Galatians, amen, an epistle to the churches of Galatia, the author being the Apostle Paul, chapter 1, verse 2, and all the brethren which are with me unto the churches of Galatia, the only epistle written to more than one church, if you will, or more than one person. Some of them are to a person, some of them are to a church, Churches, amen? And these converts of Paul were later affected by Judaizers. Judaizers were men that tried to enforce Jewish circumcision and other Jewish laws upon the Gentile converts of early Christianity. And this is a big deal. This is a big, big book for the New Testament church, amen? And as we've looked at the outline each week, we learn that there's an introduction in chapter 1, then we see Paul's explanation in the first two chapters. Then it takes the framework, the shape of all other Pauline epistles. Many of the Pauline epistles, especially the corrective ones, you have the doctrinal section in the first half and the practical section or the duty section in the second half. In this one we've got that introduction for two chapters but chapters 3 and 4 is doctrinal which we'll cross into next week and then we see the practical or duty section in chapters 5 and 6 that we'll cover after that, amen? And we've talked and talked and last week we did chapter 2 verse 11 and 14 where you have the Jerusalem council and they were going down to Jerusalem and making sure that they understood that's where the Judaizers were coming from. And they're going down there to make sure they understand it's by grace through faith and not of works, amen? And the church here we talked about then, they went back to Antioch. And there in Antioch, some boys come up, James' homeboys, amen? Some friends of James. We don't know exactly who. James is probably the pastor down there in Jerusalem. Some guys come up. And you know the story, I don't know if I covered it right here in the intro, but Peter gets up from the table with the Gentiles where he was sitting because of the pressure of these men coming up that are still retaining that false doctrine of adding works to grace, amen? So the church would have been growing by leaps and bounds. These Gentile folk that was never allowed in, before, amen? They're hearing this story of by grace through faith and they're coming into droves and it would have been mostly Gentile believers by this time. But still everyone would have looked up to this Jew Peter from the church of Jerusalem up there. He would have been a celebrity preacher, if you will. He would have been a man, I mean, And he would have filled up the pews if he was preaching somewhere because everybody would have known this is one of the men that ran with Jesus. This is one of the men that saw. This is one of the men that had the apostolic powers. This is one of the men that did all that. Men would have flocked to hear him preach. His meetings would have been packed out. And everybody would have wanted to sit at that table. And therefore Peter had a vast amount of influence in the church at Antioch and at Jerusalem. But he was making choices that did not line up with Scripture. Galatians 2 and 11 that we covered last week. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed. That's Paul talking. And you've got this man named Paul. He probably was a little fella. Many have speculated about what he looked like, but when he was angry, you didn't want to mess with him. Now, can you imagine the words he writes, the things he says to see? Paul angry, you're going to be in trouble. If he lived in today's day and age, he would have been labeled as a legalist and a mean preacher, and he probably would have never been invited for a second meeting at any church, amen? And he said, I withstood him to his face because he was in the wrong and was to be blamed. And Peter, as we'll see in a moment, was flirting with false doctrine or had signed up with it. He left that table with those men and sat down with those men that came from the church at Jerusalem. And preachers of the day couldn't handle this. Paul rebuking him. We're going to find out today in today's text publicly. rebuking him, amen? We can imagine Peter must have quailed before the fire in Paul's eyes. The blistering eloquence of his tongue, the driving force of his will, and the irresistible logic of his words. That's Dr. John Phillips right there. Then verse number 12, For before that certain came from James. He did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, I just gave you the synopsis of this, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing. He did it because of fear. fearing them which were of the circumcision. Those Judaizers were of the circumcision, amen. Believing you need to do that. Here goes Peter after they'd undecided at the council. I'll say it tonight, but Peter had already said, I know it's by grace through faith. But here he jumps off the table because of fear and runs with the wrong crowd, amen. Paul saw cowardice and compromise in Peter. Probably the two things he detested most. I believe that was Warren Wearsby there. It is fashionable nowadays. It's John Phillips, among ecumenical advocates to accuse separated Christians of being self-righteous, ultra-separatists, and refusing to eat with publicans and sinners in order to reach them, to influence them for Christ. However, this accusation comes from men who are twisted and distorted in their thinking. None of them ever really pay any attention to what the Bible says, even when they quote it, to prove a position. And when Christ ate, they always say, well, Christ sat with sinners, Christ was opposed, but when Christ ate with the