["Pomp and Circumstance"]
We're going to start the service off singing the banner of the cross.
Please find your seats and grab your song books and turn to page number 405.
That's page 405.
And let's go ahead and sing it out on the first.
There's a royal banner given for display to the soldiers of the king.
As an ensign fair, we lift it up today, while as ransom ones we sing.
Marching on, marching on, for prize gown everything but loss.
Into crown and king, toil and sea, lead the banner of the cross.
Page 405, let's sing it out on the second.
Though the foe may rage and gather as the flood, let the standard be displayed.
And beneath its folds as soldiers of the Lord, for the truth be not displayed.
Marching on, marching on, for prize gown everything but loss.
Into crown and king, toil and sea, lead the banner of the cross.
Over land and sea, wherever man may dwell, make the glorious tidings known.
Of the crimson banner, now the story tell, while the Lord shall claim his own.
Marching on, marching on, for prize gown everything but loss.
Into crown and king, toil and sea, lead the banner of the cross.
Now you guys are singing good tonight, but we can sing a little bit better.
So let's sing it out on the last.
When the glory dawns, his drawing very near, it is tasting day by day.
Then before our king, the foe shall disappear, and the cross the world shall sway.
Marching on, marching on, for prize gown everything but loss.
Into crown and king, toil and sea, lead the banner of the cross.
Great singing. Let's open it up in a word of prayer.
Father God, thank you so much for this church, Lord.
Thank you for these people coming out here on a Wednesday evening.
I pray that you bless the service.
I pray that our singing would glorify you, and you bless the preaching and coming.
In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
All right, please turn to your song books, page number 294.
Page number 294, we're going to sing Stepping in the Light.
Page number 294, and let's sing it out on the first.
Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior, trying to follow our Savior and King.
Shaping our lives by his blessed example, happy how happy the songs that we bring.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, stepping in the light, stepping in the light.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, lead in paths of light.
Resting more closely to him who is leading when we are tempted to turn from the way.
Trusting the arm that is strong to defend us, happy how happy our praises each day.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, stepping in the light, stepping in the light.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, lead in paths of light.
Walking in footsteps of gentle forbearance, footsteps of faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Looking to him for the grace freely promised, happy how happy our journey above.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, stepping in the light, stepping in the light.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, lead in paths of light.
Page 294, let's sing it out on the last.
Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior, upwards the love word will follow our guide.
When we shall see him, the King in his beauty, happy how happy our place at his side.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, stepping in the light, stepping in the light.
How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior, lead in paths of light.
Great singing.
Amen, all right, well let's go ahead and take our bulletins this evening and we'll look at some announcements.
If you do not have a bulletin, just raise your hand and one of our ushers can get one for you.
If you need a bulletin, just put your hand up and we'll get one for you.
Of course, this last Sunday was Mother's Day, so we have the verse Proverbs 31, 28.
Her children will rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her.
And that's a good verse there.
We like that.
If you open up your bulletin, you'll see our service time Sunday morning service 1030 a.m.
And we do invite you of course to be with us on Sunday morning on the Lord's Day for church Sunday evening service at 6 p.m.
And we're glad you're with us for the midweek Bible study on Wednesday night.
If you look at our sowing times, our main sowing times on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.
And then we have additional sowing times on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 2 p.m.
So if you'd like to go sowing tomorrow afternoon, there'll be an opportunity for you to be able to do that.
If you are a first time guest, if it's your first time here at Verde Baptist Church, we're glad you're with us.
We have a gift we'd like to give you as you walk out of the church building tonight.
If you go out our main foyer or if you go out our secondary foyer, you'll see a little table set up.
And on that table you'll see these little gift bags.
Please grab one on your way out as a gift from us to you for being our guest tonight.
And if you are a guest, we'd ask that you please take a moment and fill out the communication card which is inserted in your bulletin.
And you can drop it into the offering plate as it goes by when we receive the offering later on in the service.
If you notice there in our bulletin, we of course are a family integrated church.
What that means is that children and infants are always welcomed in the service.
We do not separate children from their parents for any reason.
We do have mother-baby rooms and daddy rooms available for your convenience.
So if you have a child that's been distracting during the service, if you need some privacy, we would encourage you to use those rooms as needed.
If you need to be baptized, you can let us know on your communication card on the back.
There's a place for you to check off that you would like information about baptism.
And we'll follow up with you and get you situated for baptism.
If you look at the announcements and upcoming events, of course we had our Mother's Day service on Sunday.
And we had a great service for that.
I think we had almost like 250 in attendance on Sunday morning for Mother's Day.
So maybe we should have the children's choir sing every Sunday.
And they bring out the crowd, you know, but that was good.
We had a great service.
And of course we had the ladies got the BBC T-shirts on Sunday.
And we've got shirts for the men as well.
We're going to give those out on Father's Day.
So you just have to wait a few weeks for that.
And then of course we have the safety team appreciation dinner and training is on Friday, May 26th at 6 p.m.
If you are part of the safety team, we need you to be part of this training.
We'll have dinner for you and of course be appreciating you.
But there's also training that goes on on that night.
And if you're interested in being part of our safety team, then you can also sign up for this event.
And you can come have dinner and learn about the safety team.
There are some requirements, of course.
This ministry is only for men.
And you have to have a concealed weapons permit to be part of our safety team.
So you don't have to have it, but it's something you have to get.
So you either have to be working towards it or something like that.
So you can sign up there, of course, if you have any questions.
Or you can talk to Brother Nate Deakins if you have any questions about the safety team.
There's a baby shower for Miss Ava Rodari on Saturday, May 27th at 3 p.m.
She is having a boy and she's registered on Amazon.
It is a potluck.
So if you can, please bring this to share.
And if you'd like to attend, you can sign up on your communication card.
And then we have our graduation service on Sunday, June 4th at 6 p.m.
That's the evening service.
And we'll be celebrating all the graduates for this year.
So if you're part of our homeschool group, you'll be able to walk and receive your diploma if you're graduated kindergarten or high school.
And if you're part of our homeschool group but you graduated sixth or eighth grade, then you won't walk, but we'll recognize you that night.
If you're not part of our homeschool group and you've graduated anything, kindergarten, sixth, eighth, high school, college, whatever, we'd love to recognize you as well.
So please give us all those details on your communication card.
And then on that Sunday night, we'll have pizza in the fellowship hall after the service.
