WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.700 As we continue to work our way through this letter that reminds us there is no other gospel than the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 00:00:12.599 --> 00:00:23.120 Here in this section there is a reminder to the church in Galatia and a reminder to us never to forget the gospel of grace. 00:00:23.699 --> 00:00:29.379 So we're going to read together chapter 3 verse 1 to 14. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:31.780 Let's hear God's word. 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:38.200 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? 00:00:38.939 --> 00:00:43.659 Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:47.179 I would like to learn just one thing from you. 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:52.640 Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or by believing what you heard? 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:54.659 Are you so foolish? 00:00:54.659 --> 00:01:00.819 After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 00:01:01.899 --> 00:01:06.280 Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing? 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:14.280 Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law or because you believe what you heard? 00:01:15.379 --> 00:01:16.259 Consider Abraham. 00:01:16.819 --> 00:01:19.780 He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. 00:01:19.780 --> 00:01:24.040 Understand then that those who believe are our children of Abraham. 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:31.719 The scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announce the gospel in advance to Abraham. 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:35.359 All nations will be blessed through you. 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:39.980 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:44.299 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse. 00:01:45.019 --> 00:01:51.739 For it is written, cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law. 00:01:52.560 --> 00:02:00.319 Clearly, no one is justified before God by the law because the righteous will live by faith. 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:03.139 The law is not based on faith. 00:02:03.219 --> 00:02:08.039 On the contrary, the man who does these things will live by them. 00:02:09.079 --> 00:02:15.519 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. 00:02:16.259 --> 00:02:21.699 For it is written, cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. 00:02:21.699 --> 00:02:30.519 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus 00:02:30.519 --> 00:02:36.500 so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. 00:02:37.780 --> 00:02:38.500 Amen. 00:02:39.459 --> 00:02:44.759 Now I wonder, have you ever forgotten something and it was a big deal? 00:02:45.339 --> 00:02:51.479 I guess in a room this size, some of us would probably be characterized as forgetful people. 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:55.099 And sometimes it's nothing more than a mild inconvenience. 00:02:55.339 --> 00:02:58.919 You know, we leave and we forget our keys or we forget our wallet. 00:02:59.979 --> 00:03:01.639 Other times it can be a bigger deal. 00:03:02.759 --> 00:03:06.099 Maybe you've forgotten to pick up a child at the appointed time. 00:03:06.359 --> 00:03:07.519 That can cause some tension. 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:14.019 You maybe fail to pay an important bill or there's an important piece of paperwork you need to sign 00:03:14.019 --> 00:03:17.079 and you absentmindedly forget about it. 00:03:17.079 --> 00:03:20.780 Sometimes our forgetfulness can have significant implications. 00:03:21.699 --> 00:03:26.479 And what Paul says to us here in this section is that bigger than anything else that we can forget, 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:29.799 more damaging than anything else we can forget, 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:36.119 is the loss that comes to us if we forget the gospel of grace. 00:03:37.079 --> 00:03:42.359 So here he is and he's writing to a church that at least some of them are veering off course. 00:03:42.359 --> 00:03:44.120 They've begun by following Jesus, 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:51.319 But now some of them are turning back to this idea that they need to follow the law in order to earn God's acceptance. 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:54.439 And so throughout this letter, 00:03:54.819 --> 00:03:58.740 Paul is pulling them back to remember Jesus Christ. 00:03:58.900 --> 00:04:02.700 Remember he was crucified to rescue you. 00:04:02.699 --> 00:04:12.719 Remember that he was given to death in order to justify you so that God could look on us and declare us to be acceptable to him 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:16.740 because of what Jesus had done on the cross. 00:04:17.539 --> 00:04:19.740 And so here we find, not for the first time, 00:04:20.259 --> 00:04:23.959 Paul's speaking harshly to these Christians. 00:04:24.099 --> 00:04:29.519 He loves them and he's deeply concerned about the mistake that they are making. 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:32.519 So in verse 1, he calls them foolish. 00:04:34.299 --> 00:04:37.759 He says, it seems like someone must have put a spell on you 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:41.639 because you have abandoned trusting in Jesus alone 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:45.159 and you're thinking that you can contribute to your salvation. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:51.539 And he can call them foolish because he knew very well that they'd heard the gospel. 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:53.500 So in verse 1, he says, 00:04:53.500 --> 00:04:58.899 Before your very eyes, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 00:04:58.899 --> 00:05:04.779 Paul and others had clearly, powerfully, truly brought the good news of Jesus to them 00:05:04.779 --> 00:05:08.639 so they were without excuse in this context. 00:05:09.579 --> 00:05:13.699 He says, as it were, we presented Jesus as a great big sign. 00:05:13.819 --> 00:05:15.039 Jesus Christ crucified. 00:05:15.239 --> 00:05:16.939 We had that front and center. 00:05:17.939 --> 00:05:22.039 For me, it makes me think of maybe Times Square in New York 00:05:22.039 --> 00:05:26.199 or Leicester Square down in London or city center Tokyo. 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:28.839 You know those huge neon signs that are everywhere. 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:29.920 Here's this big event. 00:05:30.019 --> 00:05:30.879 You don't want to miss it. 00:05:31.339 --> 00:05:33.319 And that's what Paul has done for them. 00:05:33.420 --> 00:05:36.639 He's presented Jesus Christ crucified for their salvation 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:40.599 so they wouldn't miss it, so they wouldn't lose sight of it. 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:42.000 Jesus Christ. 00:05:42.159 --> 00:05:44.500 Jesus, which means God saves. 00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:48.500 So here is Jesus, God's Savior, who's also God's Christ, 00:05:48.659 --> 00:05:52.240 God's chosen one, God's promised and anointed king. 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:57.960 And this one, this Jesus Christ was crucified for you. 00:05:58.379 --> 00:06:02.420 Here he reminds them once again, there was this completed work of salvation. 