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Northwest Church of Christ 3904 38th Street NW Canton, Ohio 44718 330-492-5523 Fax: 330-493-7119 |
“How God Saves Sinners” |
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I. Introduction.
A. Paul’s letter to the Christians of the Roman province of
Galatia has been given different titles, among them “The
Magna Carta of Christian Freedom” and the “Christian’s
Declaration of Independence.”1. It is, very likely, the first (chronologically) of Paul’s
letters which we have preserved in Bible.2. It has been compared to a sword in the hand of a
great, skillful, swordsman.a. When Paul wrote the letter, both he, and
gospel, were under attack.b. If that attack had succeeded, Christianity
might have become just another sect of the
Jews. Might have become exclusively
Jewish – dependent upon circumcision, and
keeping the Law of Moses, instead of
emphasizing the law of grace for both Jew
and Gentile.3. In Paul’s response to the attackers of his teaching –
of God’s teaching – whole issue of salvation was at
stake.B. In the early history of church, Paul’s was a battle that had
to be fought. There were Jews who had accepted
Christianity with the conviction that all of God’s promises,
and gifts, were for the Jews alone; no Gentile could be
admitted to the church; no Gentile could be recipient of
these promises and privileges. They believed that
Christianity was for Jews, and only Jews.1. These Jews held firmly to the concept of the
“chosen people.”2. And, these Jews hated Paul for sharing the gospel
with the equally-hated Gentiles. Because Paul
preached salvation for everyone, they hated him,
and his message.C. Of course, there was one way Gentiles could become
Christians. That was, to become a Jew first. That meant a
man must be circumcised, and men and women both must
adhere to the Law of Moses. And, here was where the
question of salvation entered in.1. To Paul, what the “Judaizers” required was very
opposite of what Christianity meant and what Christ
had died for. It was a “different gospel” from the
one he had taught them and by which they were
saved (READ Galatians 1:6-7).2. What this “different gospel” taught was that a
person’s salvation was dependent on what he, or
she, did; on a physical sign; on the ability to keep
the law.3. To Paul, salvation was a matter of grace – not
earning the favor of God, but accepting the love of
God. Salvation was a matter of faith, not works.D. For Paul, the essential element in salvation was not what
we do for God, but what God has done for us: how God
saves sinners.1. “But,” the Judaizers argued, “the greatest thing in
our national life is the law; and God gave that law
to Moses. On that law our lives depend.”2. So, Paul answers, “Who is the founder of our
nation, the nation of the Jews? To whom were the
greatest of all God’s promises given? Is it not
Abraham?” So, how did Abraham gain the favor of
God? Not by keeping the law. He lived years
before the law was given to Moses. There was no
law to keep. “How did Abraham gain God’s favor?
By an act of faith.” (Leaving home; trusting God.)3. It was faith, combined with obedience, that saved
Abraham. It’s faith, combined with obedience, that
saves us, now.E. That’s what Galatians 3:6-14 is all about, “How God Saves
Sinners”).1. No matter our race, our national origin, our family
background. Anyone who surrenders, in faith, to
God, can be saved.2. Now, God’s true “Israel” is not a matter of physical
descent. To the Galatians, Paul addresses a
significant question: “What are the identifying
characteristics of a Christian?” And, he gives the
biblical answer to that question – in Galatians 5:6:
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working
through love.”3. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul sets the course of
true Christianity between the extremes of Jewish
legalism and pagan license.II. God And The Sinner.
A. We’ve already touched upon Paul’s basic argument, and his
key point: God’s promises to Abraham pre-dated the
giving of the law to Moses. Abraham received these
promises by faith, and these promises pointed toward, and
climaxed in, Jesus Christ – He was, and is, a living Savior
who fulfilled, made complete, the now-dead law.1. Paul puts his emphasis upon freedom in Christ, and
shows the proper place, and function, of the Law of
Moses, as well as proper source of real
righteousness – faith, not law.2. God saves sinners “by grace . . .through faith”
(Ephesians 2:8), not by the works done in response
to a law, or laws. Righteousness cannot be obtained
by merely doing certain things. But, what we do is
a reflection of our salvation and of righteousness.B. Look more fully at Paul’s arguments in Galatians 3.
