Galatians 6:11-18 - Jimmy Alexander

Well, good morning.

Turn with me, if you will, to Galatians chapter 6, and today we will be looking at verses 11 through 18.

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

It is Galatians chapter 6, verses 11 through 18, which this is the conclusion of this wonderful letter that we have been going through, the book of Galatians.

Galatians 6:11–18

By way of introduction, I want us to imagine for a moment that two people walked into church this morning claiming to know the message of salvation.

The first man says, Salvation comes by faith plus works.

Jesus is helpful, but ultimately we must earn our way to heaven.

Scripture clearly shows this, he says.

And then the second man says, salvation comes by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

And as a result of that, it produces good works, good fruit in our lives.

This is the teaching that's clearly throughout Scripture.

And both these men, they seem very nice.

Both can articulate their position, and they can seemingly point to scriptures that support their premise, but they are preaching two totally contrary messages with foundational implications.

So the question is: who are we going to believe?

And why should we believe one over the other?

And how do we know that one is telling the truth?

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

And this is exactly what the Galatians were faced with: theological confusion because of heresies that were introduced into the church.

And so Paul writes this letter to condemn this works-based salvation.

We see that in chapter one.

He defends his apostleship, his ministry, and his messages, his message in chapters one and two.

Then he points to the Old Testament to prove that salvation has always been by faith, not by works.

We see that in chapters three and four.

Then he shows these Christians a better way of living.

Rather than living under the law, they can live for Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

We see that in chapters five and six.

So in our passage today, Paul, like a brilliant lawyer, he lays before the Galatians their motivations versus his.

This is a choose today whom you will serve type of sermon.

You have two options.

Will you believe the Judaizers whose motivation is to boast, whose motivation is to avoid persecution, who can't even keep the law themselves, or will you believe me?

A capital A apostle who boasts in nothing but the cross of Christ and cares nothing about human effort but the new creation.

So in a world filled with heresy, in a nation that waters down the gospel, in a culture that will do anything to distort the only message that saves humanity, we have a choice to make, just like the Galatians.

Who are you going to believe and why?

But before we make that decision, Paul wants to make it ever so clear the motives and the desires and the nature behind these false teachers, in contrast to his.

So it's never good to make rash decisions.

It's vital that we understand motives and desires and outcomes of the voices that we are listening to.

So we should always be aware of the motives behind the message.

And that is exactly what Paul does this morning in our text.

But first, he starts his conclusion with an autograph in verse 11.

He says, See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.

So in the ancient world, it was custom to dictate letters to a secretary.

So this might seem odd to us who are living in the 21st century, but back in these days, there were scribes that wrote for you.

So just in case there was any confusion, or someone saying, Paul didn't actually write this letter, Paul would never say anything like that.

He adds this personal touch at the end to authenticate this letter and to put his stamp of approval on it.

So this is a way of Paul saying, Hey, I'm involved here.

This is coming from me.

This is a serious matter.

I'm directly engaged.

So historically speaking, signatures carry a lot of weight.

If you guys ever read the book of Esther, it was the stamp or the signature of a king that Haman used to carry out an entire plot to exterminate an entire nation.

And so signatures historically carry weight and severity and approval.

So the first thing that Paul wants the Galatians to know is that he is stamping his heartfelt love, his apostolic authority on the message that he just communicated.

And then he lays before them the true nature and the motivations of the false teachers in verses 12 through 13.

He says, It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

So here we are giving four traits of false teachers.

One, they compel people to the flesh.

Secondly, they desire to brag and to show off.

Thirdly, they want to avoid persecution or discomfort.

And four, they are engaged in hypocrisy.

And so to put this simply, they appeal to the flesh, their message caters to their pride and self-glory, and there is always immoral behavior involved, especially behind closed doors.

2 Peter 2 and the letter of Jude talk about this.

So let's start with the first.

False teachers compel people to the flesh.

This is a universal trait.

Whether it's encouraging people to sin or telling people they can be saved by their own effort, their focus is never on Christ's finished work.

They're always self-focused.

It's all about you.

They will either say you can save yourself or you can sin all you want.

So we should always be asking, is this message or this Bible teacher, the sermon I'm listening to, is it motivating me to draw closer to God?

Is it challenging me to fight sin and to pursue holiness by faith?

Or is it motivating me to remain comfortable in my sin?

Or even worse, to trust in my own abilities and my talents and efforts to be saved.