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:06.220 Jesus accomplished the Father's plan of salvation. 00:06:06.780 --> 00:06:12.519 The benefits of his death are always available and they're freely offered to us. 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:14.160 We need nothing else. 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:17.400 We should trust in nothing else. 00:06:17.399 --> 00:06:24.919 And so again, he's going to, in these 14 verses, going to teach us trusting in Jesus gives us everything. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:28.139 We don't need anything more if we have our faith in Jesus. 00:06:28.379 --> 00:06:35.079 So then remembering what Jesus did for us on the cross is clearly vital to our life of faith. 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:45.759 So here are three things that Paul encourages them, calls them to remember as those who had their faith in Jesus. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:51.420 First of all, remember that you never move beyond the gospel. 00:06:52.259 --> 00:06:54.060 This is verses two to five. 00:06:54.439 --> 00:07:01.420 In that section, verse two to five, you see there's a whole range of a barrage of rhetorical questions. 00:07:02.060 --> 00:07:06.079 All intended to drive his readers, to drive us to a single point. 00:07:06.620 --> 00:07:12.939 That the whole of the Christian life, from its beginning to its end, is built on the gospel of God's grace. 00:07:12.939 --> 00:07:16.939 At no point do we add anything else to that. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:20.439 So how does he show that to us? 00:07:21.459 --> 00:07:26.079 You see in that section as well, there's a lot of language of the spirit is prominent. 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:31.500 So for us today, we talk about becoming Christians. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:36.019 When we trust in the Lord Jesus, we would say a person has become a Christian. 00:07:36.019 --> 00:07:41.740 But in the early church, you see in the book of Acts, they would talk about receiving the spirit. 00:07:42.799 --> 00:07:44.079 Believe the message of Jesus. 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:48.099 Turn from your sins and you'll receive the Holy Spirit. 00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:55.319 The point is that the Holy Spirit is the one who makes us see that we need Jesus. 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:58.680 Pulls us away from being sort of self-reliant. 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:05.860 It's through the Holy Spirit that we are born again, that we're given a new heart, we're given a new life. 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:10.379 It's by the spirit that we are adopted into the family of God. 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:14.920 So the spirit is vital to the Christian life. 00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:22.379 And so Paul walks through a variety of phases of their Christian experience, 00:08:22.860 --> 00:08:30.080 showing that at every point, it's faith in Jesus and not keeping the law that counts. 00:08:31.340 --> 00:08:34.620 Just as every good story has a beginning and a middle and an ending, 00:08:35.659 --> 00:08:41.340 every good essay has an introduction, a body of evidence and a conclusion. 00:08:41.340 --> 00:08:48.879 So the story of salvation in our lives, in our experience of knowing Jesus has a beginning and a middle 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:51.879 and it'll have an end in this life. 00:08:52.340 --> 00:08:55.660 But there's just one theme throughout that story. 00:08:55.759 --> 00:09:03.800 And the theme is the gospel of grace, which the spirit applies and keeps on applying to our lives. 00:09:04.220 --> 00:09:06.800 That theme never changes. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:11.519 So how does he talk about the beginning of faith? 00:09:11.599 --> 00:09:14.859 How does he talk about a person coming to believe in Jesus? 00:09:15.439 --> 00:09:16.939 Look at verse 2. 00:09:18.019 --> 00:09:20.539 I would like to learn just one thing from you. 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:23.240 Here comes this first rhetorical question. 00:09:23.459 --> 00:09:30.579 Did you receive the spirit by observing the law or by believing what you heard? 00:09:30.580 --> 00:09:39.639 So this is Paul saying, remember, when you came into God's family, when you received the spirit, 00:09:40.120 --> 00:09:42.460 that was not because of your law keeping. 00:09:43.259 --> 00:09:44.920 It was because you believed with faith. 00:09:45.680 --> 00:09:49.080 So they heard the facts and the events of Jesus' life. 00:09:49.160 --> 00:09:51.300 They heard about his perfect obedience. 00:09:51.460 --> 00:09:57.820 They heard about his death on the cross for them to atone for their sin and to give them eternal life. 00:09:57.820 --> 00:10:01.379 They heard about the resurrection and they believed. 00:10:02.379 --> 00:10:10.260 Not just they believed that these were true facts, but they placed all their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. 00:10:10.400 --> 00:10:12.860 There was that personal response of faith. 00:10:14.300 --> 00:10:18.940 They were trusting in, they began trusting in Jesus' finished work. 00:10:19.780 --> 00:10:23.140 They didn't enter the kingdom through their own works. 00:10:23.139 --> 00:10:28.759 What about the middle of their Christian experience? 00:10:30.259 --> 00:10:30.939 Verse 4. 00:10:31.819 --> 00:10:33.659 Have you suffered so much for nothing? 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:39.279 If it really was for nothing, does God give you a spirit and work miracles among you? 00:10:39.659 --> 00:10:43.399 Because you observe the law or because you believe what you heard? 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:45.500 So he can look at their life. 00:10:45.580 --> 00:10:48.000 He can point them to reflect on their own experience, 00:10:48.259 --> 00:10:50.319 to see marks of them being true Christians. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:54.520 The spirit was with you as you were suffering for the Lord Jesus. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:58.000 The spirit was seen in power among you. 00:10:58.060 --> 00:11:01.180 There were miracles done among you. 00:11:02.280 --> 00:11:02.800 Why? 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:09.040 It's because of their believing, not because of their doing. 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:12.540 So the beginning is all about believing with faith. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.580 The middle, their current experience, believing with faith. 00:11:15.940 --> 00:11:16.760 What about the end? 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:17.600 What about the goal? 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:21.240 That takes us to verse 3, a key verse for us. 00:11:21.860 --> 00:11:23.560 Are you so foolish? 00:11:24.420 --> 00:11:32.240 After beginning with the spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:37.680 So if the goal of the Christian life is to know and enjoy God forever, 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:45.159 if they started on that journey towards God by trusting in God's grace, 00:11:45.219 --> 00:11:46.779 he's then asking them the question, 00:11:47.339 --> 00:11:49.859 do you expect, if you started the race by grace, 00:11:49.939 --> 00:11:55.699 do you expect to finish, cross the finish line by some other means or method? 