Galatians 2:19-21

[0:00] All of us learn in Bible school or Sunday school or somewhere throughout the point of our life, somebody's taught us John 3.16 and all of us can probably quote it by heart and honestly you can hinge the entire Bible on that one verse. As hard as that is to fathom, you could honestly do it. You could also hinge the whole Bible on that one little song we just sung, Jesus loves me.

[0:26] And the Bible shows that from Genesis to Revelation. It shows the love of God that he has for his creation and what what extents that God was willing to go to to exhibit that love to his creation. I thank the good Lord for that. But anyway, Galatians chapter 2, thought I was going to preach this a week or two ago and ended up not preaching it. Thought I was going to preach from Psalms 84 this afternoon and that's not going to happen either. So we'll just go the way the good Lord leads. Y'all just sit tight and I don't expect to be before you too off alone. But Galatians chapter 2, I've preached and taught from this both since being here. Galatians is a very important letter that we have in the scriptures, in the canon of scripture that Paul wrote to the church that was in or the churches that were in the region of Galatia. And the Galatian church was known as the legalistic church. Why this term legalistic? Because they were they were depending on law more so than they was

[1:48] Jesus Christ. They started out with Jesus Christ and Paul talks about that in this letter. He talks about it. There's one part of it. I believe it's in the next chapter where he says, you did run well. Who did hinder you? Or who does hinder you? And so he commends them on how they started. It's where they were ending up at that the letter was about. Because these Judaizers had come in to the region of Galatia and they were saying Jesus Christ is great and fine and well but we still need this and we still need that. And that's what this entire letter comprises. That's what it talks about. As Paul saying, no, it's Jesus Christ. It's his crucifixion and it's his blood and nothing else. And those of you that heard me preach long enough, y'all know that's that's the same thoughts that I have on the matter. There ain't no amount of law that we can keep that will justify us as human beings. It is only Jesus Christ that that work that justification for us. It's only his work on the cross that's able to do that. So we're just going to read the last few verses of the second chapter of the book of Galatians. We'll pick up in verse 19. It says, for I through the law and dead to the law that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless

[3:21] I live yet not I but Christ live within me. And the life which I live 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 came by the law then is cross dead in vain. So here we have the last few verses of Galatians chapter 2. And again Paul and this one the only church that Paul wrote to. This one the only people that Paul wrote to having to address such a matter as legalism within the church and the folks. Don't get me wrong when I speak against legalism. I understand there's got to be order inside the church. I understand there's got to be rules in place and I understand all of these things. But there's a line that is to be drawn there and that line is whether or not it affects salvation for someone that has lost coming in the door or someone who's been saved for 20 years and sitting in the congregation. Folks that's where the line is drawn is whether or not it affects their salvation for a believer or the possibility of salvation for a non-believer in Jesus Christ. That's where the line is. Paul here in addressing the Galatians says for I through the law and dead to the law that I might live unto God. What does that tell us here? He says I through the law through the very law that these

[5:05] Judaizers were trying to put back into place on top of Jesus Christ and on top of his works the very law he says I through the law and dead to the law.

[5:18] Paul wrote to the Roman church in his letter to the Romans he said that if it weren't for the law we wouldn't even know that we were sinners. If it weren't for the law that God gave Moses and he brought down from Mount Sinai and not only those 10 commandments but every other law that God spoke in the Old Testament if it weren't for that we would still be wondering around not knowing what was sin and not knowing what was good and what wasn't not knowing if we were sinning or we wasn't but folks even more so in the New Testament church with the New Testament Christians we have the Holy Ghost of Almighty God dwelling inside of us that lets us know hey you just committed a sin you just transgressed against your maker you just sinned against God and when the Holy Ghost shows that to us as a believer in Jesus Christ we are weird should be driven to our knees to repent of that sin that we might keep our fellowship with

