Let's turn together to Paul's letter to Galatians and chapter 3 and we can read verses 13 and 14.
!
That we might receive the promised spirit through faith.
I want us together this evening to pick up on what we have been studying in the past months and the times that I've been with you.
And that is to look at the benefits of the cross of Jesus Christ.
If it is true and it is that Jesus himself is the gospel, then Jesus is the most important person that we can think about.
And Jesus becomes the most important person we can think about when we realize who we are.
And right through the pages of the gospels and of these letters, the word of God engages with us,
seeking to raise in our minds the sense of our need of God's salvation and the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We saw in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 the cross of Christ and the message of reconciliation.
How God takes the initiative and he brings us to himself and he makes peace with us through the Lord Jesus.
We saw in 1 John chapter 4 the message of the cross and the message of propitiation,
where the anger of God is turned away in the cross work of the Lord Jesus.
When we look at the letter to this church, there are so many interesting things that connect us with what Paul is saying and who he is writing to.
And he is writing this letter, first of all, because he is defending the gospel that has been given to him.
And we read at the beginning of the chapter the way in which he is referring to those who are preaching a gospel that's different to the gospel that he gave to them.
And that's a major problem.
That there is a message which is there to counteract and to go against the message of the gospel itself.
Not that it is entirely or 100% against the gospel.
And the issue is that it's close to the gospel, but it is a departure from the gospel that Paul is preaching.
And that, of course, creates confusion.
And wherever there are two messages, we get confused.
And where there are mixed messages taken from the Bible, then we get confused.
And we get confused to our harem.
And we can perhaps highlight three things that show us the confusion that the people in Galatia suffered from because of the wrong teaching.
There is, first of all, there is a faith problem.
There are those who are departing from the faith because of the confusion.
There is also a fullness problem in the sense that they are beginning to think that Jesus is not enough.
And that's a major problem.
And they are also having problems with how they relate to each other.
So the confused message of the gospel that is given to them to contradict Paul's message creates all of that confusion.
And bearing that in mind, I want us to look at these verses this evening.
I've done a gospel coaching course.
And there are different matrices used to help people at different stages of their ministry.
And one of these matrices seeks to highlight particular gaps that may interfere with a person being able to carry out their ministry effectively.
And there are three gaps.
The first of these is a knowledge gap.
People don't have the knowledge to fulfill their ministry effectively.
The second gap is a skills gap.
People don't have the skills to go with their knowledge to enable them to fulfill their ministry.
There is then the motivation gap.
That unless people are motivated by the love of God and the love of Christ, then they won't be able to fulfill ministry.
Three gaps that are ideas that we can borrow and bring into the very way in which we are called among to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if there is a gap in our knowledge, then everything else is going to suffer.
And we want to carry that idea with us as we look at these verses.
The fact that there is a knowledge gap.
That knowledge gap is creating confusion.
And the confusion is with regard to their appreciation of Jesus Christ in the gospel.
And so against that background, I want to think of the cross of Jesus and the message of redemption.
Confusion.
I want to think first of all of the problem.
And I mentioned confusion and the problem is that same confusion.
And in the confusion, there are two aspects to it.
And the first part of the confusion is that there are those who don't need the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's who verse 10 begins.
For all who rely on the works of the law.
Their lives are given over, lived out of the law.
And reckoning that through their observance of God's law, that they are the children of God and that they belong to the kingdom of God.
Everything that they do is motivated by their understanding of what the law of God means.
And based on that, they are confident that they can live their lives in such a way that will please God.
And that will bring them into the very kingdom of God and be the children of God.
And we read what Paul is saying here and it's clearly referring to the law that was given to Moses.
So they're looking back to the words that God spoke to Moses to give to the people as his covenant people.
And that law is the law that they are relying upon.
So there is that confusion in that category of people who don't see their need for the Lord Jesus.
And the second group that are confused is those who are already Christians.
And we see at the beginning of this chapter that they are those who are already Christians.
And they are convinced that they need more than Christ for salvation.