1. What was the basis for Abraham’s relationship with
God? (verse 6, RE-READ).a. The Law of Moses had nothing to do with
the salvation of Abraham.b. Also, Abraham’s “faith” was an obedient
faith – not that he was perfect, but that the
sum of his life was obedience to God’s
commands (Hebrews 11:8: “By faith
Abraham obeyed when he was called to go
out to the place which he would receive as
an inheritance . . .”; Hebrews 11:17: “By
faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered
up Isaac, . . .”).c. That concept of obedient faith is also found
in James 2:21: “Was not Abraham our
father justified when he offered Isaac his son
on the altar?”d. So, Paul concludes – verse 7 (Re-Read;
Galatians 3). (Refer back to boast of Jews
to John the Baptist: “. . . ‘We have
Abraham as our father.’ . . .” Now, Paul
says, Abraham is father of all who come to
God in obedient faith.)2. Paul’s argument is also rooted in the specific
promise God made to Abraham. (Re-Read verse 8).a. This promise forsaw that “. . . God would
justify the Gentiles by faith;” it fore-
shadowed the preaching of the gospel of
salvation for everyone, through Jesus
Christ.b. Who, then, will be blessed, as Abraham
was? (verse 9).C. In verses 10-14, Paul proceeds to drive his opponents
into a corner from which they cannot escape.1. “Suppose,” he says, “you decide you’re going to
try to win God’s favor, and approval, by means of
accepting and obeying the law. Suppose you try
to get into a right relationship with God that way.
What are the consequences of such a choice?”a. First, the law becomes either your salvation,
or your curse – you must succeed, or fail,
based on the decision to obey the law. And,
you must live by the law, all of it, all the
time.b. Second, you have chosen to do the
impossible. No one ever has, no one ever
will, succeed in keeping, and obeying, and
satisfying “. . . all things which are written
in the book of the law, to do them.”
(verse 10; quote from Deuteronomy 27:26).c. Third, if you fail to keep the law, you are
cursed. That’s logical end of trying to be
right with God by obeying law.2. Old Testament scripture also says: “. . . the just
shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).a. The only way to get into a right relationship
with God, the only way God saves sinners is
the way of faith, of acceptance, of surrender.b. How can we verify this? The guarantee of
this is in Christ – the Son of God who died
on a cross for all humanity.c. Scripture says: “Cursed is everyone who
hangs on a tree” (Deuteronomy 21:23;
Galatians 3:13). That “curse” is the
judgment of law. To free us from such
judgment, for disobedience to the law,
Jesus became the accursed one – He took
our place “. . . on a tree.”d. This supreme sacrifice is also the supreme
expression of God’s love – of His desire to
save sinners. (II Peter 3:9: “. . . not
willing that any should perish . . .”).D. Even in his involved discussion here, Paul cannot get far
away from one simple fact: the cost of the gospel of
salvation through Jesus Christ. Peace, liberty, a right
relationship with God – all cost the life of Jesus. How
could we have ever really known what God is like unless
Jesus died to show us how much God loves us?III. Conclusion.
A. As Abraham’s faith led him to obey God’s will, as Jesus’
faith led him to do the will of His Father, our faith must
be expressed in obedience.B. Look, finally, at Galatians 3:26 (READ). The phrase
“. . . sons of God . . .” includes the ideas of origin,
relationship, and nature (or character).1. We become “. . . sons of God . . .” because of our
spiritual origin, being spiritually born into God’s
family. All those who are born to parents are
those parents’ children; those who are “. . . born of
God . . .” are His children.2. We become “. . . sons of God . . .” by our spiritual
relationship to Him.3. We become “. . . sons of God . . .” by taking on His
nature, or character. We have the family
characteristics that go along with being a child of
God: we do not practice sin, we know and love
God, we conduct ourselves in such a way as to draw
near to God and draw away from Satan.C. How do we become a child of God? (Galatians 3:27-29;
READ). Wraps up Paul’s arguments on how God saves
sinners by obedient faith.