Growing by Works or Faith… (3 things)

• 1^st – Foolish Galatians… vs. 1-5 (5 questions)
  • 1^st – Paul gives 5 questions to the Galatians regarding legalism…
    • Foolish Galatians – (not understanding / unwise) – who has confused you…
      • The Galatians had rejected the Gospel of Grace – missed THE truth…
      • The message of Jesus Christ – that had been very clearly presented to them!
      • Jesus had finished the work on the cross – nothing needed to be added!
    • They missed that truth because they had been charmed…
      • The word actually means the ‘evil eye’ – as though someone had duped them…
      • They had been convinced the Law/rules could make them right with God…
      • All of us – even though we are saved – still struggle with sin in our lives…
      • The question becomes how to do we overcome that sin…
      • We have two choices on how we choose to live – two resources we can rely upon…
      • We can chooses to live our lives dependent on or own abilities or strength – Law…
      • We can choose to live our lives in dependence on the Holy Spirit – Grace…
  • 2^nd – Did you receive the Holy Spirit through – good works or through faith…
    • The Holy Spirit has several roles in our lives…
      • The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin – even before we believe in Jesus – John 16:7-8
      • The Holy Spirit come to live in us when after we receive Jesus – I Corinthians 6:19
• The Holy Spirit is also the gives us the power to live boldly for Jesus…
• We need the Holy Spirit to be able to live for God – the power to serve the Lord…
• The question is how did we get the Holy Spirit – through works or hearing by faith…
  • In Acts 9 – a man called Simon wanted to purchase the gift of the Holy Spirit…
  • Peter told him ‘you money perish with you – thought the gift could be purchased…’
  • We cannot pay to receive the Holy Spirit – and we can not earn His anointing…
  • Luke 11:9-12 – “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you… how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’”
  • We simply go to Jesus – He will freely by faith – and fill us with the Holy Spirit!

• 3^rd – Having begun in the Spirit – are you now matured through your own efforts…
  • Often we struggle with our walk in Jesus…
    • We know what our lives should look like (Jesus) – but how…
    • Paul found the same struggle – knowing what to do – but not how to do it…
    • Romans 7:15 – “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do…”
    • We know we cannot be saved by keeping the God’s Law – we cannot be perfect…
    • But we think perhaps God’s Law – once saved – can keep us from sin…
    • If we look to our best efforts to keep us from sin – to help us grow – we will fail…
    • We ‘know’ what God wants – but we cannot change our heart to do ‘want’ to do it…
    • Therefore we keep right on sinning – instead of doing things that are pleasing to God
  • Until we understand – there is nothing good in us…
    • Romans 7:18 – “I know that in me (in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find…”
    • When we understand we need to cry out to Jesus – who can change our heart!
    • Jesus changes our desires so we do not want to do the things that are wrong…
    • Only then do we mature and want to do those things that please the Lord!
• 4^th – Have you suffered so many things in vain…
  • The trails and challenges of life are meant to teach us…
    • Romans 5:3-5 – “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope….”
    • We face trials/tribulations in life – so we learn to depend on the Grace of God…
    • When we have no money – and we see the Lord provide for all our needs
    • When we are sick – and we see the Lord miraculously heal
    • If there were never any challenges – we would never get to see God do a work!
    • But as we experience God taking care of all our needs – looking out for us…
    • We gain confidence that He will take care of us the next time as well…
    • Our confidence in the Lord’s faithfulness – gives us a godly character…
    • Men who trust in the Lord – who have learned to depend on Jesus!
  • But if go back to legalism/works – all our suffering had no purpose…
    • We pride ourselves in our strength – but what is our strength compared to God’s…
• Strength does not come from money / power / influence / even who you know…

• True strength comes when we realize we cannot depend on ourselves…
• If we miss that point – all the trials we have been through were for nothing…
• The missed the one lesson all the challenges of life were meant to teach us…
• That we might learn to stand in Grace!  We are to depend on Jesus!
• 5^th – Does the Spirit work in our lives – because of the law or faith…
  • We often get the impression God uses us because of something we have done…
    • As if God does a work in our lives – because we were obedient to the Law…
    • If I read four chapters of the Bible – God will fill me with His spirit today…
    • Then I will be able to do ‘great works’ for the Lord – powerfully used by God…
  • The reality is God uses us in spite of us – even if we have a ‘bad day’…
    • Many times when I have been struggling with sin – did not read my Bible…
    • And have thought there is no way God will be able to use me today…
    • That God pours out His spirit and does some of the most amazing things!
    • I think God does that some times just to mess with us – reinforce the idea…
    • It is not about ‘earning’ the right to be used by God – it is about His Grace!
      