And those who are speaking about the law and enforcing the law upon this people,
they have persuaded them that as well as having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,
that they need to have their salvation brought to its perfection and completion by relying on the works of the law.
And so there is the first category, they are Christless because they don't see the need for Christ.
There is the second category, they have the Christ plus problem.
They are looking for more than the Lord Jesus.
And I want to suggest to you tonight that as surely as this was true in Galatia,
it can be true in Stornoway, it can be true in the Church of Christ in every generation,
that there are these two categories of people as well as other categories.
And tonight I am sure there are those here who rely upon what they do themselves
and your attendance in church and your attention to the things of God,
rely upon these things for your salvation.
And sadly too, there may be people who are the children of God
and who don't see that their salvation in Christ is complete without doing things themselves
and recognizing that we are called to serve the Lord Jesus,
to be doers of the Word,
but not doers in a sense to complete our salvation and our acceptance with God.
And we need to ask ourselves as we journey on through these verses tonight,
do we find ourselves in any one of these categories?
Because if we do, we haven't understood and appreciated the value of the passion and work of the Lord Jesus.
We are looking to what we can do,
and you are looking to what you can do in order to have the complete salvation.
That is the confusion.
And the problem with the confusion is that it does not align with the teaching of the Word of God.
And the stark truth that Paul brings before the church in Galatia
is the truth that God wants us to contend with this evening
as those who are in the same categories as the people in the church of Galatia,
to contend with the truth about the works of the law
and about those who trust in them.
And that's where Paul continues in verse number 10.
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse,
for it is written,
Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law
and to do them under a curse.
And what does that mean?
To be under a curse.
The curse in the Bible is to do with relationships.
A relationship with God.
Curse in the Bible has to do with a covenant relationship with God.
It has to do with the fact that God has given to us boundaries for a relationship with Him.
And if we live our lives within these boundaries,
then we have the blessing of God,
which is the opposite of the curse of God.
But as soon as we cross the boundary and break the law of God,
then the Bible tells us that we are under God's curse.
How serious a matter is that?
When we refer to the backdrop to these words,
in Deuteronomy 27 and 28,
it's alarming what that curse means.
And it basically means that the God who delighted over His people to do them good
now takes delight in their ruin.
And the God who was their friend turns to be their enemy.
And the God who protected them from their enemies
gives them over to destruction at the hands of their enemies.
It's the complete reversal of what was promised if they obeyed the law and the covenant of God.
And God wants us to reckon with that this evening.
To reckon with the seriousness of where we are
as those who trust in the holy law of God
and who think that's what our salvation is.
To think about what we're doing if we're saying that
that Jesus is not enough,
that I need to do more work myself
in order to complete my salvation.
Whatever we're relying on works,
God is telling us that is not the place for blessing.
That is the place where my curse rests.
And it rests upon all those who are covenant breakers.
And that's where the greatest knowledge gap exists.
And it exists,
and such is the nature of its influence in our lives
that we don't realize it exists.
And Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 4 about
the God of this world
blinding our minds,
or the minds of unbelievers,
so that they don't see the light
of the knowledge of God's glory
in the face of Jesus Christ.
That means that
you can be here this evening
and under the gospel of Jesus Christ,
relying upon your own works,
the works of the law,
for your salvation.
And so blinded you are to your need
that you are comfortable with that.
And that your unbelief is a shield
that protects you against the darts
that come from the Word of God
that wants to penetrate that darkness,
that wants to penetrate that contentedness
in the things that you do yourself.
And such is the delusion
that the devil brings upon us
that he will leave you comfortable
in that sense of the assurance that you have
that you will be okay
because you do X, Y, and Z.
And do you know that
Satan, the enemy of our soul,
the enemy that wants us
in our lost eternity,
that wants us not to have God's salvation,
he will never trouble you
if you think you're okay
on what you do yourself.
Because the person who is religious
and who has no faith in Christ
is in their own comfort zone
and they're content with their own delusion
and the devil is not going to trouble such.
