upon himself. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:43.059 That, my dear ones, is what the cross is all 00:22:43.059 --> 00:22:48.680 about. You see, you and I deserve the wrath of 00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:54.140 God for our sin. We deserve hell. That's the 00:22:54.140 --> 00:22:58.059 sentence. Yet because our Lord took the wrath 00:22:58.059 --> 00:23:02.259 of God on our behalf, the great exchange, as 00:23:02.259 --> 00:23:06.019 the Reformers call it, our place for His, His 00:23:06.019 --> 00:23:11.279 perfect sinless life, was accepted as the absolute 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:16.599 and final sacrifice for our sin. Putting this 00:23:16.599 --> 00:23:19.940 all together church, because of whatever you've 00:23:19.940 --> 00:23:24.279 done, when God opens your ears to the gospel, 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:29.740 when he gives you the faith to trust in all that 00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:35.079 Christ has done on your behalf. when all your 00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:38.240 sin has been washed away and the Holy Spirit 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.720 comes to reside in you and you now call from 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:45.319 the depth of your hearts on God your Father. 00:23:46.759 --> 00:23:49.619 That is a freedom. That's a privilege of not 00:23:49.619 --> 00:23:55.900 just knowing things about God, but by being intimately 00:23:55.900 --> 00:24:03.980 known by God. We are His and We belong to him. 00:24:05.460 --> 00:24:10.380 What amazing grace. And that's what astounded 00:24:10.380 --> 00:24:15.259 Paul with these Galatians. Because after all 00:24:15.259 --> 00:24:18.660 they'd experienced, after all they'd been through, 00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:22.099 after all that they suffered, as the King James 00:24:22.099 --> 00:24:26.420 puts it, they were now willing and ready to turn 00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:31.609 back to what they had been rescued from. In fact, 00:24:31.690 --> 00:24:34.730 you might remember that's how Paul started his 00:24:34.730 --> 00:24:37.490 whole letter to the Galatians, chapter one, verse 00:24:37.490 --> 00:24:42.369 six. I'm astonished that you're so quickly deserting 00:24:42.369 --> 00:24:45.269 the one who called you to live in the grace of 00:24:45.269 --> 00:24:49.069 Christ and are turning to a different gospel. 00:24:50.450 --> 00:24:54.730 Now this imagery church of being on a journey 00:24:54.730 --> 00:24:58.609 and turning back from the way forward where we 00:24:58.609 --> 00:25:02.619 get this imagery of backsliding and deserting 00:25:02.619 --> 00:25:08.500 God isn't unique to Paul. It's actually a picture 00:25:08.500 --> 00:25:12.240 that we see all throughout scripture. Think about 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:14.960 our Lord's sermon on the mount and how he described 00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:18.680 the Christian life like a journey to his disciples 00:25:18.680 --> 00:25:24.039 saying broad is the road that leads to destruction, 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:29.319 narrow the road that leads to life. And we're 00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:32.140 warned in Scripture over and over again that 00:25:32.140 --> 00:25:35.400 there are many things that are out to get us 00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:39.180 to turn from the road that we are to continue 00:25:39.180 --> 00:25:45.140 on. Like enemies that are out to tempt. Our own 00:25:45.140 --> 00:25:49.099 faithlessness and Satan and the demonic realm, 00:25:49.420 --> 00:25:52.920 just to name a few. That's why the Bible warns 00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:56.650 that we must know the Word of God. That it must 00:25:56.650 --> 00:26:03.130 be a lamp unto our feet. God said to Joshua that 00:26:03.130 --> 00:26:06.910 we're not to turn to the left or the right. As 00:26:06.910 --> 00:26:11.569 turning back to slavery like Israel wanted to 00:26:11.569 --> 00:26:16.730 do has dire consequences for those that do so. 00:26:18.549 --> 00:26:21.569 And that's exactly what Paul is worried