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Again that was a really appropriate Song I will glory in my Redeemer Sounds like it was intentionally chosen based on part of the passage God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. That sounds almost intentional It's beautiful. I Will glory in my Redeemer. I So tonight I want to go through these 11 verses, kind of like working through it one by one. And the title to this evening's message is, Paul's Closing Words, An Invitation to Live the Gospel. So where do I get that out of here? I trust by the time I explain it a little bit, you'll get the feeling that he's giving closing words And he's not only inviting the Galatians, his immediate audience that he's writing to, to come and live this gospel that he has broken out. But like the Lord Jesus in the messages to the seven churches, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches, plural, right? Every time we read the Word of God in a letter, the Spirit is speaking beyond that initial audience to all believers down and through this age. So the Spirit is speaking to us this evening, I trust, as we look at this, the Word of God. If I was to just put it in a summary main point here, this is where we're going tonight. By contrasting the marks of the false religion of the Judaizers, which we heard about this morning, and which is a big part of why he wrote this letter to them, namely it's a works-based religion that they had, with the marks of the true religion of the cross and the new creation, namely a faith-based religion, Paul invites all of us to live by this rule. And the rule there could be, understand, a standard. This principle, not a works-based religion, but a faith-based religion based upon the cross of Christ and the new creation. Everybody that walks according to this rule, he's inviting us to walk according to this rule of the gospel. So that's where we're going with this passage this evening. And as I mentioned this morning, the Judaizers were not just Jews, but they were Jews who professed faith in Christ, but added a requirement of salvation. And what was that? You remember that from this morning? It came right from Acts chapter 15, which is what the Jerusalem Council was all about. No, you have to not only believe in Christ, but you men have to get circumcised. You have to if you're going to be saved. And you men and women have to keep all of the Law of Moses. You have to. You cannot be saved unless you do this. Paul says we'll have none of that that is not the gospel and the Jerusalem Council came to that very decision and Sent this by letter to the churches Paul and Barnabas on their second journey Carried the decision of the Jerusalem Council to the churches that they visited on their second journey So this is what they're up against and what Paul was up against because these Judaizers came to these Galatian churches and started to poison them with their bad teaching. So I'm going to, as a way of breaking open this passage, I'm going to look at six marks of what I would call false religion, that which is marked by the Judaizers, and eight marks of what I would call true religion. Now, this isn't exhaustive. We can go through the scripture and find a hundred marks of the true religion according to the gospel. But I'm going to pull out eight of them that I see in this passage, just so we'll get this nice contrast. If we're going to live according to the gospel, It's not this way, but it's this way. So we believe the gospel and then we have to live according to the gospel. The gospel calls for a life change. We can't live the way we used to live. Let they that name the name of Christ depart from sin, from iniquity. We have to have changed lives. And of course, He gives us all the power we need in the new creation by the power of the Holy Spirit to do just that. So we're going to look at this passage and contrast these two types of religion I'm calling them. So first of all, these marks of the Judaizers, which I'm saying parallels False religion in a sense generally We see in verse 12 first mark is They loved an outward show in the flesh. It is those who want to make a good Showing in the flesh and that literally means there who want to put forward a good face Always want to look good It's like a proud peacock, right? That fluffs its feathers all up and wants to look really impressive. And that's what the Judaizers do. To other people, they want to put on the best face and look really good. There was another little idea I thought of when I was thinking, and I can't remember where I got this from, but have you ever heard of a blowfish? So a blowfish is a small fish that literally, when it feels in danger, blows itself up like maybe three times, four times its actual size. in order to ward off any predator. So it makes itself look bigger than it really is. That's what the false religion does. Makes itself look bigger than it really is. But if a fish actually swallowed a blowfish, guess what? It would probably spit it out because it's toxic. And that's exactly what the religion, false religion is, right? These Judaizers. If you actually swallowed what they were giving you, you should be spitting it out. It's toxic. So this first one is making a fair show in the flesh. We see this in the Jews oftentimes. Jesus said they love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. John 12 43. Of course, they forgot what God told us in the scripture that man looks on the outward appearance. God looks on the heart. So here we're getting a contrast, right? False religion is a lot about outward show and God is saying, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm concerned about