Striving Together new members class is coming up Sunday, June 11th at 1230.
And if you've not attended, please make sure that you sign up for our new members class.
Lunch will be provided and you can sign up on your communication card.
Homeschool group, they've got PE class on Thursday, May 25th.
I think that's the last one for the year, so make sure you don't miss that.
And then there's other things there for you to look at.
Please don't forget to turn your cell phones off or place them on silent during the service so that they're not a distraction to anybody.
If you look at the back of the bulletin, birthdays and anniversaries for the month of May.
Today is Brother George and Miss Andrea McQueen's anniversary.
So happy anniversary to Brother George and Miss Andrea.
And then in a couple of days, Brother Joel Usher's birthday on May 19th.
And Brother Nate and Miss April Deacon's have an anniversary on May 19th.
Praise Report, Money Matters, all those things are there for you to look at.
And I think that's it for all of the announcements.
So we're going to go ahead and sing the chorus of the week.
Excuse me, not the chorus of the week.
Let's take our song books and go to page number 146.
Page number 146.
And we'll sing a shelter in the time of storm.
146 as we prepare to receive the offering tonight.
Sing it out on the first.
The Lord our God gave him we hide.
A shelter in the time of storm.
Take your whatever ill be tied.
A shelter in the time of storm.
Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land.
A weary land, a weary land.
In a weary land.
A shelter in the time of storm.
146, sing it out on the second.
A shade my day, defense my night.
A shelter in the time of storm.
No fears alarm, no foes affright.
A shelter in the time of storm.
Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land.
A weary land.
Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land.
A shelter in the time of storm.
The raging storms may round us deep.
A shelter in the time of storm.
We'll never leave our safe retreat.
A shelter in the time of storm.
Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land.
A weary land.
Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land.
A shelter in the time of storm.
Good, sing it out on the last.
Oh rocky vinyl refuge here.
A shelter in the time of storm.
We have our helper ever near.
A shelter in the time of storm.
Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land.
A weary land.
In a weary land.
A shelter in the time of storm.
Amen, good singing.
We'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time.
And let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord we do thank you for allowing us to gather together tonight.
Lord we pray that you bless the offering, the gift and the giver.
And Lord we pray that you'd meet with us as we take time to pray for our church family.
And of course as we open up your word and study a portion of scripture together.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Amen, good singing.
Amen, all right well let's go ahead and take our prayer sheets tonight.
If you did not get a prayer sheet on your way in just raise your hand and one of our ushers can get one for you.
If you need a prayer list just put your hand up and we will get one for you.
And of course the way you add a request to the prayer sheet is through your communication card.
On the back of the card is a place for you to write a request.
Make sure you mark whether it's private or public.
If it's private only I will see it.
If it's public we'll put it on the prayer sheet.
If you don't mark it we'll do our best to figure it out but we usually don't put those on.
We do add the requests in order that they are received and they are removed after a couple of weeks.
So if you'd like to have it in there longer you'll have to fill out another card.
Just a couple of things to go over before we get into the prayer sheet.
I would like you to notice that Ms. Melody Gonzalez has been added to the pregnancy list there.
So congratulations to Brother Oliver and Ms. Melody on expecting a baby.
And if you would just write in a couple of requests that came in this afternoon.
The first is for Ms. Mary Filson.
She's asking for prayer for the health of her neighbor's grandson Devante.
And he's in the hospital with some type of infection in his lymph nodes.
So just be in prayer for Devante.
And then Brother Josh Costellum Jr. is asking for prayer for his mom, Ms. Edith of course,
who is not feeling well and is in a lot of pain when she walks and eats.
So of course be in prayer for Ms. Edith in regards to her health.
And I think that's it. So we'll go ahead and add these requests.
And let's go ahead and pray together. I'll pray out loud.
And I ask that you would follow along in your mind and your heart.
And let's bow our heads.
Heavenly Father and Lord, we do thank you for our church family
and for allowing us to be able to gather together on a Wednesday night,
to be able to pray for our church family together.
Lord, we ask as we begin with these requests regarding salvation,
Ms. Natalie praying for the salvation of her husband and family.
Also Brother Ron Edwards praying for his mom and his family's salvation.
And also Lord, we're praying for Brother Vladi and Ms. Antonino
who are praying for their family's salvation as well.
Ms. Christine Ortiz praying for her children and grandchildren's salvation.
Ms. Docma praying for her daughter and her family's salvation.
Lord, we ask for these requests. We ask for these individuals.
We pray that you would move in their hearts.
Lord, that you would use a soul winner to be able to communicate the gospel clearly to them
and that they would come to the place where they would be willing to be saved.
Lord, we also pray for these that have health requests.
Ms. Andrea McQueen praying for her friend Destiny Carrasco
and her radiation treatments, that they would be successful
and that she would be healed from cancer.
Brother Darryl praying for healing for his mother who bruised her knee and ribs when she fell.
We pray for Ms. Laura Beth who's praying for her dad Chad Tomlinson
that his testing for colon cancer would come back negative.
And Denise Reyes praying for healing and recovery for her sister who's battling liver cancer.
Shalomina Jones praying for complete healing for her health issues.
Ms. Mary Filson praying for her neighbor's grandson Devante
and that she would feel better soon and not be in pain and be able to recover.
Lord, we pray for Amaira Holland who's praying for her grandmother's health.
For Ms. Christine Ortiz praying for her health.
For Ms. Salvador praying for his health.
For Ms. Dogma praying for her pain, for relief of pain.
And then, of course, for little Uretzi that she would continue to be healthy and strong.
Lord, we ask that you would be with all these individuals.
We also pray for Angel Cabuntala who's Dave Cabuntala's wife, our missionary to the Philippines.
She's battling breast cancer.
Lord, we ask for all these individuals.
We pray that you would put your healing hand over them.
We pray that you would bless them.
We pray that you would give wisdom and discernment to the doctors dealing with them.
Lord, we ask that you would help them to be healed and relieved of pain.
Lord, and we ask that your will be done in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Lord, we pray that you would help them to be healed and relieved of pain.
Lord, and we ask that your will be done in their lives.
We also pray for these ladies in our church that are expecting.
Ms. Ajana, Ms. Karen, Ms. Ava, Ms. Rebecca, Ms. Kiki, Ms. Selena, and Ms. Melody.
Asking that you give them all healthy pregnancies with no issues and no complications.