about 00:26:21.569 --> 00:26:25.819 with his brothers and sisters here. They come 00:26:25.819 --> 00:26:30.200 to know God. They were walking with him but now 00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:33.680 because of these false teachers and their doctrine 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:38.000 they were turning to something else than Jesus 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:42.640 alone and as a result deserting the one who called 00:26:42.640 --> 00:26:47.480 them to live in the grace of Christ. What was 00:26:47.480 --> 00:26:51.960 this something else? Well Paul gets specific 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:57.450 here in verse 10. He says, you're observing special 00:26:57.450 --> 00:27:02.650 days, months, seasons and years. Now, straight 00:27:02.650 --> 00:27:06.450 off the bat, you might be a bit like, what? That's 00:27:06.450 --> 00:27:10.910 their problem? Out of all their cultic practices 00:27:10.910 --> 00:27:14.569 with all their blood sacrifices and all that 00:27:14.569 --> 00:27:19.549 temple prostitution, Paul is in fear of their 00:27:19.549 --> 00:27:23.589 very souls because of calendar appointments. 00:27:25.670 --> 00:27:29.250 Church, this is where we have to slow down. This 00:27:29.250 --> 00:27:32.349 is where we have to really think about the text 00:27:32.349 --> 00:27:37.470 that is before us this morning because this backsliding 00:27:37.470 --> 00:27:43.390 is subtle and deadly serious. Paul says it here 00:27:43.390 --> 00:27:48.269 in verse 11, I fear for you that somehow I've 00:27:48.269 --> 00:27:53.819 wasted my efforts on you. Now we know in context 00:27:53.819 --> 00:27:57.200 the Galatians had been infiltrated by the Judaizers. 00:27:58.180 --> 00:28:02.299 They wanted these people to embrace Jesus but 00:28:02.299 --> 00:28:05.319 come under all the Mosaic customs at the same 00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:09.619 time for their assurance. Thus these days and 00:28:09.619 --> 00:28:13.180 seasons that Paul has in mind here, they have 00:28:13.180 --> 00:28:17.440 to do with the Jewish calendar. But what undergirds 00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:21.549 this whole thing What makes it all so dangerous 00:28:21.549 --> 00:28:25.829 was a desire on the Galatians part to again be 00:28:25.829 --> 00:28:29.309 under the yoke of something that they had actually 00:28:29.309 --> 00:28:34.470 been rescued from. And that was a pattern in 00:28:34.470 --> 00:28:37.210 the created order, if you will, that they could 00:28:37.210 --> 00:28:42.420 again point to and say, look. I followed this 00:28:42.420 --> 00:28:46.599 set course. I've kept this day. I've done this 00:28:46.599 --> 00:28:49.940 thing. Now God will really be pleased with me. 00:28:50.119 --> 00:28:56.619 Now he really will accept me. We might say silly 00:28:56.619 --> 00:28:59.599 ancient people, but really Paul is touching on 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:03.339 something here that can tempt every single one 00:29:03.339 --> 00:29:07.799 of us in this room this morning. And that's the 00:29:07.799 --> 00:29:12.009 temptation to use religion. as a way to look 00:29:12.009 --> 00:29:16.089 for our justification. You see, the Galatians 00:29:16.089 --> 00:29:19.630 were starting to look to something other, something 00:29:19.630 --> 00:29:23.549 more than the final and finished work of Jesus 00:29:23.549 --> 00:29:26.710 Christ so that they might feel more acceptable 00:29:26.710 --> 00:29:30.250 to God and be more pleasing to him, so that, 00:29:30.369 --> 00:29:34.490 like they thought with their own gods, he would 00:29:34.490 --> 00:29:38.019 have to bless them. To say that another way, 00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:40.700 they were turning back to these very things that 00:29:40.700 --> 00:29:43.599 they were rescued from in regards to their pagan 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:47.880 practices, though with a different mask this 00:29:47.880 --> 00:29:51.819 time. That's what Paul's identifying for us here. 00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:56.220 These people had been rescued from a life of 00:29:56.220 --> 00:30:00.819 being enslaved to observing certain times and 00:30:00.819 --> 00:30:07.640 seasons for favour and luck. only to return themselves 00:30:07.640 --> 00:30:11.079 to similar practices just with a different face 00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:14.799 to it. And I say that we're all in danger of 00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:17.519 this because each and every single one of us 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:21.799 in this room is tempted to succumb to something 00:30:21.799 --> 00:30:26.140 other than looking to Christ alone for our assurance. 