the heart. So how are you doing this evening in this regard? Is your religion focused on making a good external show before people or having a heart that pleases God? What's driving you and your religious activity these days? Second thing we see in the passage here, we'll see in verse 12 as well, making a fair showing in the flesh, who would force you to be circumcised? They often use excessive external pressure. Who would force you to be circumcised? Now, in one of those parables that Jesus said, when you remember, he said, go out in the highways and compel them to come in. It's the same word, compel them. So there is something, even in gospel presentation, we're supposed to be persuasive, right? Persuade them. But it's verbal, it's loving, it's gracious. But you know, sometimes false religion goes way beyond what is just the use of words. They can use all kinds of tactics and pressure tactics and put all kinds of pressure on you. We think back in church history and some of the awful things that happened. to get people to conform to the so-called right religion and take away people's houses and put a threat of sword, etc. Well, that can be a mark of the false religion, right? This outward pressure. And here they were gonna try to force, I'm assuming that they didn't use any physical force, but they were trying to really make the argument, oh, you have to keep, you have to get circumcised. So this is typical of false religion, this external compulsion, this pressure to conform, maybe even threat of punishment. Any religion that seeks to force people to believe their doctrine with such external force is false. Christians persuade others by speaking the truth in love, backed by good works. That's how we proclaim the gospel. Can you imagine Jesus doing it in any other way? Other than speaking the truth in love and willing to lay down his life for people? So we need to do it the same way. We need to not follow religious practices and false religion where they dare to put coercion and external pressure on people to believe the gospel. No! We believe in liberty of conscience. And people are called to believe in Christ freely with the work of the power of the gospel upon their souls, and the work of the power of the Holy Spirit. That's how people come to Christ, not through any external pressures that we could put on people. Thirdly, false religion hangs on religious rituals of the past. Notice it said, they force you to be circumcised. Now this letter was written, what did I say, around maybe the middle of the first century. So the apostles were already teaching that the new covenant had begun. Circumcision was a mark, first of all, of the Abrahamic covenant, and then it got included into the Mosaic covenant, the old covenant. So it was perfectly proper, and it was required back then. But they should have, through the apostolic preaching, they should have realized that a new covenant has begun and circumcision has been laid aside, which was really, in my understanding, a picture of the required circumcision of the heart, which is what this new creation is talking about, right? We're not dealing with these external things which were shadow things, pointing forward to a greater reality in the gospel and in Christ. So we don't hold on to the shadow things, we have to let them go and deal with the heart reality of things in the gospel. But this false religion wanted to just hold on to the past. They could not make a shift to what was new, even though Jeremiah prophesied of the new covenant and how things would be new. They couldn't grasp, they weren't willing to let go of the old. So this is another mark of the Judaizers and maybe a lot of false religion just hold on dearly to the past rather than pursuing the truth that's to be found in Christ. I'm going to quote here Website that I've used a number of time. It's got it's called got questions org I don't know if you've ever used that It's a good website for finding basic a lot of basic answers to a lot of questions about Christianity. I've used it often so here's a quotation here, and they're making a comparison between The Judaizers and the Roman Catholic Church, and I thought this was quite astute so listen to this quotation and The Roman Catholic Church teaches a doctrine similar to that of the Judaizers of the New Testament in this way. Its doctrine is a mixture of law and grace. At the Council of Trent in the 16th century, the Catholic Church explicitly denied the idea of salvation by faith alone. Catholics have always held that certain sacraments are necessary for salvation. The issue for this first century Judaizers were circumcision and Sabbath keeping. The issues for modern day Catholics are baptism, confession, etc. What they call their sacraments. The works considered necessary may have changed, but both Judaizers and Catholics attempt to merit God's grace through the performance of ritualistic acts." End of quote. So you see a similarity. I think there's a very big similarity there. Holding on to these external things and rituals, thinking that that is the way to salvation, And it is not it is contrary to the gospel which seeks to penetrate and change the heart Number four Mark of false religion takes the easy road socially to avoid persecution for the cross of christ we'll see that in the last words of verse 12 that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. No one likes to be persecuted, including the Judaizers. The cross, of course, is a shameful, cruel instrument of execution, a stumbling block to the Jews, foolishness to the Greeks. It's distasteful to most people, I think, even today, talking about it. But this is what our religion is. It's a religion of the cross and we, contrary to the Judaizers, must accept the fact that we'll be persecuted for holding up such a shameful symbol as the centerpiece of our religion. But that's what we must do if we're going to embrace Christ. We have to embrace the possible shame that goes along with it. Or the shame, I don't find any shame in it. It's my Savior, right? He glories in the cross. But the shame that the world would cast upon you for holding such a teaching, let them be. So false religion tends to avoid this shame that comes from the cross. And true religion, of course, is going to embrace it. Number five, it's often full of hypocrisy. We see that in the first part of verse 13. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law. That's a pretty blunt statement by Paul. I mean, isn't he rather judgmental here? He's saying they don't keep the law. They want to be circumcised, but they don't keep the law. But I don't think he's lying here. He's telling the truth. Those Judaizers don't even keep the law themselves, which is kind of a mark of false religion, right? It's called hypocrisy. You say you live according to one way and one belief. You say it, but you don't live it. which is contrary to how we should do it, right? If we say we believe the gospel, we believe the Bible, we have to live it out, otherwise we are what? We're hypocrites. Number six, loves to boast in its own human accomplishments. We see that in the last part of verse 13. desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh." I don't know, I have a hard time getting my brain around this, but, you know, it's like, oh boy, look, we've got six of those Gentile males over there circumcised. Boy, didn't we do a great job. We are doing well, guys. This is super. Like, somehow they found that something to boast about. That was the centerpiece of their religious life, right? Getting the male circumcised and they could boast about it. It was bragging rights. William Hendrickson calls it a reason to boast. But this doesn't exist for Christians because as we'll find out in a moment, we don't have any reason to boast, right? Now, if you accomplish a job and you had a good day at work, are you okay or allowed to be pleased with your day at work? Absolutely. Have you ever had a day of work that you were pleased with? I've had many days at work that I've been pleased with. But God forbid that I start bragging about what I accomplished at work. God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. And if I have accomplished anything, guess who gave me the opportunity and the grace to accomplish anything? Guess who gave that to me? My Lord and Savior gave that to me. But false religion, of course, is big on this boasting thing. Now, just as another sort of little application here, when you see or hear a religious leader bragging about what they've accomplished or their church has accomplished, that's a red flag. And we should what? Run in the other direction, right? We don't want to be people that brag about our own accomplishments. If the Lord blesses this church, guess who blessed it? The Lord. If the Lord adds to Trinity, it's the Lord who added to Trinity. We don't brag about things God forbid. So those are the six marks of the false religion. Let's move on to the marks of what I'm calling the religion of the gospel. And I've got eight of them here. First of all, let's look at verse 11. And I'm calling this, it demonstrates sacrificial love. See what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand." That seems like an odd thing to say, doesn't it? Like, what is he getting at? Flip back with me to chapter 4, and maybe we'll be helped out by what he said earlier. Look at chapter 4, verses 13 to 15. You know, this is Paul writing to the Galatians, you know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first. This is on his first missionary journey. And though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God. as Christ Jesus. What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that if possible you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me." Seems to me from this that Paul obviously had some sort of a serious eye ailment. I can't imagine him being maybe in his 40s here, so he wasn't, you know, in real late age, but I think some people's eyes start to deteriorate and maybe his especially started to deteriorate in a day when they didn't have these things, right? Prescription glasses. And so he had to live with this ailment. And it wasn't easy. So what I'm suggesting to you, what happened here is, this was his first letter, according to what I've read, in terms of New Testament letters of Paul, this was the first one he wrote. Later on, when he wrote letters, like Romans, it says in Romans 16.22, I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. He had somebody taking dictation for him. because it was too hard for him to do it. Similarly, Colossians 4.18, I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. He put a greeting near the end in his own handwriting as an authentication that this was his letter. But the rest of it was written by somebody else in actual handwriting. And we see it similarly in 2 Thessalonians 3.17, I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, this is, and that's later in the letter, 3.17, 2 Thessalonians, This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine. It is the way I write." So he put his kind of like his large signature, wrote a few things in there in a greeting, just so people could authenticate it as Paul's handwriting. This is his letter. But Galatians, I'm suggesting, he wrote the whole thing himself and it wasn't easy. He needed a lot of parchment, he