Lord, we also pray for these that have financial and physical needs.
For the Ron praying for work to pick back up for his personal work.
Vincent Matila praying for his mom who's looking for a home and also for himself looking for a job.
Nate Diaz praying for success at his job.
And Shalomina praying for financial provision.
Amira praying for her mom.
She would find a better job.
Ms. Christine praying for finances and for her own place.
For the Salvador praying for finances and work as well.
Lord, we pray that you would bless these individuals and that you would open up the right doors for them and help them.
We also pray for these that are asking for friends and family.
Brother Montel praying that Isabel would be able to live with them permanently.
And Brother Matt Borello praying for Wayne Adams that his family would stay together and remain faithful to church.
And we pray, Lord, for Brother Salvador for his family as well.
We ask that you would help and bless in these situations.
We ask for these that are praying for their personal work as well.
Nate Diaz praying to remain clean and sober.
And Ms. Christine Ortiz praying for her faith and her walk with you, Brother Salvador, as well.
Lord, we ask that you would bless these individuals and help them spiritually in their growth.
And then, of course, we ask for these that have unspoken requests.
Ms. Natalie having an unspoken request and Ms. Laura Beth having an unspoken request.
Ms. Michelle Scott having an unspoken request as well.
And Brother Salvador and Ms. Dogma also having unspoken requests.
And Lord, we pray that you would answer these requests.
We pray that you would answer them according to your will.
We pray that you would make it clear to them when their prayers have been answered.
And Lord, we ask that you would bless these individuals.
And then we pray, Lord, of course, for our church.
We pray for our church plants in Manila and Compong and Bicol that you would continue to bless these locations and these ministries.
We ask for our prison ministry here in the U.S. as we minister to hundreds of prisoners through letters and sermons that are sent to them.
Lord, we pray that you would continue to bless that ministry.
We pray for upcoming events for the Red Hot Preaching Conference that will be in a few months, Lord.
That you would help us as we prepare for that and that it would be a great event, that it would be used of you to help many people.
And Lord, we ask that you would meet with us tonight.
Help us as we open up the Word of God and study another portion of scripture, Lord.
Help us to draw closer to you as a result of what we hear tonight.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Please open up us to Galatians 2.
Galatians chapter number 2.
If you need a Bible you can put your hand up and I know you want to bring your Bible.
Galatians chapter number 2.
If you need a Bible you can put your hand up and I know you want to bring your Bible.
Galatians 2.
We read the entire chapter as our custom.
Galatians 2, bringing in verse number 1.
Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that gospel which I preached among the Gentiles,
but privately to them which were of reputation,
lest by any means I should run or had run in vain.
But neither Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised,
and that because a false brethren unaware is brought in,
who came in privily despite our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus,
that they might bring us into bondage.
To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour,
that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
But of these who seemed to be somewhat,
whatsoever they were maketh no matter to me,
and God excepteth no man's person,
for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.
But contrary wise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me,
as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter,
for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision,
the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles.
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given unto me,
they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship,
that we should go into the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Only they would that we should remember the poor,
the same which I also am forward to do.
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face,
because he was to be blamed.
For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles,
but when they were come, he withdrew, and separated himself,
freeing them which were of the circumcision.
And other Jews assembled likewise with him,
insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel,
I said unto Peter before them all,
If thou, big a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews,
why compelest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
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.
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ,
we ourselves also are found sinners,
is therefore Christ the minister of sin?
God forbid.
For if I build again to the things which I destroyed,
I make myself a transgressor.
For I through the law am dead to the law,
that I might live unto God.
I am crucified with Christ,
nevertheless I live,
yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me,
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
I do not frustrate the grace of God,
for if righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for this evening.
God, I thank you for your word,
for our church, Lord, for everyone that's here.
I say please meet with us tonight, God.
I say please be with our pastor, just strengthen him,
and from the rest of the spirit.
We love you, and in Jesus' name, pray. Amen.
Amen.
Alright, we're there in Galatians, chapter number 2,
and of course on Wednesday night,
we are studying the book of Galatians together,
verse by verse, chapter by chapter,
and tonight we find ourselves in Galatians, chapter number 2,
and of course last week we actually dealt with the first part of chapter 2,
and last week we went through verses 1 through 14.
Tonight we're going to finish chapter 2,
and we're going to look at verses 15 through 21.
Now if you remember the themes of the book of Galatians,
in this book, the apostle Paul is not only defending his own authority as an apostle,
but he's also defending the gospel and the clarity of the gospel.
He's defending the fact that salvation is by grace through faith,
and it's not of works, and he is also fighting against the Judaizers.
If you remember, we've been seeing it in chapter 1
and in the earlier part of chapter 2
that Paul is fighting against these people that are coming from Jerusalem,
and they are trying to say that you must keep the law of Moses in order to be saved.
That's what he's dealing with, and here at the end of chapter 2,
what the apostle Paul does is he gives just some very clear statements.
In fact, there's four clear statements that have to do with salvation
and how we get saved and sanctification and how to live for God and all those things,
and I'm going to give you that outline as we walk through this passage together.
Now, like I said, last week we covered verses 1 through 14.
This week we're going to cover verses 15 through 21,
but we're going to start in verse 11,
and the only reason for that is just because in verse 15,
when we start in verse 15, we start in the middle of a conversation,
and we kind of start in the middle of a thought,
and it doesn't really make sense unless you get the context.
We have to get a little bit of a running start in order to be able to understand it.
If you look at verse 11, the Bible says,
But when Peter was come to Antioch, remember last week we talked about the fact
that Paul told us two stories, one that had to do with him and Peter in Jerusalem,
and then another that had to do with him and Peter in Antioch.
Verse 11 is where the second story begins.
He says, But when Peter was come to Antioch,
I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles,
but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself,
fearing them that were of the circumcision.