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:36.549 It's what Paul calls back -siding. I have to 00:30:36.549 --> 00:30:40.569 admit, it's so much easier to think of back -siding 00:30:40.569 --> 00:30:43.710 in regards to our friends who may have once been 00:30:43.710 --> 00:30:46.829 so dedicated at church, at Bible studies, at 00:30:46.829 --> 00:30:52.390 church camps, but then turned back to their old, 00:30:52.650 --> 00:30:56.130 slavish masters and then seemed to just disappear 00:30:56.130 --> 00:31:02.819 overnight. But is it possible Is it possible, 00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:05.740 brothers and sisters, that while we think of 00:31:05.740 --> 00:31:09.519 those people and identify only that as backsliding, 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:12.460 that we ourselves have been doing a very similar 00:31:12.460 --> 00:31:16.000 thing, but with just a different mask to it? 00:31:16.650 --> 00:31:20.910 Like using our dedication to church, our commitment 00:31:20.910 --> 00:31:24.109 to Bible studies, our self -discipline with being 00:31:24.109 --> 00:31:27.750 nice to strangers, our serving in various ministries 00:31:27.750 --> 00:31:31.390 as something to hold up to God and say, see, 00:31:31.970 --> 00:31:37.809 I am good and worthy. I deserve God's salvation. 00:31:40.289 --> 00:31:42.910 Well, in a way, that's exactly what Paul is addressing 00:31:42.910 --> 00:31:47.890 here. That mindset, that's what he calls backsliding. 00:31:48.029 --> 00:31:50.750 He's saying to the Galatians, in fact, all of 00:31:50.750 --> 00:31:54.150 us that look to something other than Christ alone 00:31:54.150 --> 00:31:58.990 for assurance. If you're looking to certain religious 00:31:58.990 --> 00:32:02.710 practices as a means to show God how good you 00:32:02.710 --> 00:32:06.190 can be so that he has to accept and keep you, 00:32:07.190 --> 00:32:10.599 you're going back. You're coming off the straight 00:32:10.599 --> 00:32:13.880 and narrow. You're sliding back into slavery 00:32:13.880 --> 00:32:19.319 with that mindset. You're turning back just with 00:32:19.319 --> 00:32:24.859 a different mask to it. Church, when any of us 00:32:24.859 --> 00:32:30.160 point to something other than Christ, in order 00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:33.420 to feel like God will have to accept and bless 00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:36.960 and keep you. No matter how religious it might 00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:42.059 seem, no matter how pious it might be, well, 00:32:42.059 --> 00:32:45.740 in looking to that thing, while holding to that 00:32:45.740 --> 00:32:49.180 thing, you're actually putting yourself in slavery 00:32:49.180 --> 00:32:54.259 all over again. That's at the heart of the matter. 00:32:55.779 --> 00:32:59.740 Backsiding is, in this context, it's looking 00:32:59.740 --> 00:33:04.079 to something other or more than Jesus for justification. 00:33:04.700 --> 00:33:07.619 And as we've seen this morning, it is so much 00:33:07.619 --> 00:33:11.460 more subtle and insidious than we often realise. 