[6:26] Almighty God. But in the Old Testament folks and I think I said it this morning but I'll say it again if I did even if I did folks that's all they had was their own righteousness all they had was the works of the law they didn't have the grace of Jesus Christ they didn't have the sacrifice of Jesus Christ all they had was the promise of a Messiah but the Messiah had not entered in on the scene just yet Messiah had not showed up hey he was prophesied it was spoken of and all of these other things yes but he had not entered in the only blood that they had to count on was the blood of the sacrifice that they would take to the priests at the temple or at the tabernacle depending on which phase of Jewish history that we're talking about but they would depend on the blood of an innocent animal that had never done anything whether it be turtle does whether it be a bull or an ox or a sheep or a goat regardless of what it was they were depending on that blood but nevertheless it has always been something to do with blood it has always been something to do with innocent blood that was shed for the remission of sin but the sands in the Old Testament they weren't truly gotten rid of they weren't truly flushed away they were simply rolled back for another year but they still existed but my God my Jesus his blood is all sufficient it is all powerful to not only roll back those sins not only cover those sins not only get rid of those sins but completely wash those sins away nowhere God can't see them on me God doesn't know no sin to live if the blood of Jesus has washed them away but they didn't have that in the Old Testament all they had they had priests they had the sons of Aaron they had those those men that would do the service work in the temple you would bring the sacrifice whatever that sacrifice was bring the sacrifice and it depending on what you were what you have done as to what the sacrifice was folks that's another that's another big advantage that's being New Testament Christians it doesn't matter what we done we didn't have one sacrifice for this sin and a different sacrifice for that sin one sacrifice one perfect sacrifice one flawless sacrifice was sufficient to wash away every sin I've ever committed every sin that you have ever committed one sacrifice was sufficient to do that not only for me and for you but for an entire world of people that only seek it only wanted that God elect that God calls out and says you have sinned against me but I can do something about that one man was able to do that with his life and with his blood and that man was not Paul it wasn't Peter it wasn't

[9:36] Moses it was the man Jesus Christ hallelujah that's my Jesus I love him for I threw the law and dead to the law read that again I threw the law and dead to the law I am dead to the law but folks that is only if I am inside of Christ Jesus that is only if I am a born again Christian that I am dead to the law Romans chapter rate and verse one says that there is no therefore no condemnation to those that are in cross Jesus folks there's condemnation to the world there's condemnation to the unrepented sinners there's condemnation to the mockers of God there's condemnation to all of these people but those that are in Christ Jesus Paul said and the word of God says there is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in cross Jesus praise God amen and hallelujah through the law I'm dead to the law but I'm crucified with cross what does that mean hey that old man it was nailed to the cross there in Calvary now the new man is alive and well living inside of me I'm crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ live within me yet not I not this guy I've used the example before there's any number of people and it could happen to you too she's on look at me like I'm lower than you we're all on the same level praise God the ground level with the foot of the cross there's any number of people I grew up with I went on through my twenties I'm into my early 30s I could walk through that back door and say Spencer I used to party with you you used to do this and you used to do that boy we had some good times together running around doing this and that and that any number of people could say that the folks that was the old man that they're talking about they wouldn't be lying if they came through the doors and said that the folks that's in the past that's in those sins that have been washed away that

[11:52] God doesn't remember hey if God has any memory has any recollection of those sins it's because I'm the very one that's reminded him of him it's because I'm the very one that's all repentance over and over that is so forgiveness and mercy over and over for those sins hey my God hold that same sin against me once I've repented God has forgotten it God is forgiven God says move on move on in the newness of life move on in that new man move on with a new man living in you hallelujah folks we let ourselves get bogged down we do we as Christians will let ourselves get bogged down sometimes not even over sinful stuff sometimes it's just the pressures of life will bog us down they will they'll drag us down unbelievably we can't allow that to happen though and folks as Christians as believe and I'm as guilty of it as anybody but as Christians and believers we shouldn't be able to do that God is all powerful and God is all sufficient to meet every need that we have so when something is dwelling on our mind when something is weighing us down on our shoulders or weighing down our heart hey we can take that something no matter what it is we can go to God and the only reason we can go to God is because that new man lives in me because