So that we could receive the blessing of salvation – the hope of the Spirit!

2^nd – Grace – the blessed life… vs. 6-9

1^st – The sons of Abraham by faith…

Abraham believed in God – and God counted it to him as righteousness…

Paul uses the word ‘counted’ – an accounting term – paying a debt that is owed…

It is not question if we have sin – ‘how do we pay the sin debt we owe to God’… 

We tend to think of our sin in reasonable terms – I owe God 1000P – I can pay that…

But Jesus clarifies – our sin debt to God is more like – 8 billion pesos – Matthew 18

In other words we cannot ‘work off’ our sin – do enough good to counter the bad…

Yet Abraham was counted righteous by faith…

Genesis 15:5-6 – “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” 

The Bible does not say he was made righteous by his good works – but by faith…

God made him a promise – and Abraham believed God by faith…

His faith was ‘counted’ (as payment for the debt of sin) as righteousness…

When something is freely given to you – you did not earn it – it is a gift

We do not ‘earn’ (work for) our salvation – God gives us salvation (gift)

God justifies – the ungodly – not because they deserve it – but as a free gift!

Abraham was saved before he was a Jew…

Abraham was not circumcised (became a Jew) until Genesis 17…

Meaning he was saved – counted righteous by faith – while still a Gentile!

God knowing this told Abraham ‘In him ALL the nations would be blessed’…

But only those who believe by faith are sons of Abraham…

Jews assumed because they were ‘Israelites’ they were the children of Abraham…

Matthew 3:9 – “Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father…’ God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”

Just because someone goes to church – does not make them a Christian…

We can sound like a Christian – come to church every Sunday…

It is not about what we say – it is about the actions from our lives…

John 8:39, 44 – “‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham… You are of your father the devil…”

If you live like the devil – then it is a good bet you are not a child of God…

The Blessed life – being like believing Abraham…

Abraham was not blessed because of what he had done – his works…

He was blessed because of what God had given to him – salvation though faith!

If we have to stand before God accountable for all our actions – works – thoughts

It will be a VERY bad day – we will not be happy (extreme understatement)

But if we stand before God – our sins / mistakes are not remembered – forgiven

That is a VERY good day – we will be very blessed cause it means we go to heaven!

3^rd – The Law – the cursed life… vs. 10-14

Anyone who tries to live by the Law – is under a curse…

Because no one can be justified by the Law – Romans 3:20…

When Israel entered the Promised Land – stand between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim…

Mt. Ebal – ‘rocky’ – a barren 1000m mountain covered in rocks – represented no life…

Just across a short valley – easily within sight of Mt. Ebal – is Mt. Gerizim…

Mt. Gerizim – is a well forested 1000m mountain – represented the fullness of life…

The Priests stood in the valley between the two – and read the Law to the nation…

Deuteronomy 27:26 – “Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of the Law.’

Therefore the Law was not a blessing – but a curse – because you had to keep it all!

A lot of people think they are ‘super Christians’ because they keep certain laws…

They think because they never miss a church service / give money every week…

Because they do not eat certain foods / or listen to certain music – they are better…

What they tend not to talk about at all – is the areas where they make mistakes…

It only takes one sin to make us a sinner – Romans 3:10

James 2:10 – “Whoever keeps the law, yet stumble in one point, is guilty of all.”

But the just shall live by faith…

The only ones who are justified – are those who believe by faith in Jesus…

If you are trusting in your works – then you do not believe by faith…

I know a lot of Christians that have a lot of rules they try and live their life by…

And even though they have been saved for many years – they have not matured…

All they have is their unchanging rules – the problem is they do not change either!

They are under the curse of the Law – and cannot grow in Christ…

Christ became cursed for us…

Deuteronomy 21:23 – “He who is hanged is accursed of God.”

If a man commits a sin deserving of death – he is to be hung on a tree…

To let others see his fate – and discourage them from following his example…

Because anyone who hangs on a tree – is cursed…

We were all deserving of death – we were all under the curse of the Law…

We all should have been hung up on a tree – we should have paid our penalty…

Jesus took our curse – He put Himself in our place – He hung on the Cross of Calvary…

So that we could receive the blessings of Abraham – the promise of the Spirit!

Jesus was put up for the whole world to see the consequences of sin – death…

So that the whole world might believe – and be saved through His sacrifice!