And other Jews dissembled likewise with him,
insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
If you remember the story, Paul is pretty much calling out Peter
because of the fact that when he was in Antioch,
he was hanging out with everybody and with the Gentiles,
but when this delegation from the church in Jerusalem from James came,
he pretty much separated himself from the Gentiles,
and he did that, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
And as a result, verse 14, the Bible says,
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel,
this is Paul speaking,
I said unto Peter before them all, If thou being a Jew
liveth after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as the Jews,
why compelest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
And I like how Paul does this because he doesn't really,
I mean, he definitely calls Peter out publicly,
we talked about that last week and why he did that,
but he does it by asking a question, and the question,
it's a pointed question, he says,
Peter, if you, being a Jew, if you live like the Gentiles,
meaning you don't follow the Mosaic laws and the Levitical laws of the Old Testament,
he says, why are you compelling the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
I want you to understand that context so you can understand verse 15,
verse 15 is a verse that, I don't know, crazy dispensationalists,
Zionists love to take this verse,
and if you don't, if you arrest a verse from its context,
if you just pull it out of the context,
then you can make almost any verse say anything you want,
and in verse 15 he says,
We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Now, dispensationalists like to take this verse, verse 15,
and talk about how the Jews are better,
how the Jews are holier,
how the Jews are greater than the Gentiles,
and they'll say, see, Paul said,
We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles,
and here's what they don't understand about this verse,
is that number one, Paul is being extremely sarcastic here,
and if you don't think that's true,
you must not have read a lot of Paul's writings,
because you find Paul being sarcastic and kind of talking down to people a lot in his epistles,
and here what he is saying, because look, keep in mind, what's the context?
The context is, it's interesting to me,
because the context is that Paul is upset that Peter is mistreating the Gentiles,
and he's upset about the fact that Peter was eating with the Gentiles,
but when the circumcision showed up,
then Peter separated himself and went to eat with the Jews,
and Paul is calling him out,
and then we're supposed to believe that Paul just makes this statement
that's just like super-Zionist, right?
We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles.
Obviously, Paul is being sarcastic,
and I'll prove it to you if you just read the context,
because he's calling out Peter for mistreating the Gentile believers,
and then he says to him, we, you see that word we there?
Paul is talking to Peter, because remember, Paul just got done telling Peter,
if thou, being a Jew, liveth after the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews,
why compelest thou the Gentiles to liveth through the Jews?
Then he says this, we, he says, Peter, you and I, this is Paul speaking,
he says, we who are by nature, who are Jews by nature,
and not sinners of the Gentiles, right?
And he's saying this sarcastically because of the fact that these Jews showed up
and they're mistreating the Gentiles.
And he says, look, if we're so great, if we who are Jews by nature,
if we're supposedly these great Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles,
we're not sinners like the Gentiles.
Look at verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we.
Now here's what I want you to understand.
Verse 16 is an amazing verse.
Verse 16 is a wonderful verse.
Verse 16 is a verse that every soul winner should have marked in their Bible,
and you should memorize.
It's a great verse, but I want you to understand the context in which Paul said it.
He said, we who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles,
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ, he says, even we have believed in Jesus Christ.
Do you see the context?
Verse 15, he says, we, and what Paul's saying like,
let's say that I believe the way you're acting right now, Peter.
Let's say that I believe the way that these circumcisioned people who just showed up believe.
Well, if we who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles,
verse 16, even we have believed in Jesus Christ,
that we might be justified by faith of Christ and not by the works of the law,
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight.
So I want you to understand the context, and I'm only just making a big deal about it
because I think it's funny that people like to take verse 15 and say,
you know, here's Paul teaching Zionism.
He's being sarcastic. He's saying, hey, Peter, if you and I are so great
and we're by nature Jews and we're not like these sinners,
well, here's the thing, Peter, even we who are so great
had to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.
And the context again is if thou being a Jew liveth after the manner of the Gentiles
and not as do the Jews, why compelest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
So context is key. This is why we like going verse by verse,
chapter by chapter through these portions of scripture
because of the fact that someone could pull a verse out.
And look, what you should, here's what you should be thinking to yourself
when somebody points to Galatians 2 15 and they say, well, Paul said,
and then they give you this super Zionist statement,
what you should be thinking to yourself is that doesn't sound like Paul.
That doesn't sound like everything that Paul taught.
And when you look at it, you're like, oh yeah, Paul's being sarcastic.
He's making a point. He's saying, even we who are not sinners like these guys,
even we have believed in Jesus Christ.
Even we had to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved.
So I want you to understand the context there and just to kind of answer that verse,
but look at verse 16 again and let me just kind of delve into the outline.
And I want to just in the introduction explain that to just kind of answer that question
because I think that's a verse that is often used out of context
and used to try to say something that is not the point.
What we see in verse 16, as you already saw, is a clear statement regarding salvation.
And if you're taking notes tonight, and I encourage you to take notes on the back of the course of the week,
there's a place for you to write down some things.
There's four statements and four things that I'd like you to notice out of this passage tonight.
And the first is a clear statement regarding salvation.
We see that in verses 15 through 16. Notice it again.
We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that,
and I just want you to look at this verse,
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
So notice what he says. He says, we know that a man is not justified by the works of the law.
Remember, he's fighting against Judaizers who are teaching that you have to keep the law in order to be saved,
specifically the law of Moses in order to be saved.
So he says, well, here's the thing, Peter, we who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles,
we're not sinners like these people. Even we know that a man is not justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith. What is he saying?
He's saying we're not justified by the works of law, but we are justified 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 in his sight.
Here's a question that I've got to ask people who want to try to add works of salvation.
How else do you want Paul to say it?
I mean, how could he say a man is not justified by works, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
We're justified by faith and not by the works, for by the works there shall no flesh be justified.
I mean, he's just saying it every which way.
And it encourages me to watch Paul write like this because as a leader,
and I understand all leaders have different styles and different personalities,
but my personality style, to the detriment of many of you, is I'm an over communicator.
You know, I'm often afraid that people are just not listening
and that I'm giving instructions and it's just kind of like, you know,
or I'm preaching something and it's just kind of like, you know,
and you guys are just like, I don't know what you're doing.
So because of that, I just tend to over communicate.
And sometimes I think to myself like, man, you know, I'm just going to say it again.
I'm just going to say it one more time.
And I can feel Paul's frustration here because he's like,
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law.
And he's like, oh, that's not enough.
But by the faith of Jesus Christ.
And he's like, it needs a little more.
Even we have believed in Jesus Christ.
He says, I think they're still not getting it.
That we might be justified by the faith of Christ.
Well, let me just be clear.
And not by the works of the law.
And just in case you weren't listening, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
And he's just like making this point over and over.
How can I tell it to you more clearly?
It's not of words.
He makes it super clear.
And you might think it's complicated.
But if you look at the verse, it's so clear what he's teaching.
That salvation is not of works.