[13:22] Jesus Christ lives in me I can't go to him on my own no more than the Jew can make it a God on their own without the help of a priest I cannot go to God without the help of the high priest Jesus Christ but I've got that high priest and I don't use it nearly as much as I should none of us do shame on us shame on everyone of us hey folks that's the most useful tool we got prayer that's the most useful and underused tool in any Christian Christians arsenal or toolbox is prayer but but we fail to do it why because we're human because we always think hey I can handle this I can do this all on my own I don't need the help of this one or that one I ain't saying we directly think these things but that's what's in our mind and folks the truth be the truth be known if we bow that down pride will be floating there on the top it's our own pride that makes us think that way it's our own pride that gets us in those situations but he says I'm crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ live within me of the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of

[14:38] God folks where is he going from here he's gone from saying through the law I'm dead to the law through the very law I was given I'm dead to that law that doesn't mean I've got permission to go out here and commit every sin in the book and then some he is saying that law cannot save me that law I'm not depending on it to save me I'm not that I wasn't depending on it certainly before I was saved and since I've been saved I'm not dependent on keeping the law to save me it is Jesus Christ and him crucified and his shed blood in his current intercession for me at the right hand of God that is what saves me that is what keeps me safe and nothing else it is all Jesus it is all God the salvation is of the Lord and the Lord is salvation period we cannot depend on ourselves we cannot depend on our keeping of the law that's the whole reason Christ Jesus had to come into the world hey the same man that wrote this he wrote a very very intriguing verse in 1st Timothy chapter 1 verse 15 he said this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief to all look at himself as the chief of sinners he looked at himself as the worst of the worst at the bottom of a barrel at the bottom of that sea of sin and he but he said that's the very top of people that Almighty God can manifest in himself into this world to come and say in Jesus Christ and through his blood hallelujah and he done the same thing for me and he done it for the same reasons because I was at the bottom of that sea you was at the bottom of that sea you might think well my sin wasn't that bad your sin regardless if it was one or if it was a thousand your sin regardless is black and disgusting and evil and wicked in the eyes of a holy and righteous God who has never committed sin and mine is too James says

[16:50] James says he that keepeth the law and offendeth him one point is guilty of all so so that being said folks that levels the playing field it love I am no better than any murderer that's on death row right now I'm no better than any dope head any prostitute any alcoholic I'm no better than any of them and they are no better than I am folks it levels the playing field if we have offended God if we have transgressed against the law of God one time one time we are guilty of every transgression that is in the book that doesn't do it again that doesn't just mean those 10 commandments but we're guilty of all those as well we are guilty of everything that God said in this book not to do we are guilty of everything that God said in this book to do and we've neglected to do and we are guilty of all if we have sinned one time but we got a savior to take care of that that's who Paul's writing about here and that's who he's living by he says in the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of

[18:02] God and the Son of God not by keeping the law and the Son of God the life which I live now I live in the faith of the Son of God the faith that he is going to keep me the faith that he saved me to begin with the faith that he's going to be the one that gets me home the faith in that song that we sung just a little while ago that Jesus does indeed love me the faith that Jesus loves me enough that he died for me hey ladies out there every every lady I've ever known says I just want a man that had died for me that happened about 2,000 years ago he not only died for you ladies he died for us man he died for every woman man boy girl child whatever the case was he died one and for all for each one of us that we could be saved and not the life that I live now is not in me the life that I live now is in Christ Jesus in Christ Jesus and folks that means every every more shall I eat every wink of sleep that I get every time I'm healed of a headache or a runny nose or whatever's going on every time my depression lifts off of me and every time that lifts off of you every time those bad dreams go away every time leg pain goes away every time all these things happen it is by Jesus Christ that those things happen it is by our faith and the Son of God that those things are made possible that those things occur in our lives folks it's just like I told you I was studying songs 84 this afternoon and songs 84 it talks about it talks about I'm going from strength to strength oh hey when we go from strength to strength they strength only comes from God they can only come from our faith in God the world doesn't have that kind of strength and the world doesn't look for that kind of strength the world wants people to look at them and say this is a strong person look at what they made it through look at what they've done look at what they've been through and yet they're still standing here but Paul here he says that he lives but he lives in the faith of Jesus Christ hey Paul also wrote that if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit and if we're walking in the spirit bless God we should have strength in that same spirit we should have hope in that spirit we should have hope in the Word of God in the blood of