00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:16.819 The prodigal son can go both ways in that case. 00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:21.059 We can backslide into religion as well as away 00:33:21.059 --> 00:33:25.599 from it. And Paul calls it for what it is. Next 00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:28.740 he addresses the tragedy of backsliding there 00:33:28.740 --> 00:33:35.369 in verses 12 through to 16. He says, Become like 00:33:35.369 --> 00:33:39.089 me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 00:33:39.170 --> 00:33:41.890 As you know, it was because of an illness that 00:33:41.890 --> 00:33:45.250 I first preached the gospel to you. And even 00:33:45.250 --> 00:33:48.690 though my illness was a trial to you, you didn't 00:33:48.690 --> 00:33:51.869 treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you 00:33:51.869 --> 00:33:54.529 welcomed me as if I was an angel of God, as if 00:33:54.529 --> 00:33:58.970 I were Christ himself. Where then is your blessing 00:33:58.970 --> 00:34:03.049 of me now? I can testify that if you could have 00:34:03.049 --> 00:34:05.809 done so, you would have torn out your eyes and 00:34:05.809 --> 00:34:09.030 given them to me. Have I now become your enemy 00:34:09.030 --> 00:34:15.809 by telling you the truth? We are meant to feel 00:34:15.809 --> 00:34:21.570 how personal Paul is getting here. We are meant 00:34:21.570 --> 00:34:26.469 to feel the heart of the pastor pleading with 00:34:26.469 --> 00:34:32.269 the congregations there. He remembers these people 00:34:32.269 --> 00:34:35.829 with such fondness in regards to the first time 00:34:35.829 --> 00:34:39.690 he met them and he thinks of them as family. 00:34:40.869 --> 00:34:45.050 He was sick, but they loved him. They accepted 00:34:45.050 --> 00:34:50.989 him despite him being a burden to them. That's 00:34:50.989 --> 00:34:55.110 what Paul reflects on here. God led him to them. 00:34:55.309 --> 00:34:58.570 He was ill and even though he was a trial to 00:34:58.570 --> 00:35:01.769 them, they did all they could to help. And more 00:35:01.769 --> 00:35:04.730 than that, they accepted what he had to tell 00:35:04.730 --> 00:35:10.050 them, like a message from God himself. Notice 00:35:10.050 --> 00:35:13.389 that verse 14, you welcome me as if I were an 00:35:13.389 --> 00:35:18.329 angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 00:35:20.750 --> 00:35:23.329 Something interesting to reflect on here about 00:35:23.329 --> 00:35:29.400 the context. weakness and sickness was a sign 00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:34.960 that the gods weren't happy with a person. And 00:35:34.960 --> 00:35:38.300 so Paul is saying that these people somehow they 00:35:38.300 --> 00:35:42.320 saw through all of that cultural paganism and 00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:45.639 they accepted and loved him for coming to them. 00:35:46.250 --> 00:35:49.349 They love this man for bringing the gospel to 00:35:49.349 --> 00:35:52.449 them and they did everything to make sure that 00:35:52.449 --> 00:35:57.429 their brother was taken care of. It's a beautiful 00:35:57.429 --> 00:36:01.949 picture of what a missionary or a pastor might 00:36:01.949 --> 00:36:04.210 have with the people that he's brought the gospel 00:36:04.210 --> 00:36:09.530 to. They're his children in that sense. But now 00:36:09.530 --> 00:36:13.690 he wonders in verse 15. Now he wonders where 00:36:13.690 --> 00:36:17.909 then is your blessing of me now. To put that 00:36:17.909 --> 00:36:21.530 another way, Paul is pleading, he said you accepted, 00:36:22.050 --> 00:36:24.849 you loved me because of what I came to tell you. 00:36:24.909 --> 00:36:28.210 There's a love, a bond that's God given because 00:36:28.210 --> 00:36:32.070 you knew that I was sent with the message that 00:36:32.070 --> 00:36:38.170 open your eyes to set you free. But now, but 00:36:38.170 --> 00:36:42.610 now have I become your enemy by telling you the 00:36:42.610 --> 00:36:48.469 truth. That is the heart breaking, wrenching 00:36:48.469 --> 00:36:54.329 question there in verse 16. This is a heartbroken 00:36:54.329 --> 00:37:03.269 man. And that's what's meant to happen to the 00:37:03.269 --> 00:37:06.190 hearts of God's people when we see our brothers 00:37:06.190 --> 00:37:12.550 and sisters slipping back and falling away. It 00:37:12.550 --> 00:37:18.360 should break our hearts. Because among other 00:37:18.360 --> 00:37:22.860 tragic things, it ruptures the bonds of that 00:37:22.860 --> 00:37:25.059 wonderful Christian fellowship that's been a 00:37:25.059 --> 00:37:31.880 gift of God. Think again of those precious people 00:37:31.880 --> 00:37:34.820 that you once fellowshiped with, that you had 00:37:34.820 --> 00:37:37.599 that deep intimacy with, that great Christian 00:37:37.599 --> 00:37:40.860 friendship, but then for whatever reason, something 00:37:40.860 --> 00:37:42.260 other captured their heart.