As soon as you show an interest
in the Lord Jesus,
then you will sense
that the devil is active,
seeking to turn you away from that
and take you to get your back
to the kind of pillow
of resting upon
the things that you do yourself.
And what about the person
who is saying that
they need more than the Lord Jesus
to be saved?
What about that person?
If you're here tonight
and you have fallen back into
resting in the things
that you do yourself,
it does mean
and it will result in
not only the loss
of your appreciation
in the Lord Jesus,
but the loss of a sense
of his power in your life.
And you will go through life
and you will get to the stage
where you're convinced
that it's all about
what you can do.
And because you can't do,
then you think you have failed
and you will think
you have lost your salvation.
The problems are huge.
And the problems are huge
because there is no alignment
with what the Word of God
is saying.
And God wants us this evening
to take where we are
and a relationship
with religion
and with God's holy law
and to take that back
to Deuteronomy 27 and 28,
which you can read
for yourselves afterwards
and see what God says
about the people
who rebelled against him.
the problem.
We need to acknowledge
there's a problem
before we appreciate
that there is provision.
The problem then.
Secondly,
there is the proclamation.
It's the message of the gospel.
Christ has redeemed us
from the curse of the law.
The Christ that died
outside of Jerusalem
at the hands of his enemies.
The Christ concerning
whom Peter writes
in Acts chapter 2
after the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus.
The Christ that Peter describes
as the Jesus
whom you crucified.
God has made him
both Lord and Christ.
He has raised him
to sit at his right hand.
He has journeyed on
to be seated
in a place of glory
and of influence
and of power.
That Lord Jesus Christ,
he is the person
that is proclaimed
in the gospel.
And he is proclaimed
in the gospel
as the person
who has
redeemed us
from
the curse.
I go to Galatia
in central Turkey
today
and I go to Galatia
on Paul's day
and I ask
the person
on the street
what is Paul on about
when he speaks
about
redeeming us
and redemption?
Well,
we go to the center
of administration
in the city,
the marketplace
where the
administration
of the city
takes place
and where
there are
transactions
and where
there are exchanges
and where
there is buying
and selling.
We go to
the marketplace
and in the marketplace
in Galatia
we see a particular
kind of transaction
and the transaction
is that
slaves are taken
and set free
from their current
owner
and master
and given
a new freedom
and that is based
on a price
that is paid
for them.
They are transferred
from a place
of slavery
to the place
of freedom
on the basis
of a price
being paid.
And Paul is telling
them
that Christ
has carried out
this redeeming
action.
God is telling
us this evening
that that's
what Christ
has done.
That he has
transferred us
to freedom.
That he has
done so
with a payment
of a price.
That he has
exhausted,
covered everything
that's required
to set us free.
And that as
surely
as God
in the Old
Testament
promised his
people,
Israel,
who were
in Egypt,
I will
deliver them
from slavery.
I will
redeem you
with an
outstretched arm.
I will
take you
to be
my people.
This whole
redeeming
transaction
is taken
from the
place of
slavery
to the
place of
freedom
into a
living
relationship
with God.
And that's
tonight why
Christ Jesus
is important
in the
gospel.
Let me
park my
whole idea
about keeping
God's law
so that I
can be
saved.
Let me
cast aside
any thought
of needing
the law
of God
in order
to make
my salvation
complete.
And let me
focus on
the
passion of
Christ
in this
marketplace
transaction
and the
administration
of the
kingdom of
God
where I'm
taken from
that place
of slavery
because of
my sin
where I'm
set free
from it
and from
its burden
and from
its mastery
and where
I'm in
a living
relationship
with God.
And as soon
tonight as I
align my
thinking
with what God
says about me
and about
his law
then this
becomes
meaningful.
the
knowledge
gap
is filled
with the
teaching of
God's
word
and once
that
knowledge
gap
has been
filled
then
here is
emerging
exactly
who I
need.
Christ
has
redeemed
us
from
the
curse
of
the law.