[20:33] Jesus and the promise of a better land to come we have all those things but it's only in Christ Jesus that we do it's just like Philippians we're gonna go all the way through Paul's writing tonight Philippians 4 chapter 13 we say it all the time we see people we see sports players with painted on their cheeks Philippians 4 13 what to say I can do all things through Christ some strength in this one folks that's not a blank check there's a lot of blank check at all that's not talking about achievement that's not talking about what we can achieve through Christ and it's talking about contentment you've got to read that verse in the context it was written in because just before that Paul says I've learned whatsoever state I'm in there with to be content he said I've learned how to be a base and I've learned how to be exalted Paul was referring that Paul wrote that letter in recognition and thanks to a gift that he had received from the church that fillify gifts that he had received with them and he told him he said he said it renewed me it strengthened me he said he said it let me know that hey you was wanting to help somewhere out there on the outside but the opportunity hadn't presented itself that you could help that my folks in that letter he made it clear to the Philippians that it was not their gift that kept him going it was not anything that they done for him that kept him going it was Jesus Christ and him alone and Paul's faith in the man

[22:11] Jesus Christ that kept him going that's why I said I can do all things through cross which streaks it with me therefore I can do all those things now folks he was talking about being content with what we have and when we have Paul here in Galatians he says the 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 Paul not only says who it is but he tells what he done who loved me and gave himself for me gave himself for me gave himself for you gave himself for the Roman soldiers that knelt him to the tree gave himself for every one of those Jews that were spitting that were that were mocking him that were screaming crucifying gave himself for everybody everybody he gave himself for them but Paul personalized it here he says who loved me and gave himself for me folks you hear me call him my Jesus all the time because he is my Jesus but there's enough of them to share there's enough of them to go around there's been enough of them since the dawn of time and there'll be enough of him in the end there is enough of that Jesus to go around there's enough mercy from that

[23:33] Jesus to go around there's enough grace from that Jesus to go around and there is enough forgiveness from that same Jesus Christ to go around to everybody but just because everybody can have their part and everybody can have forgiveness and mercy and Jesus Christ does not mean that he can't have a personal relationship with me. He saved me from my own personal sin and bless God. He can give me grace that no he can give nobody else.

[24:04] Come on sin that needs covered that you might not have. You have sin that needs covered and washed away that I might not have. So the grace is personal, the forgiveness is personal and bless God. My Jesus is personal. Hallelujah. I do not frustrate the grace of God. This is probably the most important part of the passage. I do not frustrate the grace of God. If righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain. What do you say? If we look for forgiveness, if we look for contentment, if we look for strength, if we look for mercy, if we look for anything from God inside the law, we will not find it. It can't be found. Not in the law. Folks that law done nothing but show the world just how wretched and just how condemned and just how evil we are as human beings.

[25:10] Just how sin filled we are as human beings. That's all the law did. Paul says I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain.

[25:23] Folks we cannot look to the law for forgiveness and we cannot look to the law for mercy because don't take my word for it. Go to the book of Leviticus, read some of those laws, go over to Exodus, go through Numbers, go through Deuteronomy at the warnings that Almighty God gives to the second generation of Jews that was about to go into the Canaan land. Look at those warnings. Hey, he says, hey, if you do these things I bless you, but if you don't do these things there'll be a curse on you. You won't be able to grow anything in your own land and if you do I'm gonna send somebody else in to eat it. I'll send someone else in to harvest it. I'll put you in bondage underneath someone else.

[26:05] You will be cursed. That's what the law does. It curses us and it's a curse straight from God. But Christ, what's the scripture say? Does Finneyman, I'm sorry, it says that if we be free in Christ then there will be free indeed. Are we free indeed folks? The law did not free us, never had the power to free us and it won't have the power to free us. Only Jesus Christ can make us free. Only he can free us from the bondage of sin. Only he can free us from these things. I do not frustrate the grace of God. Folks, that tells me that those times in my very young Christian life when I would go to God begging for forgiveness for things that he had already forgiven me for at the point of salvation I would go to God with a guilty feeling. I'd go to God and say how could you forgive this and how could you forgive this? And then I remember what I did 20 years ago. I remember what I did 15 years ago. Oh God, I want to make sure these things are out of the way. I want to make sure that we're good. I want to make sure that I'm on that way to the home that you promised me. Jesus Christ is the answer to every one of those questions. Therefore I will not and cannot and shall not frustrate the grace of God. We'll go to God and try to deal with him, try to barter with him. You can't do it. God's not that kind of man. I've heard a priest that God's a businessman.

