Galatians 5 verses 2 and 3. Why such a short portion and why break it so obviously at an odd point? It's in the middle of a paragraph. I take these two verses because they contain such principles that I find it very hard to overstate their importance. You will know very well, most of you listening to me, that what I've been teaching you from these verses, what I've been saying from the letter to the Galatians, I believe has come out of the letter to the Galatians, and I ask you to be a Berean and search this scripture and see for yourself. I believe I'm saying nothing other than the Apostle said, or I'm trying to enforce his words and his doctrine. But as you know, many of you will know, that this is heavily attacked and dismissed as antinomianism and there are ways that those who attack this teaching there are ways that they've invented to get around this plain teaching of the apostle here in Galatians and I think these two verses go a long way to answer many of their what I call escape routes which are no escape routes at all let me read the verse to you Paul writing to the Galatians after all he said about the law remember how he finished in verse 1 it is for freedom that Christ has set us free stand firm then and don't let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery he's talking about the law as I've said he's raising his passion here he's moving to the climax of his letter and he's pleading with these people and it's been well said, it's very much like a barrister, an advocate in court pleading for his client who's on a capital charge and can be executed if he's found guilty and he's pleading for his life listen to him, mark my words, he's speaking now to these Galatians, he fears they won't listen to him, mark my words I, Paul, emphatically going right back to the first chapter I Paul the Apostle remember that these teachers who have come to you who are they? this is Paul speaking Paul the Apostle who has had direct revelation from Christ who are these chaps who have come who are these men who are telling you you've got to go under the law I Paul tell you think how short the words, punchy I tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised Christ will be of no value to you at all again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is required to obey the whole law notice how he repeats himself even within two verses notice how dogmatic categorical he is I tell you that if I tell you who lets you who lets himself I tell you and so on very powerful dogmatic on this, will you? I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourself be circumcised, if you let yourself, every man who lets himself be circumcised, you are responsible at Galatia. Get your brains in gear. Start thinking. And what you do about this, the decision you make about this subject, the position you come to, is your responsibility. he who lets himself if you let yourselves be what? come under the law what? be circumcised ah now here's one of the defense ways you see all he's talking about is circumcision that's all he's talking about not at all look at verse 3 I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is required to obey the whole law Circumcision is one aspect, actually it's not in the law, to be honest, to be frank. Nevertheless, law and circumcision are tied together. Right, fair enough. But when these men are talking about circumcision, and possibly diet laws what they're really talking about and what they must talk about because there's no possibility of ever dividing the law up into little bits and picking little bits off if it's one aspect of the law, James chapter 2, if it's one commandment then it's the whole shooting match, it's the whole lot Because the point is, you cannot break bits off the law. You can't divide the law up. This is a standard technique of the reformed people. Divide the law up into three bits. Ceremonial, judicial and moral. Throw away two bits. Moral stands. It's completely unscriptural. Mark my words says Paul, you can't do that. If it's circumcision, if it's dietary laws, if it's Sabbath, if it's this or that or the other, if it's wearing different coloured garments or different coloured wool garments and so on, different kind of seeds sowing in the ground, whatever it is, it's the whole shooting match. It's the whole law. You can't divide it up. And of course, these teachers are not just talking about circumcision. It's the whole law. Unless you come under the law, you cannot be saved. and that's not justification only as I've said many times so what have we learned so far? the believers are responsible they can't shuffle it off the false teachers have their responsibility yes but believer I have my responsibility and you have yours you can't shuffle it off you've got to face up to it for yourself secondly You can't divide the law up into various bits. If you're going down the law route, it's the whole law. Every bit of it. The Bible does not warrant breaking the law into bits. All the Reformed textbooks do. All the Reformed confessions do. Calvin does. Aquinas does. All of them do. Hymns do. Oh yeah, I know it does. But the Bible Mark my words, I'm going to be frank about it. You can put all the Reformed confessions, all the Reformed commentators, all the Reformed hymns, all the Reformed books on one side of the scales, and you can put the Scripture on the other, and it's the Scripture for me. I'm responsible for saying that. I'm accountable to God for it. But I say it unreservedly. Mark my words. There is no dividing up of the law into bits. all or nothing and we are responsible and then another elevation what's the end of all this? now as Paul is saying it so I'm going to say it I'm resting on his authority once you start on this game of going down the law where will you end up? Christ will be of no value to you at all now that's what he says you may say well look at the reformed, Christ is of value to them yes they're illogical I dare say they are but the ultimate is Christ is of no value to you at all at least not go this far then every step you take towards law you're going away from Christ oh that's too strong my words Paul tell you that if you let yourself be circumcised if you pick up the law in one aspect Christ will be of no value to you at all you couldn't be more categorical than this man again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is required to obey the whole law now that is why I wanted to speak on these two verses because it puts it hammers on the head that all many of the reformed techniques for getting round what I've been teaching you you