That you don't need works to be saved.
That works is not required for salvation.
And look, I cannot understand how someone can read the New Testament.
I mean, I can't understand it because they're not saved.
But how someone could read the New Testament and walk away saying,
You gotta get baptized to go to heaven.
I gotta take communion to go to heaven.
I've gotta do some sort of action or work.
I mean, and to me, I think to myself,
Have you read the Bible?
I mean, have you read Galatians 2 16?
A man is not justified by works, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Justified by faith and not by the works.
By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
I mean, it's just over and over.
Just beating a dead horse.
So let me just beat a dead horse for a little bit.
Go to Romans, if you would.
Romans chapter number 11.
You're there in Galatians.
That's our text for tonight.
So keep your place there in Romans and in Galatians.
And go backwards to Romans.
Past Galatians, past 2 Corinthians, past 1 Corinthians, into Romans.
And look, I realize you're here on Wednesday night.
And I'm preaching to the choir.
But it's good for us to be reminded of some of these things.
And it's good to be reminded of the Word of God.
It's clear that works is not required.
In verses 15 and 16 of Galatians 2, we get a clear statement regarding salvation.
You cannot add works to salvation.
The reason, look, not only is it a biblical argument, but it's a logical argument.
Romans 11, look at verse 6.
He says, and if by grace.
Now remember, the word grace means unmerited favor.
It means you're getting something you do not deserve.
It means you're getting something you did not earn.
You can think of the word grace as the word free.
We often teach our soul winners to explain it this way at the door.
A grace period is like when you rent due on the first and they give you till the fifth to pay it.
They call that a grace period.
It's free time.
That's what the word grace means.
And here's what Paul is saying.
He's saying, and if by grace.
He's saying, look, if salvation is free.
Then it is no more of works.
Now I'm showing you this verse because this verse, Romans 11, 6, reminds me of Galatians 2, 16.
Paul's just over communicating.
He's just saying it every which way he can think of.
He says, and if by grace.
He says, and if it's free, then it is no more works.
Here's what he's saying.
If it's free, you can't earn it.
Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
He says, look, if it's free, you can't earn it.
Otherwise, it's not free.
Then he says, but if it be of works, if it's something you earn, then it is no more grace.
He says, if you earn it, then it's not free.
Otherwise, work is no more work.
He's saying, look, if it's free, you can't earn it.
Otherwise, it's not free.
And if you earn it, then it can't be free.
Otherwise, you didn't earn it.
And he's just making the point every way that he can.
And I enjoy seeing someone else struggle to overcommunicate.
He's just like, how else can I say this?
It's not of works.
Go to Romans chapter 4.
You're there in Romans 11.
Romans chapter 4, just a few pages over.
And again, I realize that this is the Wednesday night crowd,
and I don't have to belabor the point.
But even on Wednesday night, you'd be surprised.
Unsaved people show up, and it's good to be reminded of these things.
I mean, I'm pretty sure everyone here is saved,
but it's good to be reminded of this.
And it's good for you to have this also as an arsenal
when you are out preaching the gospel.
Obviously, you have your gospel presentation,
but it's good for you to have references to other passages
that maybe you don't go to to make some of these points as well.
Romans chapter 4, verse 4.
Now, to him that worketh is a common theme.
Now, to him that worketh is a reward.
The reward is heaven.
That's what we're talking about, what you're going to get as a result.
Now, to him that worketh is a reward, not reckon.
The word reckon means counted or computed or calculated.
Not reckoned of grace.
Saying the same thing he said in Romans 11 and 6.
If you work for it, then when you get it, it wasn't by grace.
He says, but of debt.
You say, why does he say that?
Here's what he's saying.
If you said, well, I don't want grace, I don't want it for free,
I want to earn it, I want to earn my way to heaven,
he says, well, good luck getting out of debt.
You're always going to be in debt.
You'll never be good enough to pay for your sins.
Verse 5, but to him that worketh not.
Now, notice, it doesn't say to him that worketh a little.
It doesn't say to him that worketh somewhat.
It says, but to him that worketh not,
believeth on him that justified the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness.
People say, oh, well, we don't think that you need to have works to be saved,
but we believe that if you do get saved, then there will be works.
Okay, well, here's the problem with that.
Paul said, but to him that worketh not.
This guy didn't do any works, before or after.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justified the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness,
even as David also described it, the blessedness of a man,
unto whom God imputed.
The word impute means to attribute or to ascribe
unto whom God imputed righteousness,
don't miss it, without works.
I mean, how else can you say it?
Over and over and over again, we get these clear statements
from the word of God regarding salvation.
What is it? It's not of works.
It's of grace.
For by grace are ye saved through faith,
in that not of yourselves is the gift of God,
not of works, lest any man should boast.
Keep your place there in Romans, if you would.
Go back to Galatians chapter 2.
So we saw in verses 15 and 16 a clear statement regarding salvation,
a clear statement regarding salvation.
I'd like you to notice in verses 17 through 19,
we see a clear statement regarding sinfulness,
a clear statement regarding sinfulness.
Look at it again, starting at verse 15,
just because I want you to see the context,
and I want you to see the value of studying the Bible within its context.
Verse 15, we who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles,
again, he's being sarcastic,
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Even we, that's the sarcasm.
I know that we are Jews by nature and not sinners like the Gentiles.
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.
Verse 17, but if, notice again the sarcasm of verse 15.
He says, but if while we, who's the we?
Verse 15, he says, we who are Jews by nature,
verse 16 said, even though we are Jews by nature,
and if we're going to be saved, even we have believed in Jesus Christ.
And in verse 17 he says, but if, because he's talking to Peter,
and he says, Peter, in the, just in case,
I know the chances are slim, but what if,
while we, even we, who are Jews by nature and not sinners like these Gentiles,
but if while we seek to be justified by Christ,
we ourselves also are found sinners,
is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
I want you to notice the context, again,
in just making the point that verse 15 is being spoken sarcastically.
He says, I know, verse 15, I know we're Jews by nature,
and that makes us better than everybody else,
but verse 16, even we have to believe in Jesus Christ,
and verse 17, Peter, what if even we,
while we seek to be justified by Christ,
we ourselves are also found sinners?
And in the sarcasm, Paul is making a point, and it is this,
that even after salvation we will continue to sin.
He says, verse 17, but if while we seek to be justified by Christ,
we ourselves also are found sinners.