needed a lot of ink, He needed a lot of time to write big letters so he could see what he was writing. It took a lot of effort on his part. And I think that is his demonstration of sacrificial love. That is why it says. See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. I love you, Galatian Christians. I care about you. I am making pains to communicate this letter to you, even though it's not that easy for me to get this out. So that's why I'm suggesting the first one, true religion is willing to make sacrifices, even go through discomfort to help others. So we have to ask ourselves. Are we in any way demonstrating sacrificial love these days for any of our brothers and sisters in any way? When was the last time that I sacrificed anything for my brothers and sisters? Went through something uncomfortable to help my brother and sister? When did we last do that? But that's a mark of this gospel religion. Christianity, right? Sacrifices and shows sacrificial love for others. Secondly, true religion boasts in someone greater than themselves, and of course, especially in the cross of Christ. And we see that in this glorious verse, verse 14, but far be it from me. to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have something to boast about. Now, the world, of course, thinks it's a shameful thing. We glory in it. Then why do we do that? Well, as I tried to bring out this morning, what did I bring out? Yeah, I think I brought out this morning 2 Corinthians chapter 5. He was made to be sin for us. who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Just think of that. Our sins can only be forgiven through Christ's work on the cross. And we only gain a righteousness through Christ and His life and His death and His resurrection. God grants and gives us righteousness because we believe we're united to Christ. We cannot boast of any of these things. They are given to us as the gifts of the gospel, as what we need when we trust in Christ. So we boast in Him. He does the work. He is the perfect Savior. He came down from heaven. He lived according in the contradiction of sinners against himself. He allowed himself to be brutally slain by wicked hands. He did all this work so that we would reap the benefits. So what have we to boast about? Nothing. That is why we boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Number three, this true religion overcomes the world. Now I called that double amputation there. Or not amputation, I gave myself my point away. Double imputation. He takes our sin and we get his righteousness. Here, it overcomes the world. By which the world has been crucified to me. and I to the world, and I call this in a sense double amputation. It's like the world is reaching out to us like it did before we were believers, always trying to draw us into its system, its pleasures. But that arm is cut off in the gospel. And our arm used to reach out to the world, looking for the pleasures of the world, looking for the world for all our identity and satisfaction. And through the gospel, our arm is cut off. It's a double amputation here. The world is crucified to us and us to the world, Paul says. Now, of course, it doesn't mean there's no attraction, but it takes a blow. When you are in Christ, you have been crucified with Christ, and not only that, you are active because they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. So not only is there a passive element that Christ does for us, there is an active element that we crucify our own flesh if we are going to follow Christ. So there's a double amputation. Something profound is happening. But we still have to wrestle with it every day, right? Because the flesh is not completely gone. I'll talk about this in a minute. We're a new creation, but we wish we were totally a new creation. Matthew Henry says, the way to overcome the world is to think much on the cross and to glory in it. Let me say that again. The way to overcome the world is to think much on the cross and glory in it. When you keep comparing what the world is offering you to what Christ has given you, that cuts the legs out of a lot of the desire that you might have for the world. And the world, you know, it's attraction to you. Number four. It's not steeped in external rituals, including formerly valid ones. Verse 15a, for neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision. It had its valid place. But not anymore. Our life as Christians now has, what do we have in terms of observances in the Christian church? Can anybody, here's a little bit of participation. How many observances does the Lord ask his church or command his church to obey and fulfill in these New Testament? So there's two, and what are they? Yes, and Lord's Supper. So there are two things that are observances, rites, ceremonies that are beautiful gospel ceremonies because they picture the gospel wonderfully, but that's two compared to the Old Testament that had so many things to follow externally. Jonathan used the word rigor this morning, I believe. Was it in science class or at some point? There's a lot of rigor. So that old covenant and all the priestly requirements and all this observance of days and three times a year the males had to go down to Jerusalem and all the meticulous way the sacrificial system had to be observed down to the letter. Oh, and all the rules about the land, and it was very rigorous externally. We no longer have to do that. We are free now to love God with all our hearts, love our neighbors as ourselves from our hearts, and this works out in reality, and the New Testament teaches us how this is to play out. But in terms of external rituals, we're down to two. Isn't that