Pharisees, there wasn't really fellowship there, amen? For before that, certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were in circumcision. This separation took place because men came down from that church, Peter was eaten with those men. A man in the church, we'll get on it today, no difference. But then he sees these men of the circumcision and because of fear he moves over with them. So when they came he was in that fear of them and quit eating with and separated from Gentiles. Peter's separation was running from the obligation because of the fear of men. Public opinion has reared its ugly head. This is the reason why liberals and modernists separate themselves from biblical Christianity and the AB 611. They are men fears. and men pleasers. Verse 13 said, And other Jews dissembled likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. That word dissimulation has the meaning of hypocrisy. Because they were hypocrites and they separated, other folk went. Not only did Peter get up and leave the fellowship with a false doctrine crowd, but because he got up and did it, other men followed him. We better pay real close attention to that, amen? I'll get on in a minute, but because he got up, the good man Barnabas got up, and other men got up and separated and followed false doctrine, amen? You better be careful who you're following, amen? You better be careful who you make your heroes in this thing. But the other Jews were influenced by him as well, as well as this great man Barnabas. Imagine the division they caused in this young Gentile church right after the council had agreed on proper doctrine. Here goes Peter messing around with some false doctrine guys. And basically, not even trying to, but pulling all this other crowd over into false doctrine, amen? They idolized Peter, and now their idol proved to have feet of clay. Let me give you a synopsis. This is what I gave at the end last time. In modern-day language and illustrations that I believe are relevant, amen? Some of the more popular, bigger preachers in fundamentalism today are going against many things we've known and believed for many, many years. like separation from false doctrine, like Pentecostalism and works doctrine, which is exactly what's happening in the text, and including men using false versions of the Bible, as well as many other areas, grayer areas, like music, dress, all that. Hey man, I won't get on all that. And all that does is approve those non-biblical things in the eyes of everyone. And I know there's always an excuse. Here's why so and so is over here. Here's why you see the picture of this man with this group. And here's why we went to that meeting. Here's why we're there. Amen. Here's why we sing there. Amen. There's always all kinds of reasons. But listen, if it goes against what the Word of God said, we probably should not do it. And we probably ought not follow somebody that does it. And we probably ought not make people so big of heroes and put them on so much of a pedestal that whatever they do is okay and then change to match what they do. We ought to sit back and say, uh-oh, something's changing. Amen. And all the followers of those that do change will attack anyone that's like the Apostle Paul and sits back and says, no, I don't agree with this. Amen? And the men that are doing this, they're usually hypocritical dissimulation in the sense that just years ago they were against what they're doing right now. I see it happening all the time. But now seemingly because of money or popularity and all these things they've acted just like Peter. Peter did it out of fear and he followed that wrong crowd. Men like myself and our friends are made fun of, poked at, scoffed at and ridiculed, but I'll continue to be like the Apostle Paul, not be a respecter of persons, and I'm going to try and follow the book to the best of my ability and teach our church to follow the book to the best of our ability. Amen? All right, here's today's text. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the men of the Gentiles, and do not as the Jews, why compelest the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? By going over there, he was compelling them to live as the Jews, to go back to the circumcision, to go back to the law. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of Gentiles, that was just a co-alkalism or a name they had for Gentiles, sinners of the Gentiles. He said we're Jews, we're not these Gentile guys. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of law but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if we will seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners. Is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, if I go back to the law, I make myself a transgressor. I'm saying that grace was nothing, that grace did nothing for me. For I through the law am dead that I might live under God. I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. I don't see how you can read them verses and sign up with any works, doctor. Amen! There may have been a couple in there, maybe a little bit more difficult that you got to study into, but I don't see how you can read any of that and go say, well, I'm going to lose my salvation if I don't do the works of God, if I'm not a church member, if I don't eat a wafer, if I don't do this and that. I don't know if I can stay saved! That's some good Word of God right there. We're going to preach on it. Father, help us tonight. Lord, we love you. God, we thank you for your book. God, help us learn it, God. Help us get it down in our hearts. God, help us share it with others. Dear Father, we love you. We praise you tonight. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Now here, in this text, we're not sure when Paul's rebuke of Peter ends and he begins to address the church, but it's neither here nor there. And we will take it into account that he's probably rebuking him the whole time, amen? And we don't know when it happens, but one thing we do know is that Peter's rebuke was public, amen? He did it in public. And sometimes you have to do that, amen? And the entire section deals with our liberty in Christ. The liberty we have because we're not saved by the law, amen? We're saved by Jesus Christ. Now we can assume the entire rebuke is to Peter, and as long as the rebuke is biblical, then it's a good rebuke. I don't believe y'all go around making people mad, hurting people, doing all that stuff. But listen, if somebody's following false doctrine and you have to rebuke them, ha, that's good. Men of today's age can't handle rebuke, amen? I get mad if you rebuke me, praise the Lord, amen? It's just who we are. Paul's rebuke was entirely based on doctrine though. That's what matters is that book right there. His rebuke was based on doctrine. And today we're going to follow a little bit of what Brother Wiersbe said and look at some things. I really like the way he handled this text. But his rebuke was based on doctrine and therefore could not be rejected if received with a true heart, amen? And somebody that wanted to be right with God. Because of Peter's separation from Gentiles, he was denied. When he separated, we're going to go through them and then we'll be done tonight. When he separated from those Gentiles and got upset with the circumcision, if you will, he was denying at least five basic Christian doctrines. Doctrines he had just agreed with, man, at the council. But I'm going to go through those five doctrines and I'm going to give you some application in your life and we'll be done, alright? So the first doctrine that he was rejecting or denying by getting up and going to set with those false doctrine boys is the unity of the church. Verse 14 says, But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compelst thou Gentiles to live as do the Jews? So Peter was a Jew, but through faith in Christ, he had become a Christian. He saved, amen? And because he was a Christian, he was part of the church. And within the church, there's no Jew and Gentile. There's no racial distinctions, amen? The Bible tells us that in the next chapter. We'll study later on. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus. The Lord had taught this to Peter, not only at the Jerusalem Council, or the conference, which we already studied, but he taught him that at the house of Cornelius as either. There is no difference. There is no longer these racial differences where the Jew is the favorite, where the Jew is the chosen in the age of grace. Amen. He said everybody is welcome. Aren't you glad? Can I preach? Aren't you glad everybody's welcome in? Amen. I'm glad. It doesn't take a pedigree. I'm glad it doesn't take a family to get in. I'm glad it doesn't take all that. It only takes faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ tonight. Amen. I'm glad I'm saved. But here's what Paul's really saying to Peter. You're a Jew. Yet you've been living like a Gentile because you saved, right? Now you want the Gentiles to live like the Jews and have to perform the law. That's what he was saying. Here's what we're seeing. He's condoning a doctrine by going and setting with these boys. You hear that? You better be careful what churches you go and set in. When the preacher gets up and preaches a false doctrine, you're condoning that doctrine to your children Right? I'd be real careful about that. That's what he's saying Peter was doing. He's condoning the circumcision and salvation by works. Amen? He said, now you want the Gentiles to live like the Jews. What kind of inconsistency is this? That's what he's saying to him. Peter had even said the same thing at the conference over in Acts 15 and 7. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that by the Gentiles by the mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe, and God which knoweth the hearts bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as did unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Peter said that. before this text even took place. Isn't he a hypocrite? You see what he's doing? He's running with crowds. He's saying, well, these guys influenced me. It says, because of fear. Yet Peter made a difference because of the influence or the pressure of these individuals. God's people are one people even though they may be divided into various groups. Any practice on our part that violates scripture and separates a brother is a denial of the unity of the body of Christ. Amen? And that's if we believe, right? Listen, we got reasons for separation. I'll preach on it here in the coming weeks. I've got three messages in a little series on it. But there's reasons for separation from groups of people. That's what this entire book's talking about. They're leaven, amen? And you are to separate from them. But man, there's a lot of separation today over some crazy stuff. What school you went to, amen? What church you go to in a little town and the other church folk won't even talk to you at the gas station or the restaurant, amen. What school you went to, who you preach for, who you hang out with. You can't imagine the preaching appointments that I know for a fact probably that I have lost because they saw me preaching for another man, amen. I'm just telling you there's so much separation and so many little cliques