Faith or Works? | Galatians 3:1-14

Good morning church. It's great to be together today, to pray together, to sing together,

and now to come around the inspired holy word together. And so before I preach to

you, would you please join me in asking our Father for his help in this morning.

Father God, words escape us with how thankful we are that we are not like people who clamour

around in the darkness, but have seen your light. Seen your light because by your grace,

you have shown it to us. This morning we asked that as we come around your word, that you would

hold the light, the Lord Jesus Christ to us all, and that we would all be drawn to him,

that we would be changed by the Holy Spirit for the sake of Christ and for your glory.

We ask for this in his name. Amen. So if you've been with us for the past few weeks,

you'll know that we've been in a series in the book of Galatians, and more specifically,

in a part of the book where there's been a bit of controversy over the nature of the gospel.

You might remember it, in the first few words of this letter, the Apostle Paul reminded these

congregations in Galatia that the risen Jesus had met him on the way to Damascus and then

revealed the gospel to him. Later he summarised what he'd been taught by saying that we've been

justified by faith alone in Christ and not by works of the law. Now this message wasn't something

that was unique to Paul. No, as we saw in chapter 2, he explained that he went and met the apostles

there in Jerusalem, and it was there that they celebrated that they were preaching the very same

gospel and that they would continue in the mission fields that the Lord had called them to, Peter to

the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles. Now where there's been a bit of controversy, well we've

seen it with a group of Jewish teachers in the early days that travelled around to the different

and various Gentile churches and they claimed Christ, but they said people had to stick to the

ceremonial Jewish customs as found in the law to be truly accepted before God. What's the problem

with this we might ask? Well Paul said using the story of Peter coming to Antioch as his backdrop

that that doctrine was leaving behind faith in the perfect and final work of Christ and his

substitutionary atonement to justify us for a life at working to be accepted before God by our own

efforts. In other words these Jewish teachers known as the circumcision group were incredibly

dangerous because they were encouraging people in a false gospel that would damn people to hell.

That's because they were saying yes Jesus is important but not enough, more has to be done

to really be saved. Horribly they'd infiltrated Galatia with this false teaching and the

congregations there were falling for a Jesus plus something else doctrine. That's the context of

what's been happening so far in this book. The people of Galatia had received the true gospel

of Jesus Christ yet false teachers had infiltrated their ranks and were calling them to a Jesus plus

something else doctrine and they were falling for it hook, line and sinker and they were in serious

serious danger. That's why Paul says to them in verse 1 of our chapter this morning you foolish

Galatians who's bewitched you before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

To say that another way you've heard the preaching of the word you've embraced what was clearly

held out to you who has cast a spell on you who has taken you from the way of truth. Are you that

dim with it? This morning we're going to see our dear Apostle continue to call his brothers and

sisters back to the true gospel of Jesus Christ by pointing out to them two incredibly important

truths that we all need to reflect on here this morning. First he points them to the importance

of personal experience with the gospel. We'll see that in verses 1 through to 5 and then second he

points to how even the law testifies that faith is instrumental in salvation which we'll look at

in verses 6 through to 14. Two things that Paul points to us this morning to encourage us not to

fall not to backslide into a self-justifying works based doctrine. So if you have your Bibles with

you this morning it would be handy to have them open but look with me at verses 2 through to 5.

We read I would like to learn just one thing from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of

the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish after beginning by means of the Spirit

are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain if

it really was in vain? So again I ask does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you

by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Okay church so the first thing that I want

you to notice here is that Paul is asking these people a bunch of questions to get them to really

reflect on their actions. Notice the questions every single one of them there is something that he

wants them to reflect on and think about in regards to their own life. We see here in verse

2 did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? It's a really

interesting question and I say it's an interesting question because it has to do with personal

experience of how we began the Christian life. It has to do with our experience of being born

again. It has to do with our experience of being spiritually dead to being made spiritually alive

by believing and embracing Christ. What Paul's doing here is he's bringing their mind back to

the gracious and personal work of the Holy Spirit when he first worked in their hearts. When he

first opened their understanding to the truth of Jesus and when they were ripped out of this world

and grafted into Christ. That's not something you easily forget from being spiritually dead to being

made spiritually alive from being lost to knowing that you're lost they're then knowing that you're

found by the Good Shepherd. In other words Paul points them back to that time when they began their

Christian walk and he says that that work of conversion, that work of faith, did that come

from what you earned from your own good works? Did that come from your adherence to the law?