beautiful? That's liberating, is it not? So it is not steeped in external rituals like certainly the old covenant was, which was God's expectation and it served a purpose for the time. What is your religion like that you practice today? Is it steeped or not steeped in external rituals? Sounds like T, right? Is it steeped or not steeped? And the Judaizers were oversteeped and became very bitter in what they were giving. Number five, true religion focuses on heart change and heart religion. And here's we see this beautiful statement here, not circumcision or not being circumcised. And I think that might be a reference there to Jews and Gentiles. It's really irrelevant whether you're a Jew or Gentile in these New Testament age. What is relevant? Well, he says here, a new creation. Now some of you probably are thinking of that verse in 2 Corinthians 5 and 17. If any person be in Christ, he or she is a new creation. Same idea, same words. Is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things are become new. God has made us new. Now there was a person who was the first man of the old creation, which was Adam, and there is a man who is the first man of the new creation, who's that? Jesus. You know, 1 Corinthians 15, they're comparing the first Adam and the second Adam, the last Adam. Jesus is the first one of the new creation, and if we're in Christ, we are new creations in Christ, and in a sense I would say we are new creations spiritually, but our bodies are lagging behind as part of the old creation. Does that make sense? Our bodies drag us down, but our spirits are moving forward as part of the new creation. We've been born again. We have new life. We are in Christ, who is the head of the new humanity, and we are following Him into the new creation. We are in the new creation. We will one day experience the new creation in its fullness, even in our bodies eventually when Christ returns. But right now, there's this tug of war a little bit, isn't there? Our spirits are in the new creation serving. Our bodies are dragging us down with the remnants of the flesh dragging us down towards sin. But the new creation has power. The Holy Spirit has power. We can do this. The Apostle Paul never writes like we can't do it. We can do it. The help of the Spirit and the help of each other, we can live this life. Amen? So it's about an inner transformation. That's what God is looking for. Number six. A new creation is marked by this extending of peace, mercy, and belonging to others. I'm trying to, I'm pulling that out from verse 16. And for all who walk by this rule, peace, mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God. Peace is no small blessing. People want it, but it's only truly found in Christ. Speaking about the world needing peace, right? Jonathan mentioned it this morning, and I picked up on that news yesterday. I looked about what's happening over in the Middle East. It's pretty sad, isn't it? Very sad. Mercy is another thing that we extend to others because God has given it to us. That is a beautiful thing. God not punishing you for your sin. I mean, I talked about that this morning. Can you imagine coming before God in his courtroom on the day of judgment and having him say, not guilty, because you're in Christ. Everybody else is gonna have a guilty verdict. That is not an enviable position to be in, is it? You want to get a non not guilty verdict when you come before God In the day of judgment and everybody will as the hebrews 9 passage said But this peace this mercy this belonging Matthew henry Or before I get there doesn't everyone want to belong to god's family? And so now the apostle paul is using the language of israel here It's like the language of family belonging, but Israel here takes on a bit of a different meaning from what we might often think of Israel. Israel is one of those beautiful terms in the Bible that has obvious development to it. Who was Israel originally? It was Jacob, right? Prince with God. And then the concept of Israel morphed into the children of Israel wandering through the wilderness. And then the concept of Israel morphed into the nation of Israel officially at Sinai. And then the nation of Israel morphed into the northern tribes suddenly became Israel. They were the Israel and the southern tribes were Judah and Benjamin. And then when you come to the Apostle Paul in Romans 9, he says, they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Now, what are you talking about, Paul? You're using Israel in a way that's blowing my mind here. Yes, he's using Israel in two different ways. There is an Israel after the flesh, he talks about in Romans 9-11, and then there's an Israel after the Spirit. An Israel that is a believing Israel. An Israel who are sons of God because they have the faith of Abraham, which it tells us in Galatians. You are sons of God. Let's see what it says here. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. We have the faith of Abraham. We are part of this new Israel, this believing Israel. That's how I believe he's using it here. He's not talking about ethnic Israel here because that would include the Judaizers. And he's not looking to bless the Judaizers at the end of the lesson when he was spending all his time, you know, opposing them. So he's using Israel here as a reference to the true family of God, the believers. even the Israel of God, even the church of Jesus Christ that truly believes in this great son of Abraham, Jesus. So Paul here is inviting people to belong. He's extending peace, mercy, and belonging to this new Israel for anybody that believes the gospel. 