can't divide the law up into various bits and throw bits away you can't do it And every step away from Christ is a step away from Christ, I tell you. And you take a step away from Christ by going towards the law. Law and grace, law and Christ are contrasted here. Paul is doing it. Mark my words, I Paul tell you. It's not David Kaye, it's I Paul. You don't have to answer to me, my friend. I'd like you to write to me and put me right. Of course, yes, please do so, if I'm wrong. If you think I'm wrong, write to me and show me I'm wrong. But it's no good quoting a confession to faith. I want scripture. I want Paul. I want James. I want John. I want Peter. That's what I want. I know Calvin said this, and I know Ralph Erskine said that, and I know Martin Lloyd-Jones said the other, or whatever it might be you want to quote. Okay. I want Paul, James, John, Peter. We are responsible. And every step towards law is a step away from Christ. Ah, but it's only justification. Look at verse 5. Look at verse 4. You are trying to be justified by law. That's tomorrow's discourse, isn't it, my friend? I quite agree that we can go the wrong way over justification. I quite agree. I quite agree that justification is by faith and not by law. Pass it. No, no, no. How about going to verse 13? you my brothers were called to be free but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh rather serve what's that talking about justification no it's not it's talking about sanctification as a result of justification how about verse 16 so I say live by the spirit is that justification no it's sanctification verse 19 the acts of the flesh are obvious is that justification no it's sanctification verse 22 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy is that justification? no it's sanctification brothers if someone is caught in a sin chapter 6 verse 1 you who are spiritual should and so on is that justification? no it's sanctification you see? he doesn't stop at justification does he? he does speak about justification and I will tomorrow in the next discourse God willing but don't go on to verse four until you've sorted out verses two and three whoever's hearing me believer, unbeliever this is the word for you you are confronted by Christ or law I don't care whether you're an atheist or an Islamic person a Jehovah's Witness, a Roman Catholic, whatever you are religious or whatever that's not the issue it's one or the other it's black or white it's either or Christ or law If it's not Christ, it's law. Oh, I don't want to do any law. I do my best. That's law. I do. Whether it's rites, ceremonies, church, priests, whatever it might be. It's law. And you have a choice. If you let yourself go to law, Christ will profit you nothing. If you're looking to be right with God, by law, you've had it. for cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things that are written in the law to do them. So, everyone who hears me, you have a responsibility. What is your choice, my friend? Is it Christ or law? Let me give you my testimony on this. I want to be right with God, that's called justification. But then I'll say this, we are justified, I, I'll put it in the personal, I am justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to be cleansed from my sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses me from all sin. I want to live a holy life. The law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death. Christ has fulfilled the law in me and is fulfilling it by His Spirit, taking me to His Word, helping me to obey it. I'm not perfect. I sin. I fail. But where I go for sanctification, Christ works? No. The law? No. The spirit bears witness with my spirit, taking me to Christ and showing me Christ, that I am a child of God. Liberty, joy, glory, everlasting peace with God. Whatever it is, my friend, it's Christ. And when I preach, by God's grace, I want to have the spirits, I want to have the apostles' testimony in the spirit. We preach in demonstration of spirit and power, but what do we preach? we preach Christ crucified I am determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified now that's my testimony the law is part of God's word and the law was given by Moses for a temporary time but grace and truth have come by Jesus Christ and Christ to me is the end of the law to everyone who believes and I rest in him for all for Christ is all now that's my testimony I'm responsible for that before God I say I have to answer to it. One day God is going to call me to account. And what is my hope? What is my plea? What is my ground? It is what I just said to you. Christ is all. I have nothing else. Nothing in my hand I bring. Nothing. Christ is all. Now you've got to make your choice. Is there a believer listening to me? Where do you go for your sanctity? Where do you go for your assurance, your joy, your peace? You go into the law? That's a step away from Christ. You've got to make your choice, my friend. Unbeliever, where are you going? Well, I know where you're going. You're going to law. Oh, I'm not? Yes, you are. I've explained that to you. Come to Jesus. For Christ is all. All? Yeah. Whatever you need before God, He will give to you. If you turn from your sins, repent and believe and call upon His name. and ask him Mr. Preacher what are you preaching? in the pulpit those of you I say Mr. or Mrs. or Miss wherever we're all preachers who are Christians what are you offering to men? law? works? church? attending sermons? or do you preach Christ? I say you have the responsibility I tell you if you let yourself anyone who lets himself or herself that's your responsibility and on apostolic authority I Paul I tell you Christ must be all and law and Christ do not mix do not be a law preacher and a gospel preacher because if you are if you're a mongrel law gospel preacher you're a law preacher preach Christ, live Christ, trust Christ uphold Christ, worship Christ, service Christ, serve Christ, honor Christ, glorify Christ. Why? Because Christ is all. Let me just read the Apostle's words again. They're not the words that David gave. They're the words of Paul the Apostle. Mark my words, I, Paul, tell you, that if you let yourselves be circumcised Christ will be of no value to you at all again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised or take one step in the law whatever it is for you my friend that he is required to obey the whole law may God give us all grace to choose a right on this point forsaking all other turning my back upon every other way may I look only unto Jesus looking unto Jesus in all things, for Christ is all.