And Jesus
himself
in speaking
to his
disciples
in the
gospel of
John
speaks about
the way
in which
if the
son sets
you free
you are
free
indeed.
You don't
need to
doubt
that you're
freedom.
You don't
need to
spend your
life
wondering
if you
are free
or not.
It's
certain
freedom.
It's
absolute
freedom.
It's a
freedom to
be the
people of
God,
to be the
children
of God.
If the
son sets
you free
you are
free
indeed.
he has
redeemed
us
from
the
curse
of the
law.
In the
administration
and in
the
government
of God's
kingdom
there is
the buying
back
that gives
you and I
freedom
in Christ.
Christ.
But perhaps
the
remarkable
thing
is
and the
center of
the gospel
is
and the
wonder of
the gospel
is
that in
that same
marketplace
where the
kingdom of
God is
administered
and governed
and the
principles are
set out
that when
Jesus pays
the price
to redeem
us
that he
did so
by
being made
becoming
a curse
for us.
He is
not
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
who went
into that
place
to have a
transaction
where a
price was
paid to
set you
free.
We go
into that
place of
transaction
in the
presence of
God
and he
himself
is the
price.
He is
made
a
curse.
He
takes on
a new
form
of
existence
and the
very
thought
of where
our salvation
took the
Lord Jesus
and God's
plan took
the Lord
Jesus
that it
took him
to the
place where
he
exists
as a
person
who is
bearing
God's
curse.
And the
God who
said to
his people
in the
Old Testament
that because
of their
rebellion
against him
that he
would pluck
them off
the land.
We see
Jesus
taken
outside of
the city.
We see
him hanging
on a
tree
crucified
not in
order to
be a
curse but
because he
is cursed
he is
hung on
a tree.
He
becomes
the
ultimate
outsider
in order
to secure
your freedom
and mine.
Israel
will take
him from
Jerusalem
Babylon
but Jesus
was in
the place
where he
was left
by the
people
excluded
from the
people
and excluded
from the
presence of
everything that
represented
God.
And in the
same way
God as we
saw took
delight
in doing
his people
good when
they obeyed
but when
they
disobeyed
he took
delight
and bring
them
to ruin.
And Isaiah
tells us
in Isaiah
53
that it
was the
will of
the Lord
to crush
him.
It
pleased
the Lord
to bruise
him.
That's
the
remarkable
solemnity
of this
great
transaction
that the
God who
said
regarding
his
son
you
are
my
beloved
son
in whom
I am
well
pleased.
It's
now in
this new
existence
that is
temporary
on Calvary's
cross
that that
same
Lord
and
father
takes
delight
in
bringing
him
ruin.
He
becomes
a
curse.
his
body
begins
to
break.
His
heart
is
broken.
He
is
exiled
from
God
in
that
moment
of
God's
curse
and
God's
wrath
descending
upon
him
when
he
cried
out
to
God
my
God
my
God
why
have
you
forsaken
!
me?