00:11:55.700 --> 00:11:59.340 That we would start by grace, 00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:02.620 but then at some point we would understand the gospel, 00:12:02.759 --> 00:12:05.720 we'd advance beyond that and we'd move back to law keeping? 00:12:06.780 --> 00:12:09.680 And the answer, of course, is absolutely no. 00:12:09.820 --> 00:12:17.000 At no point in our Christian life is it anything other than resting on God's grace in our lives. 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:20.320 We start the Christian life, we grow in the Christian life, 00:12:20.379 --> 00:12:22.879 we finish the Christian life, not by our works, 00:12:22.980 --> 00:12:25.700 but by faith in Jesus Christ alone. 00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:30.220 Sometimes we can have the idea that the gospel, 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:35.059 this good news of Jesus who died and rose again to give us salvation, 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:37.840 that's like the ABCs, that's the basics. 00:12:38.560 --> 00:12:39.860 And then once we've got that down, 00:12:39.940 --> 00:12:44.700 we kind of move on and we sort of figure out how to live a life that pleases God. 00:12:44.700 --> 00:12:48.740 And we can very easily fall into the idea that we are accomplishing, 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:49.899 that we are performing. 00:12:50.160 --> 00:12:52.560 And what Paul is saying, the gospel isn't the ABC, 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:53.899 the gospel is the A to Z. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:56.420 It's the whole of the Christian life. 00:12:56.519 --> 00:12:59.620 It's marked by grace from beginning to end. 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:04.180 And so we can see the problem in the church. 00:13:04.179 --> 00:13:12.179 They had foolishly forgotten that Jesus Christ crucified was everything for them. 00:13:12.839 --> 00:13:18.639 That faith in Jesus was what brought them every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ. 00:13:18.859 --> 00:13:23.539 It was because of their faith in Jesus that God's spirit was at work in their lives. 00:13:24.500 --> 00:13:26.339 They lost sight of that. 00:13:26.839 --> 00:13:30.879 And now they're thinking that they need to perform to be accepted. 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:34.500 So again, Paul loves them. 00:13:34.580 --> 00:13:39.539 When he calls them foolish, it's because he's distressed for them. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:44.899 And he desperately wants to call them back to trusting in Jesus. 00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:49.259 To be allowing the gospel of grace to be at work in their lives, 00:13:49.320 --> 00:13:53.100 not trading that in for their own performance. 00:13:53.100 --> 00:14:02.279 The only time that I have ever been taken in by one of these scam phone calls, 00:14:02.560 --> 00:14:04.560 it's back in the early days, so I have an excuse. 00:14:05.139 --> 00:14:09.820 There was a guy that phoned up claiming to be Mr. Microsoft. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:14.700 And he detected a problem in my machine. 00:14:14.700 --> 00:14:23.460 And so he needed to take over my computer and go inside in order to fix it up. 00:14:23.920 --> 00:14:26.060 He was going to upgrade it for me. 00:14:26.560 --> 00:14:29.700 But he kind of, I don't know how he knew, but he knew, apparently. 00:14:31.180 --> 00:14:35.660 With this upgrade, as I discovered, beware of people claiming to be Mr. Microsoft, 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:40.580 this upgrade ended up absolutely wrecking my computer. 00:14:40.580 --> 00:14:45.440 Had to spend a fortune trying to get it debugged because of the damage that this guy had done. 00:14:46.660 --> 00:14:55.980 Never ever, Paul says, trade in, upgrade from faith in Jesus alone. 00:14:56.560 --> 00:15:03.200 If we add anything else, we're only bringing destruction to our faith. 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:07.000 And so Paul wants to be really clear on that. 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:13.740 That we need to see that we never move beyond the gospel in all of our lives. 00:15:13.820 --> 00:15:17.059 What might that look like in our lives? 00:15:17.860 --> 00:15:21.279 Let me, let's think through three R's together. 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:23.059 The first one, run. 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:28.639 Let's remember that if we want to stay in the course with the gospel of grace, 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:33.700 we need to run quickly to Jesus in our failures. 00:15:33.700 --> 00:15:40.640 That we recognize that he has paid for my sins so I can be quick to confess 00:15:40.640 --> 00:15:47.100 against our natural inclination to hide away, to run away, to justify. 00:15:48.020 --> 00:15:54.480 Because of what Jesus has done in that finished work, we can run quickly to him in our failures, in our sin. 00:15:54.480 --> 00:16:00.100 And we should be quick to run to him in our successes too. 00:16:00.940 --> 00:16:04.320 Recognizing that all the good things that we have are a gift of God's grace. 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:08.740 So we never find ourselves in that mindset where we're becoming proud and thinking, 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:09.840 I've done that. 00:16:09.920 --> 00:16:12.980 That was on account of my good performance. 00:16:13.659 --> 00:16:16.840 So we run to Jesus in good times and bad times. 00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:22.160 So we remember that these are ways that we can discover God's grace. 00:16:23.139 --> 00:16:28.879 We're also encouraged to re-examine constantly our own hearts. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.040 What is it that we are truly trusting in? 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:37.440 These were people who started and they were absolutely believing in Jesus, 00:16:37.560 --> 00:16:39.460 but now they're trusting in something other than Jesus. 00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:41.120 So we need to be honest with that. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:47.799 Am I trusting in Jesus Christ crucified or something else? 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:52.240 What am I placing my hopes in? 00:16:53.139 --> 00:16:57.340 What do I hope will save me, will provide for what I mean? 00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:03.759 Maybe if we find ourselves easily angry with other people, 00:17:04.420 --> 00:17:07.460 frustrated by others, embittered towards others, 00:17:07.460 --> 00:17:13.360 where perhaps the need for control has become something that's really important, 00:17:13.500 --> 00:17:15.200 that's like a saviour to us. 00:17:15.220 --> 00:17:18.259 If I just had control over all these people and all these situations, 00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:19.240 then life would be great. 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:22.880 Or if we find ourselves perhaps being crushed, 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:26.500 if somebody ignores us or snubs us or doesn't respect us, 00:17:26.539 --> 00:17:31.700 then maybe we'll find that it's the approval of others that's our true centre, 00:17:31.700 --> 00:17:36.059 that we're drifting away from trusting in Jesus alone for our salvation 00:17:36.059 --> 00:17:38.620 and for that foundation for our lives. 