The obvious answer is absolutely not. Think about the context that we've looked at in this

series so far. These people were pagans, absolutely dead in sin and following the

course of this world quite happily. Thus all they deserved was wrath and condemnation but

then by the grace of the Living God their lives were infiltrated by the Holy Spirit. God broke

through the darkness with the light of the gospel and showed mercy on them. He gave them saving faith

and united them to Jesus. Say that another way, the Spirit was at work not because they deserved it

but because God chose to work on them and bring them to Christ and so Paul asked did you begin

your Christian life by earning it? It's about as ridiculous as giving yourself credit for the hard

work you did in your parents conceiving you. So first he wants them to reflect on that. How did

you begin? Second he asks how have you been progressing? Look with me at verse 3. After

beginning by means of the Spirit are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Again

that's interesting what Paul's doing because he presumes that they've been born again, that they're

progressing in the Christian life. Notice that language there after beginning by means of the

Spirit. This is the thing that they began but now they've fallen for the lie that they had to

progress by relying on their own strength and flesh and Paul he points out the utter inconsistency

of this. By grace the Spirit's broken into our lives, by grace we've been born again,

thus by grace through the leading and the guiding of the Spirit we leave behind what we were and

we move forward in his strength and power, not our own. Church this is touching on something that

the scholars call the doctrine of sanctification. We thought about this a little bit last week.

Justification is a once-for-all declaration before the judge of the universe that you're

not just innocent but completely, totally, utterly righteous and because of the finished

and perfect work of Christ that status can never ever change. Sanctification on the other hand is

talked about in a few different ways in the Bible and always in the way of separation and here in

the text that we have before us this morning it's talking about the old life leaving behind what was

and moving forward to what we now are in Christ. Paul talked about this last week in verse 20 of

chapter 2. He said I've been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The

life that I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself

for me. He's being justified by the death of Jesus and he no longer walks this life in his own strength

but empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit in him. To put this all as simply as I can by the

continuing work of the Holy Spirit who brought about our spiritual birth, our spiritual new birth

who united us with the Lord Jesus Christ we're led to be more and more like Jesus from the very core

of our being. It's as we trust and obey the word that we're being conformed more and more into the

likeness of Jesus. The Bible does speak about progression. It does speak about growing but it

is empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit. It's not animated in our own strength. So first our dear

Apostle he wants us to reflect on how we begin the Christian life. Second on how we progress in the

Christian life. Third he asks his audience is it all just an intellectual exercise on your part?

Verse 4, have you experienced so much in vain? Now notice what Paul's doing here because he's

presuming that it's not just been an intellectual tip of the cat but a tangible experience. The

point that Paul's wanting to get to them is that they've enjoyed the ministry of the Holy Spirit

in a real and personal and tangible way. So in other words no this hasn't been an intellectual

persuasion for them but a living relationship that these people have with the living God. And so in

a roundabout way he's asking are you really that persuaded by these false teachers that you're

willing to leave what you know and have experienced to latch onto something that brings no real life

at all? Have you really experienced, the ESV says suffered so much in vain. Finally in verse 5 with

that kind of thinking as to what he's just been talking about. Paul once again gets them to reflect

on their experience on the power of the Holy Spirit that's been at work among them. He says

so again I ask does God give you his spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law

or by believing what you heard? By believing what you heard. These people had received the gospel

of Jesus Christ and God was pleased to approve the message they heard with signs and wonders

and various miracles. This wasn't actually unique to them in fact we read in the book of Hebrews this

salvation which was first announced by the Lord was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God

also testified to it by signs wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed

according to his will. Notice that they had seen miraculous signs performed among them which

validated and authenticated the ministry of the Apostles and the gospel they preached and I must

admit it's an interesting subject indeed. But notice what Paul is putting his finger on here.

Notice the point that he's making. It's not about the miracles but about the spirits mighty work

among them which hadn't come on the basis of their worthiness to receive it. Notice the point here

the Holy Spirit didn't work miracles among them because they deserved it or earned it from their

adherence to the law. No he was pleased to work among them according to his will to affirm the

message they heard. Faith alone in Christ alone. Church everything that Paul's talking about here

it points to one overarching fact. Everything we are, everything we have, everything we enjoy

from beginning to the end is a special work of grace by God. That's what Paul wants us to see.