he
doesn't
hear
God
he
doesn't
sense
that
God
is
with
him
because
God
in
this
moment
of
this
transaction
has
left
him
and
he
did
this
for
us
he
took
our
place
and
he
took
what
ought
to
be
yours
and
mine
the
proclamation
that
Christ
redeemed
us
from
the
curse
of
the
law
by
being
made
a
curse
for
us
and
let's
not
entertain
the
idea
that
because
it
was
his
son
that
he
held
back
some
of
what
of
the
curse
that
is
upon
us
for
our
sin
he
did
not
spare
his
own
son
and
his
son
exhausted
everything
that
belonged
to
that
curse
and
he
did
so
as
he
spent
these
moments
of
darkness
on
Calvary's
cross
the
proclamation
realigning
our thoughts
with
God's
law
and
realigning
our thoughts
with
the
cross
of
the
Lord
Jesus
how
can
we
not
tonight
realize
the
significance
of
both
of
these
and
how
can
we
not
tonight
see
the
preciousness
of what
Jesus
has done
how
can
we
not
see
the
urgency
of
our
need
to
have
salvation
through
him
how
can
we
continue
on
any
other
path
but
the
path
that
belongs
to
faith
in
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
that
we
might
be
saved
there
is a
problem
there
is a
proclamation
and
finally
there
is
participation
what
does
it
mean
to
be
part
of
God's
kingdom
what
is
the
product
of
what
God
has
done
in
the
Lord
Jesus
when
Christ
redeemed
us
from
the
curse
of
the
law
what
is
the
fruit
of
all
of
that
the
fruit
of
all
of
that
is
exactly
what
they
were
confused
about
and
as we
come to
the
close
of
ourselves
there
are
two
particular
issues
that
are
of
key
importance
to
them
and
that
are
of
key
importance
to
ourselves
this
evening
what
is
the
product
how
do
we
participate
well
first
of
all
we
have
a
right
standing
with
God
on
the
basis
of
what
Jesus
has
done
so that
in
verse
14
so that
in
Christ
Jesus
the
blessing
of
Abraham
might
come
to
the
Gentiles
the
blessing
of
Abraham
the
blessing
of
God
I
think
of
curse
and I
think
of
the
way
in
which
God's
destructive
power
is
targeting
where
that
curse
lies
and I
hear
the
word
blessing
that
speaks
to me
of
God's
power
in my
life
and God's
life
in my
life
that speaks
of
newness
and of
well-being
that speaks
of a
life
lived
with
him
the
blessing
of
God
blessed
Adam and
Eve
and told
them to be
fruitful
and multiply
here it is
the blessing
of
Abraham
what is the
blessing of
Abraham
God said
to Abraham
in Genesis
12
in you
shall all
the families
of the
earth
be blessed
but in
this
chapter
it becomes
clear
that those
who are
blessed
with Abraham
are those
who are
justified
by faith
who have
the right
standing
with God
in verse
number 6
just as
Abraham
believed
God
and it
was counted
to him
as
righteousness
know then
that it
is those
of faith
who are
the sons
of Abraham
and the
scripture
foreseeing
that God
would justify
the Gentiles
by faith
preached the
gospel
beforehand
to Abraham
saying
and you
shall all
the families
and nations
of the
earth
be blessed
a right
standing
with God
there is
now no
condemnation
in Romans
8
being justified
by faith
in Romans
5
it's
having that
standing
before the
throne
of God
in Christ
in a
relationship
with Christ
who died
for us
and us
now being
in him
having that
relationship
where we
have that
peace with
God
where our
sins are
forgiven
and we
are accepted
as
righteous
in his
sight
the faith
with which
we
trust
in God
and it
is
the faith
that has
at its
very heart
the whole
idea of
persuasion
and for
you and I
tonight
the faith
that is
required of
us to
participate
in this
great product
and the
fruit of
Christ's
saving work
is to be
persuaded
that with
our law
keeping
we cannot
be saved
to be
persuaded
that
in our
law keeping
we are
under the
curse of
God
to be
persuaded
of what
God has
done for
us
in the
cross
of Jesus
Christ
and if
we have
that
triple
persuasion
then
faith
reaches
out
and
trusts
in
the
person
of the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
and there
is
no other
blessed
standing
in this
world
and none
so blessed
as those
who have
that right
standing
with God
the peace
of God
dwelling in
our hearts
the right
standing
and the
pinnacle of
everything else
to have
the family
status
to know
that we
are the
children
of God
and
these
chapters
are all
about
how we
can become
the children
of God
and that's
the second
part of
this verse
so that