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:42.080 So we need to be re-examining and tied up to that, 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:46.340 just remembering, remembering all that Jesus has done 00:17:46.340 --> 00:17:50.460 and all that Jesus continues to do for his church. 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:54.279 Let me encourage Christian daydreaming. 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:56.600 I don't know, where does your mind go 00:17:56.600 --> 00:17:59.920 when you find that it's got some free time? 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:05.800 Instead of maybe going online or plugging in some music, 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:09.900 let me encourage Christian daydreaming, meditation, 00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:13.539 to think about God's Word, to think about a verse, 00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:16.240 to think about an idea, to chew over it, 00:18:16.840 --> 00:18:21.400 to think how does this reveal more of God's character and God's love to me? 00:18:22.320 --> 00:18:25.340 How can I apply this truth to my life 00:18:25.340 --> 00:18:28.279 in a way that will help me to be more like Jesus? 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:31.160 How will this truth help me to worship? 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:36.059 You know, it's as we actively remember the gospel 00:18:36.059 --> 00:18:40.500 that will be led to greater joy and greater worship. 00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:44.599 So Paul says, if your faith is in Jesus, 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:47.339 you're never to move beyond the gospel of grace. 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:51.259 And then he moves on in his argument, verses 6 to 9, 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:56.000 to say to this church that when your faith is in Jesus, 00:18:56.140 --> 00:18:58.680 you're already part of God's family. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:03.579 The way that you enter the family of God is by faith. 00:19:04.359 --> 00:19:08.759 And he needs to say this because there were false teachers around. 00:19:09.579 --> 00:19:15.059 And what they had been selling to the church here 00:19:15.059 --> 00:19:19.940 and other churches is that if they really wanted to be obedient, 00:19:20.659 --> 00:19:22.220 yes, they must trust in Jesus, 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:24.819 but yes, they must also become Jewish. 00:19:25.019 --> 00:19:29.039 Yes, they must also keep all the ceremonial diaphtal laws. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:30.039 They must get circumcised. 00:19:30.099 --> 00:19:33.220 All that kind of stuff if God were to accept them. 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:37.720 So these guys, these false teachers, 00:19:37.919 --> 00:19:39.960 were falsely claiming Moses. 00:19:39.960 --> 00:19:44.120 Now we can go back to Moses to tell you that you need to change 00:19:44.120 --> 00:19:46.140 to shift away from just trusting in Jesus. 00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:50.240 So Paul's response is genius really 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:52.660 because he goes further back than Moses. 00:19:52.819 --> 00:19:55.860 He takes them on a lesson of Old Testament history. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:58.500 He takes them right back to Abraham, 00:19:59.079 --> 00:20:01.259 to the father of faith. 00:20:01.539 --> 00:20:03.920 And he does that so as to say, 00:20:04.380 --> 00:20:06.759 Abraham agrees with me 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:10.019 on the way that we enter the kingdom of God. 00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:14.339 And he does that by immediately in verse 6, 00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:16.400 quoting from Genesis 15. 00:20:17.460 --> 00:20:20.480 Consider Abraham, then we've got a quote from Genesis 15. 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:26.200 He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:29.400 So let's very briefly fill in the context 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:32.599 what's happened in Genesis 12. 00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:36.039 In Genesis 12, God called Abraham 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:39.699 and made rich promises to him. 00:20:39.919 --> 00:20:41.419 And then in Genesis 15, 00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:44.699 God is then going to reaffirm 00:20:44.699 --> 00:20:47.279 those covenant promises to Abraham. 00:20:47.740 --> 00:20:50.519 Central to that promise is the fact that Abraham 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:52.899 was to have a child, 00:20:53.019 --> 00:20:53.879 to have descendants, 00:20:54.019 --> 00:20:55.359 to become a great nation. 00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:58.699 But when we find Abraham here in Genesis 15, 00:20:58.700 --> 00:21:02.759 he's 90 years old and he's childless. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:05.759 And so there's a real point of tension. 00:21:06.279 --> 00:21:09.100 Will this covenant promise be fulfilled? 00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:13.180 So when God reaffirms that promise to Abraham, 00:21:13.420 --> 00:21:14.539 the wonderful thing about him, 00:21:14.620 --> 00:21:15.880 what makes him the father of faith, 00:21:15.940 --> 00:21:17.559 is that Abraham believes. 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:21.740 He trusts in God's word of promise, 00:21:22.120 --> 00:21:25.220 even when he doesn't yet have a child. 00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:29.039 And the important thing for Paul's argument is, 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:30.720 when did this happen? 00:21:31.220 --> 00:21:34.740 When was this covenant promise affirmed to Abraham? 00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:38.460 And when did Abraham respond in faith? 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:42.660 And we discover that it's some 430 years 00:21:42.660 --> 00:21:44.680 before the law was given. 00:21:45.700 --> 00:21:47.920 So Paul is saying the law couldn't have been 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:49.500 the basis for Abraham's hope 00:21:49.500 --> 00:21:52.140 because there was no law. 00:21:52.940 --> 00:21:54.460 Couldn't have been about circumcision 00:21:54.460 --> 00:21:56.380 because he doesn't have that yet. 00:21:57.259 --> 00:21:59.319 So Abraham then is used by Paul 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:00.799 to be the precedent. 00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:02.240 Verse 7, 00:22:02.360 --> 00:22:04.700 Understand then that those who believe 00:22:04.700 --> 00:22:06.980 are children of Abraham. 00:22:07.380 --> 00:22:08.660 This isn't about ethnicity. 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:12.079 This is about believing in God's promise. 00:22:13.420 --> 00:22:14.860 The scripture foresaw 00:22:14.860 --> 00:22:17.460 that God would justify the Gentiles by faith 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:21.160 and announce the gospel in advance to Abraham. 