So this is a good practice for us, a good practice of discernment when we're listening to sermons and podcasts and reading books.

We would be wise to practice that.

The second thing that Paul reveals about these false teachers is their motivation.

They want comfort and security.

They don't want to be persecuted.

They want a lot of likes on Facebook.

They want a following.

They crave popularity, praise, and luxuries.

So they're not concerned about people's souls.

Therefore, they appeal not to Christ, but to the flesh.

Because the cross is offensive.

Let's rather preach messages of tradition, teachings that are culturally acceptable, sermons that cater to human preferences and removes conviction.

Let's dilute the true gospel so that nobody gets upset or angry.

And during this time in the Jewish world, it was very likely that you would get persecuted for sharing Christ.

Judaism saw it as blasphemy and a threat against the law of Moses.

And the Romans viewed it as disloyalty or even treason against Caesar, because Christ isn't king, Caesar is.

So if you preached the gospel during this time, persecution was almost inevitable.

So to avoid discomfort and dislike, let's just add a little bit of circumcision so that nobody gets hurt.

Let's appease the Judaizers.

I mean, come on, who wants to get stoned like Paul?

Who wants to get beheaded like James?

Who wants to suffer on the cross like Christ?

No, thank you.

Let's instead not give people what they need, but rather, as the kinks famously said, give the people what they want.

So this is a common temptation among us.

I've been guilty of it.

We add or we subtract from Christ in fear that we might lose privileges or be disliked or offend a loved one.

We leave things out, we avoid hard truths of the Bible for our own self-preservation.

Jared Wilson talks about this in the context of church leaders in America in his book called The Gospel-Driven Church.

He talks about how many pastors today are trying to draw people into church by appealing to carnal appetites.

And they're not drawing people with beauty and the splendor and the majesty of Christ, but rather they're drawing people with flash and hype and pep rallies and tradition and motivational messages.

And so they water down the gospel, compromising it in some fashion because it's too offensive and it's not conducive for building a large ministry.

And as a result, church becomes an outlet for people to get their fleshly fix rather than this environment that's God glorifying and Christ exalting and human humbling experience, which is God's design.

Then the church has to maintain that culture to keep the people who walked through their door because, as Kyle Eidelman once said, what you win people with is what you will win them to.

And so they create lots of fun and exciting events and programs which are not inherently wrong, but they have no theological depth.

They have a culturally cool atmosphere, so people can come in and get goosebumps on their arms.

And they preach not messages of obedience and holiness and repentance, but messages of self-motivation, law-keeping, or living your best life now.

They compromise on biblical issues, whether it be sexual issues, gender roles, dodging clear texts and scripture because of fear of being put in the newspaper or losing friends on Facebook.

And then the church must maintain such things because they've created this huge show, this huge thing with a huge budget and staff based on a number of people attending the church.

And the congregation often reflects the food that the shepherds are serving.

And they come not to delight themselves in God, to meditate in the awestruck wonder of the cross, but to rather satisfy human desires.

And even if they felt moved to a more gospel-centered approach, they often feel like they can't because they would lose everything.

If they started preaching Christ faithfully, preaching exegetically, highly esteeming the unstained truth of God's word, they would lose their congregation.

This, my friends, is a sad reality, but this is the outcome of adhering to false teaching.

And we don't stand here prideful saying we're doing it right and they're doing it wrong.

This should sadden our hearts.

Because false teaching always leads to bad behavior, and bad behavior always leads to wrong worship.

And wrong worship does not adorn Christ.

So thirdly, false teachers are always hypocritical.

Verse 13.

They are so aggressive about others keeping the law.

They're so forceful on trying to get other people circumcised, but they don't even keep the law themselves.

They're not loving their neighbors, they're not forsaking pride, they're not worshiping God as they ought to, and not to mention all the secret sins that happen behind closed doors.

They have a huge plank in their own eye.

But they don't care about their hypocrisy because it is directly connected to our last point.

They are in it to boast and show off.

For them it's not about the glory of God, that he might be praised and worshipped and cherished.

Their motivation is what?

That they might boast in your flesh.

There it is.

They want credit and recognition.

That they might walk around in this whole matter of circumcision saying, Hey Henry, how many four skins did you get today?

Five?

Five?

Well, I got ten.

I know that sounds ridiculous, but we do the same thing today.

We pressure people into an act of the flesh, and then we brag about how many converts we win.

We compel people to do things that aren't, again, inherently wrong.