and groups, amen. We're all one. if we're saved by grace, and we're saved by grace through faith, not of words, say man, lest any man should boast. Secondly, we see he was denying justification by faith. Verse 15, we who are Jews by nature and not sinners to the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ. that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified now I didn't go too deep into this because we just preached on justification not too long ago and we're doing doctrine on Thursday night say man we haven't hit specifically justification but we've hit everything else say man around it propitiation the atoning sacrifice and all that. But this is actually probably the first appearance of the word justification in your New Testament by Paul, amen? It's the first appearance in the letter of Galatians. And if we believe that this is Paul's possible first writing, then it may be the first mention of justification. But justification and the study of it in the book of Romans was the catalyst. You know that, Martin Luther? I read that commentary on the book of Romans and that popped off the reformation, amen. I know we're not part of the Protestants but that's a big deal right there of them coming out of the great whore, amen. Them coming out of the Roman Catholic Church and coming apart from that works doctrine. I mean if anybody is completely works doctrine it's the Catholic Church, amen. And coming out of that and realizing that justification is by faith in Jesus Christ, amen. What a doctrine that is. And it was the movement out of the Catholic Church and all that. And Romans deals with it. Galatians deals with it. And Hebrews deals with it. It sounds pretty important to me. Romans explains the meaning of the just. You know, the just shall live by faith. Amen. Romans explains the meaning of the just. Who is the just? Galatians explains shall live, how you live it. Amen. And Hebrews explains by faith. Amen. That's a pretty interesting study right there, Tal. You ought to preach it. Justification is the act. of God. Now here's a definition right here that I got from, I think it was Brother Weersbee, yeah, and every word in this definition means something. It is the act of God whereby he declares the believing sinner righteous in Jesus Christ. Justification is the act of God whereby he declares the believing sinner righteous in Jesus Christ. Number one, it's an act, not a process. Salvation is a transaction, am I right? Being justified is a transaction. It's not a process of getting further and further and further along in justification. We can say that about sanctification to a degree, but justification It's an act. It happens instantly, amen? He justifies you. No one is any more justified than anyone else tonight, amen? Romans 5 and 1 says, Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. If we were justified by works, you know what it'd be? It'd be a gradual process. It's what Dr. Phillips said. If we were justified by works, we'd be working it, working it, working it, getting more and more justified, more and more justified, but that's not how it is. It's an act of God that you were justified the day you got saved. It's not a result of man's character or man's works to be justified. It's to be saved. Romans 8 and 33, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. It's not by the worst law. God in His grace has put our sins on Christ. He became sin for us. Amen? In justification, God declares the believing sinner righteous. He does not make him righteous. He declares him righteous. Of course, real justification, Dr. Phillips, I believe, said, leads to a changed life, which is what James 2 tells us all about. Amen? But when Peter separated himself from Gentiles, he was denying the truth that is justification by faith. Here's what he was saying. We Jews are different from and better than you Gentiles. And I'm going to go sit over here with these guys. And that's what he did. He denied justification by faith. And it's like he's going right back to work. So we'll get on that in a minute. Thirdly, he was denied freedom from the law, verse 17 and 18. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid, for if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. Peter was putting himself right back under the yoke of the law by aligning with the Judaizers from Jerusalem. And here's what he's saying, Peter, you and I did not find salvation through the law. We found it through faith in Christ. But now, after being saved, you're going back to the law? This means that Christ alone did not save you. You trust in works anyhow. Otherwise, you would not have needed the law. So Christ actually made you a sinner? That's not it, right? Paul's telling us that Peter, he's telling Peter that you're going back to the law after his own experience of grace is to deny everything that God had done for him. Now we know if you get saved, you're not losing it, amen? But if he got saved, amen, but then he's going back to the law, he's putting himself back under the yoke of the law? And it's basically like you're crucifying Christ afresh. You're saying what Christ did for me is nothing, and now I've got to retain it. I mean, do y'all see a lot of what we see in today's day and age? I got saved by grace through faith, just like Grace Gospel Baptist, Independent Fundamental Baptist Church preachers, but then I didn't live right, and I got a little bit messed up, amen, and I lost my salvation. I can't keep it no more. You see, that's exactly what it seems like he was doing. I've got to go back to the law to keep my salvation. That's what we see all these Protestants doing. Putting themselves back under the yoke of the bondage of sin. The very gospel itself he was denying. Number four, for I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God. He said I'm dead to it. He said we're dead to it. How are you going to go back to it? What in the world are you doing? You got saved. Why are you going to go back to that? He said, I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. If a man is justified with the works of the law, then why did Christ die? Why did Christ die? If our works are going to keep us saved or save us, why did Christ die? His death, burial, and resurrection are the key truths of the gospel, right? 