00:22:21.160 --> 00:22:25.220 All nations will be blessed through you. 00:22:26.019 --> 00:22:30.420 So anyone and everyone who's in God's family, 00:22:30.900 --> 00:22:32.600 there is only one criteria, 00:22:33.259 --> 00:22:36.100 and that's to trust in God's promise, 00:22:36.220 --> 00:22:38.200 to trust with faith. 00:22:39.960 --> 00:22:40.800 Verse 9, 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.639 And so those who have faith are blessed, 00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:45.500 along with Abraham, the man of faith, 00:22:45.659 --> 00:22:47.279 to know God's blessing, 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:50.859 to know God's love and goodness and joy in your life, 00:22:50.859 --> 00:22:54.139 to live in covenant relationship with him, 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:58.299 to enjoy knowing him now and forever. 00:22:58.299 --> 00:23:00.240 How do we get to that point? 00:23:00.779 --> 00:23:02.419 Same way as Abraham did. 00:23:02.899 --> 00:23:05.419 By believing with faith. 00:23:05.799 --> 00:23:08.019 Believing in God's word of promise. 00:23:08.879 --> 00:23:09.919 And as he says that, 00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:12.379 that brings us back to verse 1. 00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:15.139 That takes us back to our big neon sign 00:23:15.139 --> 00:23:17.619 of Jesus Christ crucified. 00:23:17.619 --> 00:23:21.559 Because that is God's word of promise to us. 00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:25.539 That we are invited to believe 00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:28.740 that Jesus is crucified for me, 00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:30.740 for my sins, 00:23:31.139 --> 00:23:32.500 becoming my substitute, 00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:34.200 so that by faith in him, 00:23:34.440 --> 00:23:36.379 I might be welcomed by God, 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:39.200 that I might know the promise of forgiveness. 00:23:40.299 --> 00:23:43.099 The promise that even although I am sinful, 00:23:43.259 --> 00:23:47.299 I can be credited as righteous. 00:23:47.299 --> 00:23:51.159 That God can declare us righteous 00:23:51.159 --> 00:23:52.980 because our hope is in Jesus 00:23:52.980 --> 00:23:55.359 and the perfect righteousness of Jesus 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:57.779 has been credited to our account. 00:23:58.180 --> 00:24:00.599 And that all comes by having faith 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:02.399 in God's grace towards us 00:24:02.399 --> 00:24:04.539 in sending Jesus to be Savior. 00:24:05.819 --> 00:24:08.019 So there's only one way in. 00:24:09.899 --> 00:24:12.119 Some of us, we've moved into new accommodation 00:24:12.119 --> 00:24:15.859 and we're getting the hang of which keys to use. 00:24:15.859 --> 00:24:19.799 Some of us have got lots of security points 00:24:19.799 --> 00:24:21.379 so maybe to get into our house, 00:24:21.479 --> 00:24:23.599 there's two or three doors that we need to unlock. 00:24:26.679 --> 00:24:29.019 The false teachers were trying to say 00:24:29.019 --> 00:24:32.179 there's another way into the kingdom. 00:24:32.599 --> 00:24:33.699 It's not about Jesus. 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:35.959 It's about Jesus and the law. 00:24:36.719 --> 00:24:37.919 And what Paul is saying, 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:39.399 there is only one door. 00:24:40.219 --> 00:24:41.439 There's only one key. 00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:42.939 It's Jesus. 00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:45.880 It's faith in Jesus alone. 00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:48.940 So we enter by faith. 00:24:49.400 --> 00:24:50.799 To be in God's family, 00:24:50.940 --> 00:24:53.180 we trust in Jesus and what he's done for us. 00:24:54.200 --> 00:24:56.460 That's important for the folks in Galatia 00:24:56.460 --> 00:24:58.380 and it's important for us too. 00:24:58.519 --> 00:25:00.120 There are implications for this 00:25:00.120 --> 00:25:02.960 when we think about how that plays out. 00:25:03.019 --> 00:25:05.299 In terms of family equality, 00:25:05.940 --> 00:25:07.940 there's no two-tier Christianity. 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:09.480 In those days, it's not, 00:25:09.779 --> 00:25:11.259 well, the Jewish Christians are up here 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:12.900 and the Gentile Christians are down here. 00:25:14.019 --> 00:25:17.039 Faith is the only criteria for belonging to God 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:18.039 and being in his family. 00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:20.900 Therefore, we don't get to, 00:25:20.980 --> 00:25:23.440 we should not judge or exclude someone 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:25.579 because of any number of factors, 00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:26.579 because of their past 00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:28.319 or because of their bank balance 00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:30.440 or because of their church affiliation 00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:32.180 or because of their standard of education. 00:25:32.819 --> 00:25:34.700 There is family equality 00:25:34.700 --> 00:25:37.460 because we all enter the same way 00:25:37.460 --> 00:25:39.160 by faith in Jesus 00:25:39.160 --> 00:25:41.360 and what he's done for us. 00:25:43.360 --> 00:25:44.960 It's also a reminder that 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:46.759 because we're in the family, 00:25:47.340 --> 00:25:49.319 we have family access 00:25:49.319 --> 00:25:52.039 to God our Father. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:54.620 Let me plug for a moment. 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:56.660 There's a book out there 00:25:56.660 --> 00:25:57.860 for the Women's Book Club 00:25:57.860 --> 00:25:59.279 written by Megan Hill 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:00.460 called Praying Together. 00:26:01.019 --> 00:26:02.180 It's an excellent book. 00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:04.240 Whether you can join the book club or not, 00:26:04.299 --> 00:26:06.039 I would encourage you to read it. 00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:08.200 Her first chapter was really helpful 00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:10.600 on the foundations of prayer 00:26:10.600 --> 00:26:13.680 and how the foundation for our praying 00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:16.380 is based on the relationship 00:26:16.380 --> 00:26:18.000 that we've been brought into 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:19.279 with the Trinity, 00:26:19.560 --> 00:26:21.440 that we can call God Father, 00:26:21.860 --> 00:26:23.720 that we pray through the Son, 00:26:23.779 --> 00:26:24.980 that we pray with the help 00:26:24.980 --> 00:26:26.000 of the Holy Spirit. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:29.259 And so we have this amazing access 00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:33.000 to God our Father 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:35.720 because of our faith in Jesus. 00:26:38.460 --> 00:26:40.519 And we're also, 00:26:40.700 --> 00:26:41.680 when we trust in Jesus, 00:26:41.779 --> 00:26:43.180 we're part of God's family 00:26:43.180 --> 00:26:44.440 here on earth. 