we might
receive
the promised
spirit
through
faith
the
spirit
promised
in the
old
testament
in
God's
new
covenant
that
he
would
place
his
spirit
in
our
hearts
and give
us a
heart
and hearts
to love
him
in response
to his
love for
us
it's a
spirit
of God
in our
hearts
and as
we
jump on
to chapter
number
four
that spirit
of God
in our
hearts
is what
gives us
that
special
relationship
with God
and Jesus
Christ
in
verse
number
four
but when
the
fullness
of time
had come
God
sent forth
the son
born of
a woman
born under
the law
to redeem
those who
were under
the law
so that we
might receive
adoption
as sons
and because
you are
sons
God has
sent the
spirit of
a son
into
our
hearts
adopted
into
God's
family
given
all the
rights
inheriting
everything
that belongs
to the
children of
God
the right
to everything
that Jesus
has and
Jesus has
done
the right
to the
inheritance
of the
glory
that Jesus
has prepared
for us
and that
sense of
wonder
of knowing
that we
are the
children of
God
and that
sense of
wonder
which John
touches upon
in his
first epistle
in chapter
3
what kind
of love
is this
that God
has poured
upon us
that we
should be
called
the children
of God
and it's
that sense
of the
fatherly
love of
God
that sense
of his
eye
looking down
upon us
and seeing
us in a
relationship
with his
son
and us
sensing the
warmth of
his love
and of his
care and of
his interest
and of the
fact that
he is our
father
and that he
possesses us
in that
special
loving and
living way
and there
is no
greater blessing
in this
life
than to
have the
blessing of
secure
family
relationships
and a
family that
is functioning
as God
designed
and we
know how
precious that
is
times of
joy and
times of
sorrow
where
families
come together
and there is
that sense
of support
and joy
and grace
and peace
even in
times of
trouble
much more
so tonight
as those
who belong
to the
family of
God
do we
rejoice in
his care
do we rest
in his
love
do we wait
for him
in the
evening and
in the
morning
do we spend
our lives
giving ourselves
to him
because he
did such
a great
work
for us
and as
we close
the
take away
is simple
we cannot
rely on
what we
are going
to do
or have
done
we rely
simply and
wholeheartedly
on what
Jesus has
done
and we
cannot rely
on what
we have
done
because
we are
under
the
curse
of God
if we
rest upon
the law
which we
cannot keep
and which
is broken
but we
have
peace
with God
and we
trust in
the son
of God
who became
a curse
for us
to set
us free
in order
to be
the children
of God
may God
help us
and strengthen
us to
embrace him
in his word
and to
receive and
to embrace
the Lord
Jesus Christ
as
our saviour
let's bow our
heads in
prayer
most gracious
God
we rejoice
in you
and the
great God
that you
are
in the
God of
our salvation
the God
who has
planned
such a
wonderful
magnificent
way of
rescuing us
from
our sin
and from
our condemnation
and from
our distance
from you
and we
worship you
and we
praise you
for every
aspect of
the life
and work
of your
son
through which
tonight we
can have
peace with
you
we can
stand
before you
declared to
be just
by you
and we
can know
that we
are the
children of
God
so bless
your word
to us
as we
journey
on to
our homes
and give
to us
that sense
of your
love
following us
both this
evening
and all the
days of
our lives
we do
pray
for we
pray all
of these
things
for Jesus
sake
Amen
the closing
psalm is
psalm number
130
in
it's on
page 173
and the
tune is
martyrdom
and we're
going to
sing the
whole of
the psalm
Lord from
the depths
I call
to you
Lord hear
me from
on high
and give
attention to
my voice
when I
for mercy
cry
we stand
to sing
the whole
of the
psalm
to God's
praise
Lord from
the depths
I call
to you
Lord hear
me from
on high
I'll
give
attention
to
my
voice
when
I'm
for
mercy
cry
Lord
in
your
presence
to
the
sound
if
you
are
sins
record
forget
forgiveness
is
with
you
that
we
may
fear
you
are
I
wake
my
soul
wait
for
the
Lord
my
hope
is
in
his
word
more
than
the
Lord
and
wait
for
God
my
soul
his
heart
and
heart
all
his
strength
good
your
hope
in
God
for
mercy
is
within
a
glory
and
glory
and
from
the
rest
!
his
will
be
free
the
I go to the door on my right
the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all now and forever more
Amen
holy