There’s Righteousness for YOU! (Galatians 2:11-21)
Sermon Summary:Do you ever feel like your spiritual life is a constantly discouraging reminder of all your faults, flaws, and failures? Are you sick of living for God? You should be. That’s not the Christian life. The Christian life is about Christ for you, in you, and through you! Learn to live from Jesus’ righteousness and learn to stop living for your righteousness.Paul and PeterGalatians 2:11-14 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”Paul & Peter – both raised Jewish, both Christian leaders, both high profileGod spoke to Peter (Cornelius) & Paul that Gentiles did not to adopt Jewish cultureSingle Issue Voters· Galatia – circumcision· Antioch (Gentile trade route 1st place XN’s) – diet Daniel (no Lord’s Table, church life)Fear of man – “from James” = offshoot of Jesus brothers ministry (Acts 15:24)Peter caves in & changes his relationships to avoid pain· Hypocrite – e.g. wedding ring off“false brothers” – Peter & Barnabas joinedSerious conflict – “face to face” – (may have met privately)7 Leadership LessonsCulture is what you teach and tolerateCulture is driven by law-fear-hypocrisy; or grace-love-repentanceGod works through unity, Satan works through divisionWolves cannot gather sheep, so they attack shepherds to get sheepStuff rolls uphill, not downhillPeople follow their leaders which is why leaders are held to higher standardsPain is the price of leadership2 Cor. 11:24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.6 Lessons for all ChristiansYour behavior can change your beliefsChrist displaces all other allegiances (e.g. nation, race, culture, gender, political party, etc.)Mature Christians are not perfect Christians and to change too· 2 Peter 3:15-16To disapprove of people God has approved of is sinful· 2nd degree separationGod is not just saving individuals, but making a familyGrace is not just or your relationship with God, but your relationship with others as wellJustified by FaithGalatians 2:15-16 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.= 1 sentence in GreekHow can you be justified?“justify” 8X Gal; 15X Rom.Declared righteous (opposite condemned)God perfect person, heaven perfect place, you are imperfect.God is Holy. We are sinfulOption 1 – What I do “works of the law)Non-ReligiousI’m perfect the way I am (God made me this way)God isn’t looking for perfect people, just good people & I’m a good personReligious God JudgeBooks of the Law – 613 laws; OT – “torah” 203X + 423 other words for law 626Jesus – spirit vs letter LawArrogance – Pharisees – killed God/Jesus; Paul – killed ChristiansDespairJustification Catholics – baptism, works, penance, saints, purgatory, indulgencesProtestant – justification by grace alone thru faith alone because of Christ aloneJohn Calvin “the principle of the whole doctrine of salvation and the foundation of all religion.”Martin Luther justification is the issue on which the church stands or falls“The Epistle to the Galatians is my Epistle; I have betrothed myself to it; it is my wife.”“the battle-cry of the Reformation,” and “the Christian Declaration of Independence”Option 2 – What Jesus did – “Faith in Christ”Faithfulness – of Jesus ChristFaith – your trust in Jesus Christ= your faith is worthless unless the object of faith is faithful.= Luke 18:9-14God Works for You, In You, and Through YouGalatians 2:17-21 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.3 legged stoolGod’s Work for You (Justification)Jesus took your place in His life, death, resurrectionGod’s Work in You (Regeneration)HS new you like JesusGods Work through You (Sanctification)OLD status (crucified); OLD identity (crucified); OLD lifestyle (crucified)