00:26:45.099 --> 00:26:46.119 And so we have access 00:26:46.119 --> 00:26:49.380 to the wonderful gift of fellowship 00:26:49.380 --> 00:26:51.220 with brothers and sisters, 00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:52.920 to know love and encouragement 00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:54.860 and help and comfort 00:26:54.860 --> 00:26:56.400 from one another. 00:26:58.279 --> 00:26:59.920 And there's also a reminder 00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:02.600 when we think about the story of Abraham, 00:27:03.060 --> 00:27:04.100 that there's this story 00:27:04.100 --> 00:27:06.120 of family faith, 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:08.880 that there are promises 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:09.980 and there are truths 00:27:09.980 --> 00:27:11.360 that are passed down 00:27:11.360 --> 00:27:13.660 from generation to generation. 00:27:14.600 --> 00:27:15.120 So let me just, 00:27:15.259 --> 00:27:16.180 for a minute or two, 00:27:16.279 --> 00:27:20.360 let's think for our parents here, 00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:23.139 what message are we conveying 00:27:23.139 --> 00:27:24.079 to our children? 00:27:24.859 --> 00:27:25.919 If we were to probe 00:27:25.919 --> 00:27:27.000 really deep in our hearts, 00:27:27.099 --> 00:27:27.919 what are the hopes 00:27:27.919 --> 00:27:30.240 that we have for our children? 00:27:31.159 --> 00:27:32.119 You know, instinctively, 00:27:32.199 --> 00:27:34.119 we want them to be good citizens. 00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:36.279 We want them to be successful. 00:27:36.459 --> 00:27:37.639 We want them to be healthy 00:27:37.639 --> 00:27:39.439 and to be happy, of course. 00:27:41.379 --> 00:27:42.379 But beyond that, 00:27:42.479 --> 00:27:43.779 as Christian parents, 00:27:43.959 --> 00:27:45.740 is our real heart for them 00:27:45.740 --> 00:27:47.779 that they would be loving Jesus, 00:27:47.779 --> 00:27:51.740 that they would be truly devoted to him, 00:27:52.379 --> 00:27:54.099 that they'd be walking by faith 00:27:54.099 --> 00:27:54.920 and not by sight, 00:27:54.980 --> 00:27:57.799 that we'd be investing in them, 00:27:57.920 --> 00:27:59.299 spiritually preparing them 00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:00.099 for the challenges 00:28:00.099 --> 00:28:01.720 that will undoubtedly come 00:28:01.720 --> 00:28:03.460 in a world that seems to be growing 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:05.399 increasingly hostile. 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:07.700 It's not just for ourselves, 00:28:07.819 --> 00:28:11.160 it's for our families also. 00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:13.539 So Paul says that 00:28:13.539 --> 00:28:15.680 if you have faith in Jesus, 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:17.480 you're part of God's family. 00:28:18.660 --> 00:28:19.960 And then the last thing 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:21.840 to look at in these closing verses 00:28:21.840 --> 00:28:24.000 is that if your faith is in Jesus, 00:28:24.140 --> 00:28:27.320 you have true freedom. 00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:30.539 So here, remember, 00:28:30.680 --> 00:28:33.180 this is Paul calling Christians back, 00:28:34.539 --> 00:28:36.820 come back to trusting in Jesus alone, 00:28:37.340 --> 00:28:38.080 trusting in Jesus, 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:39.500 finished work on the cross, 00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:41.279 trust in the gospel of grace. 00:28:41.840 --> 00:28:43.720 And to make clear 00:28:43.720 --> 00:28:44.920 the importance of that, 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:46.900 he gives a really powerful comparison. 00:28:48.259 --> 00:28:49.980 What is the way to freedom? 00:28:50.120 --> 00:28:52.620 What is the way to use the language 00:28:52.620 --> 00:28:53.259 in this section? 00:28:53.360 --> 00:28:54.640 What's the way to escaping 00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:56.860 God's curse on sin? 00:28:57.660 --> 00:28:59.000 What is the way to escape 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:01.579 God's curse on law-breaking? 00:29:02.700 --> 00:29:03.140 Positively, 00:29:03.299 --> 00:29:04.720 how can we be declared 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:05.680 to be righteous 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:08.140 and acceptable to God? 00:29:09.140 --> 00:29:10.460 And there are two options 00:29:10.460 --> 00:29:12.039 that Paul explores. 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:13.720 One, 00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:14.980 which you'll see, 00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:17.680 utterly fails us 00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:19.019 if we trust in it. 00:29:19.299 --> 00:29:20.400 Option one is, 00:29:20.779 --> 00:29:21.180 essentially, 00:29:21.380 --> 00:29:22.460 place all your trust 00:29:22.460 --> 00:29:23.240 in your ability 00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:24.019 to keep the law. 00:29:25.380 --> 00:29:25.980 John Stott, 00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:26.759 when he talks about this, 00:29:26.819 --> 00:29:27.140 calls it 00:29:27.140 --> 00:29:28.640 the man-on-the-street theology. 00:29:29.660 --> 00:29:30.319 Asks someone, 00:29:30.460 --> 00:29:31.400 why should God 00:29:31.400 --> 00:29:32.200 let you into heaven? 00:29:32.360 --> 00:29:32.420 And, 00:29:33.120 --> 00:29:33.299 well, 00:29:33.360 --> 00:29:34.380 I've been a good neighbor 00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:37.079 and I'm honest at my job. 00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:38.500 I give to charity. 00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:39.859 All those kinds of things. 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:43.160 The hope that we can be good enough 00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:45.539 for God to welcome us 00:29:45.539 --> 00:29:46.059 into heaven. 00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:49.519 Here's where Paul is going. 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:52.920 Is this a reliable approach? 00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:54.160 If we want to know 00:29:54.160 --> 00:29:55.279 and enjoy God, 00:29:55.539 --> 00:29:59.180 is this a way of access to God? 00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:03.640 And there's very clear ways 00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:04.259 in which Paul says, 00:30:04.339 --> 00:30:04.859 absolutely not. 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:05.740 Verse 12, 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:07.500 the law is not based on faith. 00:30:07.500 --> 00:30:08.279 On the contrary, 00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:10.859 the man who does these things 00:30:10.859 --> 00:30:12.420 will live by them. 00:30:12.500 --> 00:30:12.619 So, 00:30:12.759 --> 00:30:13.880 here's what he's saying there 00:30:13.880 --> 00:30:14.519 as he quotes 00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:16.180 from Leviticus. 00:30:16.779 --> 00:30:18.279 To live by the law 00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:20.619 is to have our verdict 00:30:20.619 --> 00:30:21.440 determined 00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:23.660 by how well we obey the law. 