[27:39] Folks, I can't find that in scripture. I can't find that. In fact, the scripture gives stern warning against making burdens with God, against making vows with God. I suggest you not do it. I suggest that I not do it. Because if you're going to do that, you better very well keep that vow. There's a man over in the book of Judges, named Jeff Thaw. Most people ain't heard of him. The only time you read about him in the New Testament is in the book of Hebrews. The folks in Hebrews chapter 11, that great faith chapter, were talking about the heroes of faith that man Jeff Thaw. He went out to battle. First of all, he was a longer, he was an outcast because he was a bastard because he didn't know him. He knew his daddy was, but his mama was a prostitute, I believe it was. But either way, either way, he was an outcast because of that. And his siblings threw him off to the side of him. Said, we don't want nothing to do with you. So he went out. It was kind of like the story of David.

[28:44] They went out and got a bunch of misfits together, and they'd well together outside of that land. Well, Tom come, somebody come to attack him. I can't remember exactly who, but somebody come to attack them close. They said, run and get Jeff Thaw. Run and get him. So Jeff Thaw, he makes a deal with them, with the people. He says, if I do this, will I be your ruler? Will I be your king? So he besieges God.

[29:06] He says, God, if you deliver this enemy into my hand, if you deliver him into my hand, whatever the first thing that meets me when I get back home, I will offer up to you. I'll offer up to you. Jeff Thaw goes out, God delivers the enemy into his hand. Jeff Thaw goes home, who meets him, his only daughter. She was the first one out to get it. She was the first one out to meet him. He done made that vow to God. He had already made that vow to God. Now folks, it's been argued for I'm sure centuries, did Jeff Thaw offer her up as a sacrifice? Listen, Jeff Thaw was a Jew. Jeff Thaw knew the law. Jeff Thaw knew that God would be displeased with killing one of our own children. So I don't think that he did personally, personally. Spencer don't think that he did because it says that his daughter said, give me a little while. Let me go up into the mountains. Let me mourn my virginity.

[30:05] Let me mourn this occasion. And she goes up in the mountains for two months and her maidens went up there with her. And then they all mourned her virginity. They all mourned that she wasn't able to marry. That's what I think the sacrifice was. Jeff Thaw's name died out because he had no grandchildren to pass it on to. And all he had was a daughter. He had no sons. So I think that's what the sacrifice was. But anyway, that's more of a Sunday school lesson and not a sermon. Now folks, that tells us, be careful what you vow. And if you vow it, you keep it. Now listen, hey, hats off to Jeff Thaw. He kept his vow to the Lord. He kept the vow that he promised to the Lord. And that's why I think he's mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11. Because there's a lot of folks back then that would not have done. They said, I can't let my name die out. That could be my possession. That could be my inheritance. That could be everything that I would lose. So hats off to the man. But if we make a vow to God, we better keep it. But folks, listen, grace. How is grace defined more often than not? The unmerited favor of Almighty God. And that's an awesome, awesome definition for it. That's not a definition necessarily that you find word for word in

[31:28] Scripture. But that but it's explained like that through certain events in the Scripture. It is the unmerited favor of God. Paul says, I will not frustrate the grace of God. If we have God's grace, why are we out making vows? If we have God's grace, why are we trying to bargain with them? If we have God's grace, why don't we just go to and say, God, I need a double portion of that grace.