For example, raising your hand, doing an altar call, repeating a prayer, getting baptized.

But oftentimes those things will produce this thing where we want to keep charts and tallies of how many people I led to salvation.

We promote tangible, physical, one-time events for what?

So that I can pat myself on the back and say, look at what I did.

Hashtag glory to God.

Friends, an act of the flesh does not save you.

God alone saves by reaching into your desperately wicked heart and replacing it with a new one.

He saves us by unveiling to us the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

He is the one who saves by his work of regeneration and transformation in you.

We convert no one.

That is God's job through the work of the Holy Spirit.

And make no mistake, you may have been saved when you repeated a prayer or went up to the altar, but don't get it twisted.

It wasn't you moving your lips or your legs or your hands that got you into heaven.

It was God's grace penetrating your heart, opening your eyes to Christ crucified, and then sealing you with his spirit.

That's what saved you.

And therefore, God alone gets all credit, glory, and honor.

And if you ever desire to play a part in evangelism, if you have any hope of participating in reaching lost people, then stop encouraging people in the flesh as a means of salvation and start pointing to the one who saves.

Preach the gospel and point to the cross.

And may we never fall into the trap of attracting people by sugarcoating God's word.

And may we never count numbers for the sake of boasting, lest we fall into the same temptation that David faced when he took a census in 2 Samuel 24.

We must examine ourselves and ask this morning, what are we boasting in?

An event, our good works, how obedient I've been, how successful life has been in business or ministry, how great of a family I have, how intellectual and how smart and how strong I am.

May we never do such a thing.

Here at Proclamation Church, we don't give out rewards for how many souls you've won to Christ.

We're not interested in emotionally manipulating people into religious behavior.

We are devoted to beholding God, delighting ourselves in him, preaching his message faithfully, and trusting that the Holy Spirit will do the work.

And I'm just confessing, we don't do this perfectly.

We don't.

But we strive to behold God in the face of Christ as he does the drawing and the wooing and the saving.

So next, Paul lays before the church his motivations, his desires in contradiction to the false teachers.

So he says in verses 14 through 16, but far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the to the world.

For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

So Paul, the the Pharisee of all Pharisees, a man born of the noble tribe of Benjamin, a man who is flawless in keeping the traditions of his fathers, blameless regarding the written law, he says, I have one boast, and that is in the cross of Christ.

If any man had a reason to boast in his flesh, it's Paul.

But yet he says, Never.

So contrary to the Judaizers, Paul boasts in nothing but Jesus Christ.

There is nothing he can point to in his life and say, look at what I did.

You know, I've had people say to me when I share my testimony often, they'll say to me, Jimmy, give yourself some credit.

You know, you you know, give yourself a little bit of credit, but I simply can't do that.

Because the only reason I escape the fire of hell, and the only reason that I stand right before God, and the only reason my entire marriage and my family and my ministry hasn't completely blown up.

And the only reason I have anything good today in my life, and the only reason I am standing here today preaching, it's not because of me.

It's not because I'm talented and smart and disciplined, it's because of Christ.

He is my victor, he is my sustainer, and he is the author and the finisher of my salvation.

So even my good acts of service and my continued faithfulness is spirit-infused according to his grace.

So even my best ideas, the opportunities of gospel work that lays before me, even the energy that I have to carry it out, it's because God is the one giving me the ideas.

He's the one supplying me with the energy to even make it happen.

Apart from Christ, I can do nothing.

And I am what I am because of Christ.

And no more.

So Paul says almost offensively, far be it from me to even think about boasting in anything except the cross.

Paul's heart cared nothing for the glory that came from fame.

He cared nothing for the glory that came from riches.

He cared nothing for the glory that came from status and power.

He only cared about one thing: what Jesus accomplished on that tree when he bore our sin and absorbed the wrath of God.

And this is why Paul says at the end of verse 14 that the world is dead to me, and I am dead to it.

The world is very much still alive in us if we're concerned about things like fame, riches, and status.

But those who are in Christ should no longer care about those things.

We were once a part of it.

We once enjoyed it, joining this world in rebellion against God.

But through the cross, we forfeited that.

We joined together in Jesus' response to Pilate that this world is not my home.

I belong to God and his kingdom.

I'm just a pilgrim passing through, awaiting my true home, which Christ has prepared for me in heaven.

This is one of the marks of true conversion.

It's reproach from this world.

It no longer accepts me, at least it shouldn't.