7. True religion doesn't look for trouble, but accepts and endures it well for the cause of Christ. We're not looking for trouble, but trouble often finds us if you're a follower of Christ. And we have to accept that as a reality, right? And the Apostle Paul said that they that live godly will suffer persecution. Not may, they will. At some point we all suffer persecution, whether it's from within our own families, within our workplaces, within the society at large. We'll all suffer persecution for the cause of Christ. But we're not looking for it, but we will accept it and endure it. Try to endure it like the Apostle Paul endured it. He endured it well. and rejoiced in his sufferings for Christ. That's amazing. How can that be? I don't like to suffer. You like to suffer? But for Christ, it's worth it. And what joy he can give to our hearts if we know that our suffering is really for the cause of Christ and not our own sin or our own foolishness or something. What joy that could bring to our hearts if we're actually truly suffering for him. Number eight Grace This new religion of the gospel is religion of the cross extends grace and hope to others even when undeserved Well, I better back up for a second because I should be commenting a little bit more on verse 17 because that's where I got this last point from from now on let no one cause me trouble and Whether that's the Galatians and the frustration he was experiencing from them, or particularly the Judaizers and those who were persecuting him. For I bear in my body the marks, the stigmata of Jesus. He bore physical, holy scars of his suffering. And there might be times when we'll have to do that. Not in I haven't seen it in my lifetime in North America But it might happen that we will have to bear physical scars for the cause of Christ like the Apostle Paul did But we're not looking for trouble but by the grace of God he'll help us endure it well So then this last point we see it in verse 16 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brothers. Amen and He was frustrated with the Galatians. Is that fair to say? If you read Galatians, it's not, oh, you guys are doing really good. You're like the Thessalonians. You're increasing and abounding in love one toward another. You guys are just doing great. It was the complete opposite. I am shocked and astonished that you are so soon removed from the gospel that I preach to you. What's the matter with you folks? That's the tone of his letter as he starts out, right? He's very upset with them. If anybody preaches any other gospel, let him be accursed from Christ for eternity. He means business, right? And he goes through a beautiful, many arguments in Galatians, but look at the grace that he finishes it up with. He says, look, he's still hopeful for them. He says, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. I'm really believing and hoping the best. Love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. You guys, I'm praying and believing that you can turn this around. You will listen to my exhortation. You will follow my exhortation in this letter. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ help you to do that. He was very hopeful for them. And so that's what we do as Christians, right? We hope for the best for people. Whether it's our own struggling children in our own family or people in our church that have different struggles and problems and we sometimes feel a little frustrated with them. But listen, this is how the Paul finishes up this very demanding letter. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. We have to extend and be hopeful to others. If they're breathing, God can still change them. So, back to my main point then. By contrasting the marks of the false religion of the Judaizers with the marks of the true religion of the cross and the new creation, Paul invites all of us to live by this rule, the standard of the gospel. Not according to those six marks of the Judaizers, but according to those eight marks that mark out the true religion, that demonstrates sacrificial love towards others. It boasts in God and the cross, not in oneself. It overcomes the world. It embraces the freedom from external rituals, which was a clear move away from the old covenant to the new. focuses on hard issues, receives and extends the great blessings of peace, mercy, and belonging, shows a willingness to endure persecution for the cause of Christ, and extends grace to others who don't deserve it. These are the marks of, I'm saying, the religion of the gospel that Paul wants them to remember and live out in his final exhortations and words to them. So how are we doing here? Because this is speaking to us, too. How are we doing? Are we embracing those marks of true religion and living according to those by the power of the gospel and the love of Christ? That's what I hope to do in the remaining years I have in my life, days, however. Keep going. Keep trying to serve and stand according to the gospel, because it's very distinct from the religion of the world and false religion. But God is calling us to live this way, not this way. and he gives us the grace to do that. Let's bow in prayer. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for these exhortations. We thank you for Christ and all that he is and all that he has done and all that he is doing, all that he will do. We thank you for the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Empower us to live according to the gospel. We pray for Jesus' sake. Amen.
Paul's Closing Words: An Invitation to Live the Gospel
Sermon ID | 610252133385354 |
Duration | 44:17 |
Date | |
Category | Sunday - PM |
Bible Text | Galatians 6:11-18 |
Language | English |
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