You and I haven't received the Holy Spirit of God because we measured up somehow and passed the test

for God to finally be pleased with us. Now his ministry among us, his work of grafting us to

Christ, his applying of Christ's perfect work to us wasn't deserved by any of us. But by a special

act of grace on God's part he bore us against all the odds to trust in his Son and fill us with his

most Holy Spirit. That's what Paul wants us to see here. And so in light of what our Apostle is

showing us think about these questions for yourself. Did you convert yourself? Do you sustain

yourself in the faith? Do you slay that secret sin in your own power? Will you stand before God

one day and glorify yourself before him? That's what Paul wants us to wrap our heads around here.

Our Christian lives, they're a gift from God Almighty. As 18th century Puritan Jonathan Edwards

once said, the only part we play in our salvation was the sin that made it so necessary. How riot

he was. So in light of that, stop relying on yourself. You can't be perfected by your own

works any more than you could have been converted by them. If you have called upon the name of the

Lord, if you trust in Christ alone, the Holy Spirit has been given to you and the Holy Spirit

is the one leading and guiding. He is the one empowering you to be more and more like Jesus

every step of the way. Why is this so important for us to know? Why did the Galatians and why

do we here today need to know this gospel? Well, reflecting on what Paul's saying here,

kills legalism. We've thought about this already in this series, but just to jog the memory,

legalism causes us to look at the law and say, look how good I'm doing today. It always leads

to pride. People who backslide into this mindset tend to focus on how they're measuring up and deep

down think that God must be really impressed with just how good they're doing. So he owes them

something. The tremendous problem with that way of thinking is that it comes from a faulty

presupposition that God isn't infinitely holy beyond all comprehension and that we're sinful

above all else. A heart that can take pride in their own works before a thrice holy living God

hasn't a clue just how desperately wicked we are and just how gracious he really is. Church,

believe you me, we all get pulled back into this mindset, but it's here that Paul gives us the cure.

But when you find yourself going back to that legalistic mindset, focus on the gospel. When

you feel yourself being dragged that way, say, how was I saved? How was I saved? How were those

chains that shackled me to hell? How were they set loose and how was I set free? Think about how,

despite everything that has happened in your life, that you still trust and obey.

That you still desire holiness. That you still, in the middle of the night,

ask the Lord to help you with the things that you struggle with.

We can't take credit for any of that. Brothers and sisters, we're all tempted,

all of us attempted to look at our own good works and throw them up to God as heavenly credit.

The fact of the matter is this. God's infinite holy, infinitely holy. And we were born, as I've

heard it put before, as vipers in diapers with our little fists up to heaven.

By His mercy, His grace, His incredible love, He reached down. He revealed, He saved, He sanctifies.

He's faithful when we're faithless. He's the one who is with us all the days of our lives.

He's the one who said, I will never leave nor forsake you. We did not leave, we did not forsake

you. I will never leave nor forsake you. We did nothing, nothing to deserve this.

We did nothing to earn it. It's a reality in the life of the children of God because

He loves you and me more than we could possibly ever hope to imagine.

That's first. That's what Paul points to. He points to the importance of a personal experience

with the gospel because in the light of the gospel, we're protected from backsliding into legalism,

protected from not relying on our own work, so protected from not relying on the work of the

Spirit in our lives in the process of sanctification. We don't become lawless people

because of the gospel. We don't become lawless people because of the gospel. We become

holy people because of the gospel. Holy people whose lives have been crucified with Christ

It's no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.

And that comes by faith. And that's the next thing Paul wants to show us here.

Faith is instrumental in the Christian life. And it's not a new thing. No, God has always

worked with His people in this way. Read with me verses six through to nine. So also Abraham

believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand then that those that

have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by

faith and announce the gospel and events to Abraham. All nations will be blessed through you.

So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Right, so looking at verses six through to nine, Paul's drawing on Genesis 15. And he says,

Paul's drawing on Genesis 15. And he's showing us that blessing comes by faith. He takes us back to

a conversation that God had with Abraham to make that point in which God gave Abraham promises.