We see a clear statement regarding salvation in verses 15 and 16,
and we see a clear statement regarding sinfulness in verses 17 and 19,
and the statement is this, that even after salvation we will continue to sin.
Now that seems pretty clear, and I think it should be obvious to all of us,
but remember that he is fighting against these Judaizers who are saying,
you must keep the law of Moses if you're going to be saved,
and Peter is making the point that, look, no one can keep the law,
even once you're saved, even once you put your faith in Christ,
you will continue to be a sinner.
But there's an argument, and I like Paul's writings because he writes like a lawyer making a case.
He often makes a point, and then he gives us,
he knows what the question and the argument is going to be,
so he plays the devil's advocate, and he answers the question as well,
and that's what he does in verse 17.
He says, but if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are found sinners,
he says, look, Peter, if you happen to find that even after salvation you still sin,
he knows the argument is going to be from the other side,
is therefore Christ the minister of sin?
The question and the argument being made is this,
Paul begins to answer an objection from the critics regarding the gospel,
and the objection or the question is this,
if God declares people righteous by faith, and by the way, let me just say this,
just because this is an ancient document,
just because this letter was written 2,000 years ago,
these same arguments are being made today.
You and I need to know the answers to these arguments.
What are the arguments? Here's the argument.
If God declares people righteous by faith in Christ,
then won't everyone just continue sinning?
Isn't that the same argument people make to us out soul winning?
Don't they say when we show them that salvation is a free gift,
it's not a work, you don't have to earn it,
Jesus paid for it, he paid for it on the cross,
and all you have to do is believe and call upon him for salvation,
and then what do people often say?
Aren't you just giving people a license to sin?
If that's the case, because here's what they're actually saying,
they're saying if you're not holding salvation over their heads,
if you're not saying you better go to church,
you better put money in the offering plate,
you better get baptized, you better stop drinking,
you better stop smoking, or else you might not make it to heaven,
if you're not holding that over their heads, which we're not,
if you're telling people that salvation is a free gift,
and once you have it, you can't lose it,
and people understand that and they say,
are you saying that I can put my faith in Christ,
call upon him for salvation, and then do whatever I want,
and still be saved, and we would say yes, eternal security, yes,
and then the question inevitably is,
well aren't you giving people a license to sin?
This is what Paul's dealing with.
If God declares people righteous by faith in Christ,
won't everyone just go on sinning?
Is therefore Christ the minister of sin?
The question is this, is salvation that is not of works,
and that you can have and then live however you want,
won't that make Jesus the minister of sin?
What's a minister? I'm a minister, right?
A minister is someone who promotes something,
who preaches something, and the question is this,
doesn't that just make Jesus a promoter of sin?
If you're telling people that they can believe on Jesus
and then do whatever they want,
won't everyone just go on sinning?
Here's the question, what motivation would anyone have
to do what is right?
If those who claim to be justified before God through faith in Christ
continue to sin, doesn't that make Christ a promoter of sin?
And Paul's response to the question, verse 17 is,
God forbid.
The idea is this, Christ does not promote sin,
and God's forgiveness does not condone sin.
And to suggest otherwise means that you simply do not understand
salvation and God's will regarding salvation.
Go back to Romans real quickly, Romans chapter 6.
If you kept your place in Romans, go back to Romans chapter number 6.
In Romans 6, Paul deals with a similar argument.
He says, what shall we say then?
Shall we continue in sin that grace may bow?
Now here's what I want you to understand.
He's asking, because you can ask the question in a positive way or a negative way.
And he's asking the question in a certain way.
He's asking it in a negative way.
Many of the critics ask our question, right?
Aren't you giving people a license to sin?
Aren't you telling people, if you tell people that they can believe on Jesus,
call upon him for salvation, and they're never going to lose it,
and they can do whatever they want and never lose it.
Aren't you promoting sin? Aren't you giving people a license to sin?
And here's what Paul says, shall we continue in sin that grace may bow?
Now here's what I want you to understand.
The reverse of that is found in Romans chapter 5 and verse 20.
Look at Romans 5 and verse 20.
Remember, these are letters written in context.
Romans 5 and verse 20 says this,
Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound,
but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
Aren't you thankful for that?
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
What does that mean? Here's what it means.
God has more grace than you've got sin.
You say, I'm a big sinner. Could I be forgiven?
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
Now with that context, the question is asked in chapter 6 verse 1.
What shall we say then?
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
The idea is this, if we continue in sin, grace will abound.
Right?
Because where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
But the question is, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
And the answer, like we saw in Galatians 2, is God forbid.
How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?
Go back to Galatians chapter 2.
Now you might be sitting here this evening and thinking, this is pretty basic.
I already know all this.
I always think it's funny when people say, I already know all this. Yeah, right.
But we're about to get, because see Paul begins with basic and gets into some depth.
And we're about to get into a little bit of depth here.
And we're going to answer the question, Paul's going to answer the question to the critics.
The same question that Verity Baptist Church answers in Sacramento, California and has been answering for the last 12 years.
And it is this, how could you tell people that they're saved by grace, through faith, not of works.
They don't have to earn it. Once they have it, they'll never lose it.
And how do you still have, I mean we've got 180 people here tonight.
How do you preach that and get 180 people to show up on a Wednesday night for a midweek Bible study?
How do you preach that and get 180 people? I think 180 is what we had on Sunday night.
How do you preach that and get 250 people to show up on a Sunday morning?
How do you preach that and get 100 people to go out sowing?
If you're not holding over their head, hey you better do this or you might not make it to heaven.
How do you motivate them?
Paul gives us the answer.
Look at verse 18, Galatians 2.18.
For if I build again the things which I destroy, I make myself a transgressor.
And what he's referring to, and there's some debate as to what he's referring to exactly,
but I believe what he's referring to is this, he's saying, I came out of the Jews religion, I came out of the workspace religion.
He says if I go build again what I've been working to destroy, he said I'm just going to make myself a transgressor.
Because if you remember in Romans 5, you don't have to go back there, but in Romans 5.20, he said,
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.
In Romans 7, Paul said that sin entered, he said, and I died.
And the idea is this, the law only produces death.
The law only produces negativity.
The law does not motivate anyone to live for God.
You say, prove it. Okay, look at the millions of Roman Catholics.
I mean, who's ever met, and don't raise your hand because I don't care,
but no one's ever met just, I mean, have you ever met just a sold out zealous Roman Catholic?