I don't fit in anymore.

I used to love going to raves and doing ecstasy and going to bars and getting drunk and going to parties and hooking up.

But I don't get invited anymore.

Okay, they don't treat me like their own.

They've written me off.

They make fun of me.

I've heard it.

They don't want me around, and that's okay, and I don't blame them because that old Jimmy, that old lifestyle is dead to me.

I gave it up.

I've signed up for a new army.

I'm destined and awaiting the new world.

And I by no means do this perfectly.

Okay, I still at times fall into sin and worldliness and all that, but I don't live there anymore.

And God won't let me live there anymore because I'm Him, I'm His, and He disciplines me out of it.

And this is what a part of baptism represents.

We are crucified with Christ, dying to self and to the ways of this world, and we have been raised up to life with Christ, now belonging to Him.

Paul's not concerned about worldly things anymore.

He doesn't care about how many people you convinced to get circumcised.

He considers that, as he says in Philippians, dung.

He is not flattered about what you can do, but rather the work of Christ and what he can do.

And to drive it home further, he says in verse 15 that this whole issue of circumcision, it counts for nothing.

It's useless.

In fact, that's why I believe God instituted circumcision in the Old Testament to begin with.

To be a reminder to the Israelites, one, that the flesh counts for nothing, and two, that it is God who produces new life, not us.

And so too often as Christians, we get caught up in matters that really don't matter.

We look at people and we say, are they circumcised?

Are they wearing the right clothes?

Did they receive the blessing from the priest?

But none of this matters.

At least it didn't to Paul, because his chief concern for other people isn't what they can do for God, but what God has done in their heart, the new creation.

And so the new creation that Paul is referring to here isn't the future new heaven and earth that one day is coming.

It certainly includes that, but what he's referring to is the miraculous work of God in which God calls a dead man to life.

He is referring to the mighty salvation in which God calls a guilty criminal and lavishes his love on them.

And he brings them into his home, and he gives them a new nature, and he calls them son or daughter of God.

So it could even be argued that the new creation doesn't even compare to creation itself in Genesis 1.

Because in Genesis 1, God created everything there is out of nothing.

But in the new creation, God takes a sinful, evil God hater and makes them a forgiven, pure God lover.

And so what counts is this are you a new creation?

That was Paul's concern.

In other words, has God so done a supernatural work in your heart that you hate sin and love God?

Has God so transformed your life that you cannot help but to cry out, I once was lost, but now I'm found?

My heart was once cold and calloused, but now it's soft and it's tender towards God and others.

I don't care about tradition.

I don't care about your background or where you're from or what your skin color is or your reputation or your social status.

What matters the most is this.

Are you a new creation in Jesus Christ?

Church, is this your main concern for you and others?

Or are you caught up in matters that don't really matter?

I was talking to a friend the other day, and he asked about a mutual friend of ours who struggled with addiction.

And I gave him an update, and I was really excited to tell him, man, he's living in Columbus, he got an apartment, got a really good job.

And I noticed on his face that he didn't seem excited as I did.

So I asked him, I said, What's wrong, man?

And he apologized and he said, No, I'm I'm happy.

I'm glad he's doing well.

I'm glad they're sober and working.

But man, I hope he knows Jesus, is what he said.

I'm glad he's being a productive member of society, but my main concern for him is his soul.

That they have escaped the wrath of God.

That they've fallen deeply in love with Jesus, receiving his forgiveness, and walking in the new life that Christ offers.

You see, my focus was on the man's physical provision, which is important.

I'm not downplaying any of that.

But like Paul, my friend's chief concern was the new creation.

What benefit is it, my friends, if you gain the whole world but yet lose your soul?

May we be a church that is chiefly focused about God's salvation?

Whether they are circumcised or not, whether they follow traditions or not, whether they fall exactly into my theological camp or not, my chief concern is this: are they truly saved?

Do they bear the righteousness of Christ?

And can they say from the depths of their heart, I am a new creation.

Behold, the old is gone and the new is here.

So this was Paul's main concern, and may it be ours.

The world looks at what's on the outside, but may we be a people that's concerned about what's on the inside, the heart.

And so lastly, Paul closes his letter with a blessing in verses 16 through 18.

He says, This, and as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God.

From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit, brothers.

Amen.

So Paul ends with a promise.

Anyone who follows this rule, that is the rule of faith in Christ, not the rule of works.

May peace and mercy be upon you.

What an awesome promise.