1 Corinthians 53, For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. We're saved by faith in Christ. We live by faith in Christ, that verse says. We died with Christ and we rose with Christ. And what's that mean? We are dead to the law. You are no longer under the law. And we live by resurrection power and need no help from the law. Amen? Here's what one fellow said about it. I like what he said here. He said the law killed the Christian. He was officially declared dead in Ephesians chapter 2. When he accepted Christ, only his spirit revived in Ephesians 2, 5 and 6. But his old dead body went right on a moving, Romans 6. His soul was cut loose from his flesh, Romans 7. To marry Jesus Christ and become one spirit, 1 Corinthians 6. Yet he still drags the corpse with him to a hole in the ground. or a hole in the sky if we last long enough. That corpse was nailed to the cross with Jesus Christ and buried with him, Romans chapter number 6. The Christian has no hold on the law and it has no hold on him, Romans chapter 7. The changing of other laws, Romans 8, into laws of a legal nature to bring him back into bondage, Galatians chapter 5, are satanic, amen. whether they originated with Alexander Campbell and the Church of Christ or with the Roman Catholic Church or wherever they're coming from, amen? When you try to put somebody back under bondage by saying, you've got to live this to keep your salvation and you've got to eat this wafer and you've got to do all this, it is satanic tonight, amen? Doesn't your Bible say in the end times, they'll do all these things, they'll not marry, they'll do this and not eat this and do this and that? Where's that at? 2 Timothy? He says they'll do all this. That's asceticism. That's works. It says in the end days, they'll try to work to get it. They'll keep on trying. But that's satanic, amen. Praise the Lord. I done lost my clip. Y'all got me so excited. Then lastly, he denied the grace of God. Verse 21, I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Man, if my works save me or keeps me safe, Christ died for no reason at all. He said, I'm not going to frustrate the grace of God and try to add works to my salvation. That's crazy. The Judaizers and most folks today want to mix law and grace. They want to mix them. But Paul says that is impossible. The law says do, but grace says it's already done. The law in itself nullifies the cross. You try to live under that law, you're exempting yourself of the cross. We have no reply from Peter, but all we can presume is that reconciliation took place. You know why? Because later on he wrote his epistles, and you can see the theme of his epistles, especially the first epistle. Chapter 5, verse 12, he said, By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. Peter responded when he was challenged. He was challenged by Paul. He didn't get mad, he didn't quit on God, he didn't quit church, he didn't go home and sulk. He might have got a little mad for a minute, amen, about Paul embarrassing in front of everybody. But you know what? He got right. He responded to that rebuke properly and said, you know what? It is by grace through faith and I'm going to quit mingling with them guys that don't believe right. What's your response to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Here's a couple of questions I'll give you and then we'll be done. Have I truly been saved by the grace of God? Am I trusting in myself for salvation or the gospel of the grace of God tonight? My morality, my good works, my religion? If so, then I'm not a Christian for a true Christian is one who is trusted in Christ alone. Amen? For by grace are you saved through faith, not of yourself. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Here's another one. Am I trying to mix law and grace? Law means I do something to please God. Grace means that God has finished the work for me. Salvation is not faith plus something. It's in Christ alone. And if by grace, then is it no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace? Otherwise, work is no more work. It's a tongue twister. Am I rejoicing in the fact that I am justified by faith in Christ? Man, that's something to shout about. You know, independent fundamental Baptist ought not be the deadest churches around. You all know that? I don't believe we are. We got hands lifting up, people saying amen, and people singing and worshiping. But you go into a lot of them, man, they're deader than a hammer. But here we are, we're the ones that I believe has got the Bible right. We understand we're saved by grace through faith. The devil can't take it, nobody else can take it. I ain't losing, amen. I'm on my way to heaven, amen. I got the Holy Ghost of God living in me, helping me to serve and live for Him. And I'm going to obey Him because I love Him, not because of law, amen. And here I am, got all these benefits, but there are so... Bless me if you can, preacher. Am I rejoiced in the fact I'm justified? It brings great peace to the heart if one knows that he has a right standing with God. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5 and 1. We need never fear judgment because our sins have already been judged on the cross of Calvary. There is therefore no condemnation of them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Then thirdly or fourthly, am I walking in the liberty of grace? Liberty is not a license of sin. That's what others that don't read their Bible correctly, don't believe like we do, they say, well, you just got a license of sin. You're just given a license of sin. Well, I think if I could lose my salvation for a day or two and then do all that I wanted, I wouldn't be his kid no more, and I wouldn't get chastised, because only his children get chastised, right? That's what Hebrews says. And if I could lay down my salvation, I wouldn't get chastised no more, so I'm scot-free, amen, as long as I don't die in that day or two that I'm sinning and living like hell, then I can go back and get saved again, amen? That sounds like a license of sin to me. Just come to church every time, oh I messed up again, let me get saved. Or as some of them churches got on there, their re-dedication number. I guess that's what that is, I don't know. That's on some of them. They've had this many saved this year and this many re-dedications or re-baptisms, I've seen that one too. It's not a license of sin, it's freedom in Christ to enjoy Him and to become what He's determined for us to become. Not only freedom to do, but freedom not to do. Amen? We end up obeying God, not because of the law, but because of love. They almost make you think they're lost when they're talking to you. You know what I mean? Because I believe some of them get saved. They get in a Holy Ghost conviction, get saved. Then they get taught that works doctrine. Amen? But man, if you was believing that works doctrine saved you, I don't believe you saved at all. But they don't even tell you, well, how do you control people? I've had other preachers say that. How do you keep people living right? If you tell them, you know, they can't lose it. That's like that brother saying to me, why ain't God the Holy Ghost living inside of me, convicting me, making me want to do right? I mean, that's what I'm thinking when they're talking to me about it, and I'm thinking, what in the world? We end up obeying God because we love Him. He lives in us. He indwells us. The Holy Ghost of God. And am I willing to defend the truth of the gospel? Now I'm not saying you're supposed to be the apostle Paul and go home and rebuke every family member. Don't believe like us, I ain't saying all that. But many, many folks you come in contact with believe that we're saved by faith plus some works. And I'm just telling you, they either think you've got to keep the commandments, obey the Sermon on the Mount, a number of other religious things. And we ought to learn our Bibles. We ought to study our Bibles and know what we believe enough to where we can have an intelligent conversation with somebody about why we believe once we were truly saved, we're saved for all of eternity. Whether you've got to give them the illustration of a new birth, Shove a baby back in the womb, amen. New birth, whether you've got to give them illustrations of everything we're talking about, the blood of... I mean, it's all through your Bible, y'all. Just get you one and study it out and be able to talk about it. We can't be in fear. We can't be people pleasers, amen. We've got to be able to defend the gospel of grace because that's where the assault is. That's where Satan's attacking, am I right? It's all through your Bible. It started as soon as the New Testament church started. As soon as the Age of Grace started, Satan attacked. That's why Galatians was written, amen? And it's happened all through history, amen? Learn your Bible enough to defend it. Do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet be pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. And lastly, am I walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel? The best way to defend the truth is to live and walk in the truth. The verbal defense of the gospel will have very little impact in your life if your life contradicts it. If you ain't living by it, amen? So the question is tonight as we finish, Is, are we living our lives for Christ? Are we following the book? Are we serving Him because we love Him? Have you given your life to Him? I don't mean getting saved, I mean are you really serving Him with your life? Are we frustrating the grace of God? I know in that He meant adding works back to it. But man, God's put all this grace in your life and saved you. So many Christians just got all their little pet sins. This thing ain't nothing but a little game. It's a three-day-a-week thing. We just come for an hour or two and we're all interested in everything else. This ain't the center of our life. This ain't the tabernacle in our life. It's not the center of everything. I'd say that's frustrating the grace of God too. He saved you by grace and you're taking advantage of it. We ought to give him all of ourselves, amen, and serve him. Amen. Lord, I love you. Thank you for tonight. Thank you for your book, dear Lord. God, I pray you'd help us learn it, help us understand it. Thank you, God, for it, dear Lord. We praise your name. Thank you for the good people of this church. God, so many men, so many women that want to know their Bibles, want to learn, want to go to a deeper level. Father, we love you, we praise you, and thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. You're dismissed tonight.