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:25.960 If we want to put our trust 00:30:25.960 --> 00:30:28.119 in our ability 00:30:28.119 --> 00:30:29.160 to please God, 00:30:29.700 --> 00:30:31.240 then there is a standard 00:30:31.240 --> 00:30:32.779 that we need to reach. 00:30:32.859 --> 00:30:34.259 There is a crisis 00:30:34.259 --> 00:30:35.839 created by that kind of thinking. 00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:36.959 Because in verse 10, 00:30:38.459 --> 00:30:38.859 again, 00:30:38.980 --> 00:30:40.359 quoting from the Old Testament, 00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:41.619 quoting from Deuteronomy, 00:30:42.759 --> 00:30:43.859 all who rely on observing 00:30:43.859 --> 00:30:44.799 the law are under a curse 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:45.459 for it is written, 00:30:45.859 --> 00:30:47.379 cursed is everyone 00:30:47.379 --> 00:30:49.559 who does not continue 00:30:49.559 --> 00:30:51.259 to do everything 00:30:51.259 --> 00:30:53.000 written in the book of the law. 00:30:53.959 --> 00:30:55.359 Do you see the standard 00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:56.559 that God is looking for? 00:30:57.299 --> 00:30:58.439 If we want to say, 00:30:58.579 --> 00:30:59.299 I'm going to trust 00:30:59.299 --> 00:31:00.119 in my ability 00:31:00.119 --> 00:31:01.459 to keep the law, 00:31:01.899 --> 00:31:02.759 to get to heaven, 00:31:02.759 --> 00:31:04.460 then the Bible says 00:31:04.460 --> 00:31:05.819 that needs to be 00:31:05.819 --> 00:31:07.579 absolute perfection. 00:31:08.039 --> 00:31:08.819 That's the standard. 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:10.940 Continue to do everything. 00:31:12.759 --> 00:31:14.220 So theoretically, 00:31:14.539 --> 00:31:16.279 a person could know blessing 00:31:16.279 --> 00:31:17.559 this way if 00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:19.259 we could from 00:31:19.259 --> 00:31:20.980 birth to death 00:31:20.980 --> 00:31:22.640 love God 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:24.720 and love others perfectly. 00:31:25.379 --> 00:31:26.920 If all of our words 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:27.599 and actions 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:28.379 and thoughts 00:31:28.379 --> 00:31:29.379 and motives 00:31:29.380 --> 00:31:30.140 and impulses 00:31:30.140 --> 00:31:30.880 were perfect, 00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:32.600 if we never fail, 00:31:33.780 --> 00:31:35.200 if we always succeed, 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:36.960 perfect obedience 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:38.260 from beginning to end, 00:31:39.280 --> 00:31:39.700 then yes, 00:31:39.840 --> 00:31:40.520 theoretically, 00:31:41.040 --> 00:31:42.520 we could know 00:31:42.520 --> 00:31:43.600 that is a way to go. 00:31:45.280 --> 00:31:46.860 But when we know ourselves, 00:31:48.120 --> 00:31:49.140 we know 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:51.700 that to be pulled 00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:53.300 towards keeping the law 00:31:53.299 --> 00:31:54.220 for our acceptance 00:31:54.220 --> 00:31:56.059 is doomed to failure. 00:31:57.659 --> 00:31:58.759 As Paul says, 00:31:59.259 --> 00:31:59.859 to do that 00:31:59.859 --> 00:32:01.359 is to go under the curse 00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:04.079 as a lawbreaker. 00:32:06.259 --> 00:32:07.940 Because we just can't live that way. 00:32:08.559 --> 00:32:10.099 It is impossible for us. 00:32:10.119 --> 00:32:10.639 The only person 00:32:10.639 --> 00:32:11.220 who's ever lived 00:32:11.220 --> 00:32:11.879 a perfect life 00:32:11.879 --> 00:32:12.419 is Jesus. 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:13.099 So we're invited 00:32:13.099 --> 00:32:14.039 to trust in his 00:32:14.039 --> 00:32:15.659 perfect record, 00:32:16.059 --> 00:32:16.899 not try and 00:32:16.899 --> 00:32:18.460 gain our own 00:32:18.460 --> 00:32:19.879 because it's impossible. 00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:22.180 And what we discover 00:32:22.180 --> 00:32:23.240 is that if we do try 00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:24.620 and save ourselves 00:32:24.620 --> 00:32:25.000 that way, 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:25.740 if we do think 00:32:25.740 --> 00:32:27.860 that being in the kingdom 00:32:27.860 --> 00:32:28.820 or getting into the kingdom 00:32:28.820 --> 00:32:30.620 is about keeping God's law 00:32:30.620 --> 00:32:31.560 and trying to be perfect, 00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:32.140 then we'll become 00:32:32.140 --> 00:32:33.039 terribly anxious 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:35.259 and terribly insecure. 00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:36.519 We'll be comparing 00:32:36.519 --> 00:32:37.160 and competing 00:32:37.160 --> 00:32:38.259 and something's feeling great 00:32:38.259 --> 00:32:39.600 and something's feeling terribly 00:32:39.600 --> 00:32:40.560 and we'll find that 00:32:40.560 --> 00:32:42.279 instead of the true freedom 00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:43.340 that's offered in the gospel, 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:44.220 we'll find ourselves 00:32:44.220 --> 00:32:45.580 enslaved, 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:48.620 never able to have assurance 00:32:48.620 --> 00:32:50.980 that we know God 00:32:50.980 --> 00:32:52.500 and that God will accept 00:32:52.500 --> 00:32:53.299 this in the end. 00:32:53.980 --> 00:32:54.680 And so again, 00:32:54.759 --> 00:32:55.519 we need to return 00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:56.779 to that neon sign, 00:32:56.920 --> 00:32:58.599 to Jesus Christ crucified. 00:32:58.819 --> 00:33:00.059 That's where Paul goes again 00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:01.360 to remember 00:33:01.360 --> 00:33:02.799 what happened there 00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:03.500 on the cross 00:33:03.500 --> 00:33:05.099 to see why it matters 00:33:05.099 --> 00:33:06.599 so much. 00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:08.140 So option one 00:33:08.140 --> 00:33:09.839 is trust in our law keeping. 00:33:10.839 --> 00:33:11.839 Option two 00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:13.799 is trust in Jesus 00:33:13.799 --> 00:33:15.440 for redemption, 00:33:16.099 --> 00:33:16.819 for freedom. 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:17.740 Verse 13, 00:33:17.740 --> 00:33:21.180 Christ redeemed us 00:33:21.180 --> 00:33:23.299 from the curse of the law 00:33:23.299 --> 00:33:26.539 by becoming a curse for us. 00:33:27.319 --> 00:33:28.319 For it is written, 00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:29.620 cursed is everyone 00:33:29.620 --> 00:33:32.359 who is hung on a tree. 00:33:33.220 --> 00:33:34.180 So in the Old Testament, 00:33:34.339 --> 00:33:35.200 to be hung on a tree 00:33:35.200 --> 00:33:35.920 was a sign, 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:36.839 a symbol of being 00:33:36.839 --> 00:33:38.259 under the curse of God. 00:33:39.539 --> 00:33:41.039 And so the New Testament writers, 00:33:41.160 --> 00:33:41.819 they understand 00:33:41.819 --> 00:33:42.559 that what's happening 00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:43.220 on the cross 00:33:43.220 --> 00:33:44.779 is Jesus is willingly 00:33:44.779 --> 00:33:47.140 going under God's curse. 