And what do we read here? Abraham believed God and what? It was credited to him as righteousness.

That's justification. And how are people justified according to Scripture? How are we justified?

Paul makes the case here from the Scriptures. It's not works of the law, but on the basis of faith

alone. It's so clear what he's saying here. That's how God has always justified people. It's not by

adhering to the law, but by faith. That says Paul, that's who are justified, just like Abraham.

No, when I first became a Christian, I didn't actually know how to approach the Old Testament.

It seemed like a book that was written on a different planet. But then you notice these

words from the apostle Paul when writing to a young pastor, Timothy, there in Ephesus,

in his second letter. And he says to him, as for you, continue in what you have learned and become

convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it. And how from infancy, you have known

the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, through

faith in Christ Jesus. That is so important to see because Paul isn't speaking about the New

Testament there. He's talking about what we call the Old Testament. And he's telling Timothy,

as you read, as you study, as you meditate on the scriptures, it will make you wise for salvation

through faith in Christ Jesus. We don't have all the time to go through this morning and how it

all fits together, but the point is simple. God has always had one way of salvation,

grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That has always been the way. There's only ever

been one way of salvation and that is through faith in the gospel. And those who put their

trust in the Lord will never be put to shame, but be blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

It's so important that we see this this morning. Abraham wasn't saved by the works of the law,

but by faith in the gospel. That's what's so vitally important for us all to get. No one is

saved by our own works, but by faith in Christ. In the old, it was concealed. In the new, we have it

revealed. And blessed are all those who call upon the name of the Lord. And that's Paul's other

point here. Blessing comes by faith, but people remain under a curse if they reject Christ and

rely on their own works. We read in verses 10 through to 14, for all who rely on the works of

the law are under a curse, as it's written, cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything

written in the book of the law. Clearly no one who relies on the laws justified before God,

because the righteous will live by faith. The law isn't based on faith. On the contrary,

it says the person who does these things will live by them. Now what our apostle is doing here is

he's using quotes from all over the Old Testament to make his case. And this is the main point.

If you try and live your life on the basis of works of the law and not by faith, you would better do

it perfectly. And you would better do everything in the law, because if you don't, you will be

damned. That's the case that Paul makes so clearly. The case that was revealed to him, mind you,

by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. If you reject Jesus, if you reject his sacrifice,

if you reject his sacrifice and you rely on your own works, you're under a divine curse for all

eternity and the wages of sin is death. There's only two types of people in this world, people

that rely on themselves and are under a divine curse or people that rely on God's Son and are

blessed for all eternity. If you're here this morning and you're still relying on your sense

of being a good person, on your own religious works, on your own attempts to impress God,

and dear friend, I hope you hear the gospel that was once and for all delivered this morning.

There is a way that leads to death and destruction and there is a way that leads to eternal life and

joy. Today, you are not hearing the gospel by accident. Today, you're being called to let go

and hold on. Let go of your own attempts and hold on to Christ's perfect work on behalf of his people.

As Paul says here, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.

As it's written, cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole. That's what's being held out to you this

morning. The Bible clearly says that anyone who relies on their own work is under a curse,

but the gospel, the gospel is that God sent his only begotten Son who lived a perfect life on behalf

of his people who stood in their place and received the wrath of God on the cross. He took

the curse that we all deserve. He took everything you deserve on himself so that he could be

set free for all eternity. How do you go from being under a curse to being blessed for all eternity?

Well, we've heard it this morning. Give up. Give up on your own attempts and put your trust,

put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the inspired words of Scripture

He, it is He that redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the

Gentiles through Christ Jesus so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

By faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Let's pray.

Father God, we thank you for the gospel. We thank you that you have redeemed us from the curse of

the law, that you have taken us from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive

in the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you Father that you have filled us full of the Holy Spirit

and that where we are faithless you remain faithful to us. When and where we backslide into

legalism, when and where we backslide into faithlessness, you remain faithful to us,

to your people calling us back by the gospel. We ask this morning, Lord God, as we've heard

afresh, as we have put our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, that we would be reminded continually

that His work is perfect. His work is accepted on our behalf. His work is perfect. Lord, we ask that

we would live in light of that, that we would live in light of the gospel, that we would be led

to share this gospel with those who are still trapped, who are still in the darkness.

We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.