And here's the thing, when you meet a sold out zealous Roman Catholic, it means nothing.
It means they go to church on Saturday nights.
My wife and I were at Jack's Urban Eats on a date night and there was a guy helping us and he had a cross.
He was a Mexican guy, I can say that because I'm brown, so that's not racist.
But I was joking with my wife because I was telling her, you know, if you see a white guy,
because she's white, okay, just covering my bases, if you see a white guy with a chain with a cross,
it means that he's like a sold out, you know, liberal Christian, right?
Like, it's still not that sold out, but he's like, you know, he's in the worship band or something.
But when you see a Mexican with a cross, it means nothing.
Because it means they're Catholic and it means nothing, literally nothing.
It means they go to church on Easter once a decade because their grandma died that year or something.
And what I'm saying to you is this, that if you needed to hold it over people's heads,
that they must live a certain way to go to heaven.
You'd think the Catholics would be the most zealous Christians out there,
but they're yet the most lamest Christians out there, using the word Christian extremely loosely.
And what Paul is saying is this, telling people that you have to keep the law to be saved does not produce life.
It produces negativity, it produces death.
Look at Galatians 2.18,
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor,
for I through the law am dead to the law.
He says the only thing the law ever does is kill.
The law is there to be my schoolmaster to tell me that I have sinned, that I have transgressed,
that I cannot save myself, and to bring me to Christ.
He says, for I through the law am dead to the law.
Then he says this, that I might live unto God.
See, the way to live a life of victory over sin is not holding the law over somebody's head,
you better not go there, you better not drink that, you better not look at that or listen to that, or you might go to hell.
That's not the way. That doesn't work.
You say, well then what does work?
Well here's what you can't understand unless you're saved.
And it is this, that when somebody truly gets saved and puts their faith in Jesus Christ and calls upon him for salvation,
the Holy Spirit of God moves them.
Now there is life in them that gives them the possibility to live a new life.
For I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God.
Then in verse 20 we find the third clear statement.
In verses 15 and 16 we saw a clear statement regarding salvation.
In verses 17 and 19 we saw a clear statement regarding sinfulness.
In verse 20 we see a clear statement regarding sanctification.
This is a great verse.
Galatians 2.20, I'm going to break this down for you into three sections because it's an amazing verse.
And it has to do with sanctification.
And look, I feel like it's so hard for people oftentimes to understand, not you, I'm talking about people who aren't saved.
There is a difference between salvation and sanctification.
Sanctification is living your life in a way that is set apart, set away from the world and set unto God.
Salvation does not necessarily produce sanctification.
Now the only way to have real sanctification is it begins with salvation.
But just because you get saved does not mean that you will be sanctified.
In fact, the vast majority of people that are saved never experience sanctification.
And people, they mix these up.
And Paul has been telling us, look, salvation is not of works.
He said it every way he could think to say it.
Then he said, we're all sinners, even after salvation we will continue to sin.
And keeping the law over somebody's head is not the way to motivate them to live for God.
And then in verse 20 he says, here's how you do it.
Here's how you get somebody to want to live for God and to want to follow the commandments of God even when they don't have to.
Three statements from verse 20.
He says, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.
You want to know the secret to sanctification?
Three steps.
First we see the means of sanctification.
The means.
What do you mean by that?
I mean the pathway.
The only way that it can happen, the means of sanctification is this, die to sell.
I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.
If you kept your place in Romans, go back to Romans 12 and verse 1.
You know the famous verse.
Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that we present your bodies a living sacrifice.
Holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
First Corinthians 15, 31, you don't have to turn there, you go to Romans.
First Corinthians 15, 31, Paul said, I die daily.
Jesus said it this way, that if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Why did Jesus say to take up the cross?
The cross is an instrument of death.
The only way that someone could live for God and live a sanctified life is they have to begin the process of dying to sell.
So the question I've got to ask you is this, when did you die?
And remember Paul said, I die daily.
And look, the truth is this, you and I have to wake up every day and say, today I will die to sell.
Today I will not pursue my desires.
I will not pursue what I want.
I won't give in to my flesh. I'll die daily.
See, the secret to sanctification is this, I am crucified with Christ.
Is he talking about human sacrifice? No, no, nevertheless I live.
In Romans 12 he said, I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies.
Are you talking about a human sacrifice? No, no, a living sacrifice.
Every day you would wake up and say, Lord I give you my body, Lord I give you my mind, Lord I give you my will, Lord I give you my life.
The means of sanctification is die to sell.
And when you see Christians who maybe are truly saved yet living in the world, you know they have not died to sell.
Paul says, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.
Then we see a second step in this verse.
First we see the means of sanctification, the way, the pathway, it's die to sell.
Then we see the method of sanctification. What is the practice? How do we put it into use?
And we see that it is to walk in the Spirit.
Notice again Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.
Then he says this, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.
See, sanctification is not I'm trying to keep the law hoping that I'll go to heaven.
No, the sanctification is I'm walking in the Spirit.
It's my life, but it's Christ living in me.
I'm walking in the footsteps of Christ. I'm following the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm walking in the Spirit.
And we're going to get to it, because this is one of the themes of Galatians.
We're going to get to it in a few chapters where he gives us the works of the flesh versus the works of the Spirit.
And here's all I'm saying, and here's all Paul is saying, is that when somebody is walking in the Spirit,
when somebody loves God and is following the Lord, they're not doing the right thing because I have to do the right thing or I might go to hell.
They're doing the right thing because they love God, because they're walking in the Spirit and when you're filled with the Spirit of God,
it just produces love and joy and peace and long suffering and gentleness and goodness and faith.
It is the production of the Holy Spirit having his way in our life.
So we see the means of sanctification die to self. We see the method of sanctification walk in the Spirit.
And then thirdly in this verse, we see the motivation for sanctification.
Notice that there in verse 20, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. That's the means.
Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, that the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.
That's the method. Here's the motivation. Who loved me and gave himself for me.
The truth is this, that for those of us by God's grace have experienced some measure of sanctification in our lives.
We don't live for God because we're trying to be saved. We live for God because we are saved.
And it is a heart of gratitude and understanding that if Jesus died for me, then I can live for him who loved me and gave himself for me.
In 2 Corinthians, you don't have to turn there, you can jot this down if you'd like, 2 Corinthians 5.14, Paul said it this way.