00:33:47.140 --> 00:33:48.740 He's willingly taking 00:33:48.740 --> 00:33:49.560 the curse 00:33:49.560 --> 00:33:50.680 that you and I deserve 00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:51.820 for our law breaking. 00:33:51.980 --> 00:33:53.300 He, the perfect one, 00:33:53.900 --> 00:33:55.640 stands in our place 00:33:55.640 --> 00:33:57.500 paying that price 00:33:57.500 --> 00:33:59.040 to free us, 00:33:59.280 --> 00:34:00.780 to give us new life. 00:34:01.900 --> 00:34:03.200 He does that 00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:04.160 in the gospel 00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:06.220 and it's all about grace. 00:34:07.900 --> 00:34:09.780 He does it in love 00:34:09.780 --> 00:34:11.860 and mercy towards us. 00:34:11.940 --> 00:34:13.160 He becomes a curse 00:34:13.160 --> 00:34:14.720 for us. 00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:16.360 That for there 00:34:16.360 --> 00:34:16.820 is the idea 00:34:16.820 --> 00:34:18.180 of substitution. 00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:21.280 Jesus becomes 00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:22.559 sin for us. 00:34:22.640 --> 00:34:23.940 He takes our sin. 00:34:24.019 --> 00:34:25.320 He takes our punishment 00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:29.200 that our sin deserves. 00:34:29.900 --> 00:34:30.559 So again, 00:34:30.640 --> 00:34:31.800 that we might be forgiven, 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:33.200 that we might be declared 00:34:33.200 --> 00:34:34.780 to be righteous 00:34:34.780 --> 00:34:37.180 by trusting in Him 00:34:37.180 --> 00:34:38.720 alone. 00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:42.500 And when we see 00:34:42.500 --> 00:34:43.339 that everything 00:34:43.339 --> 00:34:44.919 about our salvation 00:34:44.919 --> 00:34:45.919 hangs on 00:34:45.919 --> 00:34:47.359 what Jesus did 00:34:47.359 --> 00:34:48.659 as He hung on the cross, 00:34:48.879 --> 00:34:49.759 then we understand 00:34:49.759 --> 00:34:50.859 we have a security 00:34:50.859 --> 00:34:52.139 that we can never lose 00:34:52.139 --> 00:34:53.319 if our faith is in Him. 00:34:54.199 --> 00:34:55.639 So we remember, 00:34:56.439 --> 00:34:57.239 we love, 00:34:57.319 --> 00:34:57.980 we value 00:34:57.980 --> 00:34:59.219 the gospel of grace. 00:35:00.179 --> 00:35:01.319 So Paul again says, 00:35:01.419 --> 00:35:02.019 don't give in 00:35:02.019 --> 00:35:02.959 to the foolishness 00:35:02.959 --> 00:35:04.539 of laying it aside 00:35:04.539 --> 00:35:06.000 to go back 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:07.199 to law. 00:35:08.559 --> 00:35:09.360 And that's really 00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:10.119 how he concludes. 00:35:10.219 --> 00:35:10.800 He concludes 00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:12.199 in verse 14 00:35:12.199 --> 00:35:12.579 saying, 00:35:13.059 --> 00:35:13.840 remember you have 00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:14.500 everything 00:35:14.500 --> 00:35:16.539 when you have Jesus. 00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:17.179 You know, 00:35:17.219 --> 00:35:18.699 say by faith in Jesus 00:35:18.699 --> 00:35:20.320 you're redeemed. 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:22.539 By faith in Jesus 00:35:22.539 --> 00:35:22.980 you know 00:35:22.980 --> 00:35:23.860 blessing 00:35:23.860 --> 00:35:25.320 in God's family 00:35:25.320 --> 00:35:26.019 by faith. 00:35:26.019 --> 00:35:29.679 By faith in Jesus 00:35:29.679 --> 00:35:30.719 you've received 00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:32.380 the promised 00:35:32.380 --> 00:35:33.599 Holy Spirit. 00:35:37.420 --> 00:35:38.300 Maybe you've had 00:35:38.300 --> 00:35:39.039 that experience 00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:40.159 when you're traveling 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:41.900 especially probably 00:35:41.900 --> 00:35:42.840 on country roads 00:35:42.840 --> 00:35:43.320 where you're not 00:35:43.320 --> 00:35:44.039 entirely sure 00:35:44.039 --> 00:35:44.759 where you're going 00:35:44.759 --> 00:35:46.239 and you take a fork 00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:46.639 in the road 00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:47.079 and you've gone 00:35:47.079 --> 00:35:47.719 a few miles 00:35:47.719 --> 00:35:48.300 and you're wondering 00:35:48.300 --> 00:35:50.000 is this the right way 00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:50.519 to go? 00:35:51.300 --> 00:35:51.960 Am I going to find 00:35:51.960 --> 00:35:53.059 that I have to turn around 00:35:53.059 --> 00:35:54.400 because I've lost 00:35:54.400 --> 00:35:55.000 my bearings? 00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:55.940 And sometimes 00:35:55.940 --> 00:35:56.619 you're just desperate 00:35:56.619 --> 00:35:57.380 for a road sign 00:35:57.380 --> 00:35:58.079 and you don't see it 00:35:58.079 --> 00:35:58.699 and you don't see it 00:35:58.699 --> 00:35:59.260 and you don't see it 00:35:59.260 --> 00:35:59.599 and the minutes 00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:00.340 are ticking by. 00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:02.480 It would be quite unsettling 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:05.000 to lose those signs 00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:06.139 if we don't know 00:36:06.139 --> 00:36:06.559 if we're going 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:07.440 in the way direction. 00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:09.360 So what Paul does 00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:10.019 for them 00:36:10.019 --> 00:36:11.039 and for us 00:36:11.039 --> 00:36:13.000 is he brings 00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:13.559 to us 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:14.940 this great 00:36:14.940 --> 00:36:16.179 big sign 00:36:16.179 --> 00:36:17.719 to place 00:36:17.719 --> 00:36:18.559 before our eyes 00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:19.619 Jesus Christ 00:36:19.619 --> 00:36:20.440 has been 00:36:20.440 --> 00:36:21.099 crucified 00:36:21.099 --> 00:36:22.659 for you. 00:36:23.739 --> 00:36:24.659 He has done 00:36:24.659 --> 00:36:25.399 everything 00:36:25.399 --> 00:36:27.339 for your salvation. 00:36:28.460 --> 00:36:29.319 Our response 00:36:29.319 --> 00:36:30.199 is to receive 00:36:30.199 --> 00:36:32.199 by faith. 00:36:33.960 --> 00:36:35.239 So here's an encouragement 00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:36.420 to get on 00:36:36.420 --> 00:36:36.859 the road 00:36:36.859 --> 00:36:37.839 of God's grace 00:36:37.839 --> 00:36:39.019 if you're not there already 00:36:39.019 --> 00:36:39.960 to be trusting 00:36:39.960 --> 00:36:40.500 in Jesus 00:36:40.500 --> 00:36:42.219 to stay on 00:36:42.219 --> 00:36:43.299 the road 00:36:43.299 --> 00:36:44.519 of God's grace 00:36:44.519 --> 00:36:45.819 and to never 00:36:45.819 --> 00:36:46.519 lose sight 00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:47.079 of that 00:36:47.079 --> 00:36:48.039 road sign 00:36:48.039 --> 00:36:48.960 Jesus Christ 00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:49.480 crucified 00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:50.559 as we journey 00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:51.800 together 00:36:51.800 --> 00:36:52.900 with him. 00:36:52.900 --> 00:37:05.559 Him 00:37:05.619 --> 00:37:10.800 and 00:37:14.619 --> 00:37:19.639 He knows