[31:55] God, I need a double portion of this strength. I need a double portion of mercy. I need a double portion of whatever it is that we need. If we have the grace of God, we need not make vows under God. But if we do make those vows, you better well keep those vows. But with grace, there's no sense of it. There's no sense in making those vows. And I've heard men pray. I've been at hospitals with men that were losing their lives. I've been at hospitals with people that their children was in there. And I've heard those people pray. And God bless them. I ain't down in one bit. Say, God, take me instead of them. God, I'd rather you took me as take them. Now, listen, that's, that's not necessarily a vow. But if you don't mean those words, you better not say it. You better not say it. Because God might hear, might just hear and God might just make good on what you've said there. So be careful. It's just like the warning I've given a lot of parents and a lot of grandparents. Be careful what we idolize. Don't idolize your children. Don't put them above God, because God can take those idols right out of your lives. God can, God can remove anything that is in the way between you and him. And if that means a child, I've got scripture upon scripture that will back up that God will remove a child, a wife, a husband, whatever it is that is in the way of your relationship with him. So we've got to be careful in our steps. And people say that don't sound like a loving God. That's why he does it. Because he does love you. The Bible says that he chastens those who he loves. He rebukes and he chastens those whom he loves. He don't rebuking and chasing the world. He rebukes and chastens his own children. They'll get they'll get their rebuk one day. The world would for if righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

[33:52] There is no possibility of righteousness through the law because of Jesus Christ. And if there was the possibility of righteousness through the law, then Jesus Christ died in vain. It was impossible then it's impossible now to keep the law and to be saved to keep the law and being good standing.

[34:14] If if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. My Christ ain't dead in vain. My Christ died to save me because I could not save myself because I could not keep that law. He was the only one that ever strode this earth that was able to perfectly keep the law. I know there's a lot of folks out there that locked our argue over God's sovereignty and God's free will. But I tell you now, the free will was exhibited in the garden and it's been exhibited ever since. God put out on an evening there. He said don't touch on this particular fruit from this particular tree. He gave them a choice to do so. They gave them the free will to choose to do it or to not do it and they chose to do it. Now folks, that's not to discount the sovereignty of God because God is all sovereign.

[35:07] God runs this universe. God runs the lost people's lives just like he runs the lives of his own children and there's all kinds of scripture in the Bible where he's using pagan kings, pagan people.

[35:18] He uses heathens from the outside country. He does all these things but it is God working those things from the from the outside just like where the Bible it tells us to pray for our leaders, pray for nations, pray for Israel. Folks, I don't care who is the president of Israel. The scripture says we should be praying for that nation. We should pray for our own nation. I don't care if you love Trump or hate Trump's guts. I don't care if you loved Obama or hated Obama. The Bible doesn't say pray for your leaders if you lack them. The Bible says to pray for your leaders and folks, it was hard for me to pray for a couple of presidents that we've had but nevertheless I had to do it.

[36:01] I should have had a want to do it and I did have a want to do it but boy if it ain't hard. It ain't no different than the scripture. It says I love you neighbor. Love thy neighbor as thyself. It's hard to love some people. It is. It's I know I know I know beyond child of death. Some people say that about me. It's hard to love Spencer. Ain't I doubting my mind some people say that but folks if we're born again and let me rephrase that if we're going to church and we're a professor of Jesus Christ if we're a professor the name of Jesus Christ and we have no desire to love our neighbor then we ain't born again. We ain't Christian. We never received anything. We've never gotten anything. We don't have this new man that Paul wrote about at the beginning of this passage. We don't have those things if we have not the desire to love God and to love our neighbor.

[37:02] Those are the two greatest commandments. Again I'll just read that last line one more time for if righteousness come by the law then Christ is dead in vain. It is not by the law. It was never by the law. It will never be by the law. Righteousness comes through Jesus Christ. It comes by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ I said it this morning is the righteousness of God. That city when we get up yonder you're born again and we get to heaven together. It won't be lit by chandeliers.

[37:36] It won't be lit by torches. It won't be lit by bonfires. It says it's a glory of God. And that Lamb of God will be the lot thereof. That's the righteousness of God. That's the righteousness of God. I know the scripture says the glory of God. Hey folks if it's his glory it's his righteousness and all of it's going to be up there as one just like he will be and we will be up there in that city. We'll be basking in that lot. We'll be singing his praises. We'll be singing ten times louder.