He says, For the love of Christ constraineth us.
See, here's the truth, and look, please understand this. I believe in duty. I teach duty.
Look, I think if you're a husband and you're having these thoughts about marriage and your children, whatever,
you need to be the man that God has called you to be if for no other reason out of duty. Duty!
We need more of that word. We need more of that character, that tenacity. Duty!
Rescue the perishing. Duty demands it!
Say, Pastor, I don't know if I'm going to show up for soul winning on Saturday. I'm kind of tired.
Well, if you don't want to do it for any good reason, then just do it for this reason. Duty!
Read your Bible tomorrow morning out of duty. Show up to church on Sunday night out of duty.
Go soul winning out of duty. Hey, I'm not against that, but please understand that.
That is meant to be just a fail switch when you happen to find yourself feeling backslidden.
When you happen to feel the motivation waning, you tell yourself, well, I'm just going to do it out of duty.
But that's not how you should live your Christian life.
From time to time, we have to just get up and do it out of duty. Do right out of duty.
Live for God out of duty. But you know what's better? To do it out of love.
I don't know about you, but I show up to church because I love church. I love to be with God's people.
I happen to like my preaching. I don't know if that's something I'm supposed to say.
When you are motivated by love, it's not that hard to be married. It's not that hard to be a soul winner.
It's not that hard to go to work when you love your children.
It's not hard to read your Bible when you love God and you want to hear from God and you want God to speak to your heart.
So though sometimes we must grab a little bit of that duty and make ourselves do it when we don't want to,
it is not the Christian life. The Christian life is to say, like Paul said, the love of Christ constraineth us.
I do it because I love God. You say, I don't feel that. Well, ponder this, who loved me and gave himself for me.
You woke up every day and thought about the fact that you're a dirty, rotten sinner and you deserve to go to hell.
And Jesus loved you and came to this earth and that on the cross for your sin.
And if he was willing to do that for me, what should I do for him?
We see this clear statement on sanctification. And then lastly, tonight, we see in verse 21 a clear statement regarding the Savior.
In verses 15 and 16, we see a clear statement regarding salvation. In verses 17, 18 and 19, we see clear statements regarding sinfulness.
In verse 20, we saw statements regarding sanctification. And then verse 21, it's just a very clear statement regarding our Savior.
I think verse 21 is one of the most interesting verses. If verse 16 didn't get you, then verse 21 should knock you out.
He says, I do not frustrate the grace of God. I like that.
First of all, the word frustrate means to defeat or nullify, to reject, to despise, to bring to nothing. That's what it means in this context.
But that's how I see it. When people say, well, no, you've got to repent of your sins in order to be saved.
If we could personify the grace of God, the grace of God is just frustrated, like, oh, no, it's free.
You don't have to do it. You're frustrating me. Paul says, I do not frustrate the grace of God.
Why, Paul? What I love about Paul is that he's logical. Obviously, he's spiritual. The spiritual book is the Holy Spirit.
But he's a very logical individual. I love the arguments of Paul. He says this. He says, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
And it's one of these statements that you just kind of drop the mic when you're done. Because what he's saying is this.
If I could keep the law to be saved, then why did Jesus die?
If I could just keep enough commandments, if I could just go to enough church services, if I could just get baptized enough or turn over a new leaf enough,
if righteousness come by the law, then why did Jesus die?
And the truth is this. Righteousness doesn't come by the law. There's nothing you can do to save yourself.
He had to take your sin on the cross. If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
And what Paul is simply saying is this. If you could be saved by keeping the law, then why did Jesus die for our sin?
Clear statements. These Judaizers are showing up. They're saying, look, you've got to tell people they've got to keep the law or else they're going to start living this way and that way.
No, no, no. Salvation is not of works. We don't have to keep the law in order to be saved. But we do, God does want us to be sanctified, but it's not by this fear that I might lose my salvation.
No, it's by dying to self. It's by walking in the Spirit. It's by being motivated by love. It's the only way it works.
The only way that you can live the Christian life for decades is if you do it, being motivated by love.
That's about right. Then I want a prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you for this portion of scripture.
Lord, I realize that from time to time we need to do things out of duty. I believe it. I wish more would.
But that is not the method of a sanctified Christian life.
More than duty, we should wake up every day and say, I'm going to die to self. I die daily.
I'm not going to do what I want. I'm not in charge today. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
Help us to be motivated by love, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I pray you'd help us to be awakened to this insight of the Christian life.
And Lord, I pray that you would help us to be people who would wake up tomorrow morning, die to self and live for you.
In the matchless name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
We're going to have Brother Moses come up and lead us in a final song.
I just want to remind you a couple of things. If you have not yet signed up for the graduation service, if you would do that, we would appreciate you doing that and letting us know.
If you have a child that is graduating, either kindergarten or high school or sixth grade or eighth grade or college, any of those, just let us know.
They'll either, if they're part of our homeschool group, they'll walk and receive their diploma or they'll be recognized that night.
So please help us with that if you have not done that yet.
If there's anything that we can do for you, please let us know.
I'll have Brother Moses come up and lead us in a final song.
Please turn in your song books, page number 238.
Page number 238.
We're going to sing Christ, Levith and Me.
Page number 238.
And let's sing it out on the first.
Once far from God and dead in sin No light my heart could see
But in God's Word the light I found Now Christ, liveth in me
Christ, liveth in me Christ, liveth in me
Oh, what a salvation this That Christ, liveth in me
Page 238. Let's sing it out on the second.
As rays of light from yonder sun The flowers of earth set free
So life and light and love came forth From Christ, living in me
Christ, liveth in me Christ, liveth in me
Oh, what a salvation this That Christ, liveth in me
As lives the flower within the seed As in the cone the tree
So praise the God of truth and grace His Spirit will within me
Christ, liveth in me Christ, liveth in me
Oh, what a salvation this That Christ, liveth in me
Let's sing it out on the last.
With longing all my heart is filled That like Him I may be
As on the wondrous thought I dwell That Christ, liveth in me
Christ, liveth in me Christ, liveth in me
Oh, what a salvation this That Christ, liveth in me
Great singing. Can I please have Brother RJ close us one more prayer?
Thank you for the opportunity to come to your house. We pray that you bless everyone here.
We do what we do because we love you and pray that you do this back and solely on Saturday.
We love you and we pray. Amen.
Thank you.