Peace and mercy are available to everyone who trusts in Christ alone and satisfies themselves in him.

Perhaps some of our misery that we experience in the Christian life is simply because we are not doing that.

And this applies, says Paul, to anyone who follows this rule, along with the Israel of God.

And just to be clear, this applies to Jew or Gentile.

Anyone who follows this rule, this promise will be applied.

And lastly, Paul points to his own body, which is kind of ironic, to warn the Judaizers to stop causing him trouble, because he bears the marks of Jesus.

In other words, you glory in your mark of circumcision, but Paul says, I glory in the marks which I bear in my body for the testimony of the Lord.

Paul is saying, I am an open, professed Christian, and have given full proof of my attachment to the cause of Christianity.

They boast in their works seeking comfort, but Paul boasts in Jesus, suffering great pain and persecution for the sake of the gospel.

And he finalizes this letter with an amazing blessing.

He says, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers.

Amen.

And so Paul started this letter with a curse, if you remember, in chapter one, but he ends his letter with a blessing.

As strong and as sharp as Paul has been with his language throughout this letter, he ends on the note of grace, blessing them.

May Jesus' grace be with your spirit.

And that is his hope for these waffling Christians.

That the grace of Christ will get them back on track and grant them repentance.

So proclamation church.

Considering the letter of Galatians, I would like to summarize four main points this morning.

And the first is this false teachers are inevitable.

They are.

They will always be trying to infiltrate our church and our minds.

The entire New Testament constantly tells us this.

And as a proactive response, may we be a people of the word.

We must soak ourselves in sound doctrine, in be unified in doctrine and in love and in operation with the full armor of God because we are all susceptible to strange teachings.

I know I am.

Secondly, salvation is not by works of the flesh.

You cannot earn your right with God.

It is by faith in Jesus Christ.

Scripture is so redundant on this.

There is only one way to heaven, and that is through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Stop striving in your own effort.

Stop trying to earn God's smile upon you.

Stop trying to sanctify yourself and start trusting and relying on Jesus Christ and what he's done.

And if you're not a believer here this morning, you have that opportunity today.

Thirdly, we must live according to the Spirit in freedom, not according to the law in bondage.

And so good works do play a part in the Christian life.

But it's through God's Spirit, not the flesh, that this is even possible.

Faith in Christ is not just believing certain facts about his life, death, and resurrection, but it's about dying with Christ so that he might live in us.

Living by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit is what makes us holy and produces righteousness and good fruit.

Lawkeeping cannot do that.

Lastly, we are called to help, love, and serve others in freedom.

Legalism, it degrades people, it criticizes people, it judges other people, it makes us want to fight other people.

But the law of Christ humbly calls us to carry burdens, to pursue restoration, to sow seeds of righteousness and to not grow weary in doing what's good.

We're not saved by our works.

Galatians is very clear on that, but we are saved for good works.

And so grace through faith isn't permission to sin, but rather to live for Christ.

So lastly, I ask us, Proclamation Church, who are you going to believe?

Will you believe the Judaizers that say you're saved by Christ plus your works?

Or will you believe the Apostle Paul, who says, by faith in Christ alone?

Will you walk according to the flesh, or will you walk according to the spirit?

Will you live as a slave, thinking that God's always angry at you, he's mad at you, and he's always punishing you?

Or will you live as a son, one who is fully accepted because of your faith in Christ, whom God loves deeply, more than we could even fathom?

Will you live in bondage under the law?

Or will you live in Christ's freedom?

Will you believe the tradition of men, or will you believe the promise of Abraham?

Will you boast in your good works, patting yourself on the back, or will you boast in Christ alone pointing to the cross?

Will you believe the false teachers who are in it for glory and comfort?

Or will you believe the Apostle Paul, who only cares about the glory of God?

Let's pray.

Father, thank you for your holy and powerful word.

It truly is cutting and comforting.

And by it, Lord, we can know your truth and renew our minds and know who you are and who we are.

And so, Father, this morning I ask that you would help us to write your truth on our hearts.

That it would stir our affections, that it would transform us, Lord, that seeds wouldn't be thrown on hard soil, that the seeds thrown today from your truth wouldn't be plucked by the enemy, but that it would make root in our hearts, that it would be watered, that it would grow and bear lots of fruit.

And so, Lord, thank you for this church.

Thank you for your word.

We look to you this morning, and we just say thank you in Jesus' name.

Amen.