The Case For Grace, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ that mean English that's it. You deal you sign a contract.

What to read the small print what I tell you that there was deal whenever you sign it. That's what you sign with man. What really deal still appeal is and how much more so God makes joining us today on this additional fellowship in the past, fellowship, in the words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie and Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word. Our world percent of all American believe that oatmeal comes from wheat.

That alone should demonstrate the difficulty of my job teaching God's word to God's people has been the challenge of my life over the years I have been astounded what people have concluded, based on what I have said there has not always been a marriage between your conclusions and my intentions and I don't know who bears most blame, but I have a good idea but you know I think sometimes I have to admit that the problem might be mine. Maybe I was just not clear enough.

The apostle Paul was a great teacher, William Ward said this, the mediocre teacher tells the good teacher explains the superior teacher demonstrates the great teacher inspires. That's the apostle Paul, a great teacher. But when Paul taught Grace to the Galatians apparently their conclusions were not his intentions.

Judaizers came in and persuaded them that neither Paul's message, nor even Paul was really credible. So Paul writes them a scathing letter and he decided at that moment in that letter that he would do everything that he could possibly do to get them on the right track. First of all, he discredited the Judaizers message and then he cursed the Judaizers. The Judaizers basically said look you need to believe in Jesus but you gotta do something religious. Also, in their case they said you need to be circumcised. If you believe in Jesus and are circumcised you be all right with God. Paul was very upset by that call called that another gospel that is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, that all but I think is any great teacher. Paul had to wonder was the problem. The Galatians was the problem myself, was a combination so Paul decides that what he wants to do is he said I'm going to make sure that there will be no stone unturned when it comes to making a case for the grace of God that a person is justified or saved by faith and faith alone in Christ and Christ alone. So Paul sets out right in the middle of his letter to have six different approaches to teaching the exact same truth, so would you open your Bibles to Galatians chapter 3.

This morning my job will be to teach you what Paul is trying to teach the Galatians. I've given it some thought and so my strategy will be as I would try to stay out of Paul's way is much as I possibly can so that way if you have a problem with understanding what is said.

Your problem is not with me, your problem with apostle Paul. I met a tree chapters 3 and four is one section and the reason I'm going to do that is because the possible that he decides right there and he is going to make his case for grace and my prayer is that when Paul is finished you will be convinced that salvation is obtained by faith alone in Christ alone and that it is solely a matter of the grace of God and not any religious activity or works.

The first thing Paul starts out with is what I would call the personal approach and it's about as personal as it can get a start side and he says if you fill each Galatians. Now he's almost kind in English translation here you foolish Galatians, JB Phillips, the Greek New Testament scholar who wrote a paraphrase of the New Testament. He paraphrases it. You dear idiots is a lot closer to the Greek it's the word is no I/O means to comprehend or understand in this is the word I know it twice and this word. This word is the negative of that and basically it means someone who cannot comprehend someone who cannot understand someone who just doesn't get it. I guess in English we would use the word stupid that's repulsing his personal oaf always Galatians, who has bewitched you know he knows who it was. The Judaizers, but one interesting term use the word bewitched is the only time that word is used in the entire New Testament and it basically means who cast a spell on you who fascinated you sort of like what you did if you want to have magicians act and you saw sleight-of-hand, you'd be amazed to be fascinated by. That's the word Paul was using. He says you foolish Galatians, whose bewitched you.

Now he gets talks about their personal relationship with him. He said, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

You heard what I gave you the gospel I gave the gospel that in Jesus Christ and Christ alone. There is salvation that Jesus Christ went to the cross and was crucified and that through his crucifixion. He is our sin bearer and God was appeased or propitiated by because God raised him from the dead, and that's all there is in fact the word as crucified is in the past perfect tense and so what that means is something that happened in the past but the results of a go on forever bosses you heard it. He said this is the only thing I want to find out from you. Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by the hearing of faith. You see, they received the spirit of God when they believe, just as we do, and he says it now. Did you receive the spirit of God. When I gave the gospel or did you receive on the Judaizers came when the project all course, rhetorical. He knows when he came he said are you so foolish. Having begun by the spirit your knob and be perfected in the flash.

How do you think you can do that now you do and she believed her to be saved by grace and energy to live a Christian life by religion or by works, he says, did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain. He said even think back to when you were converted your pagans and just like today people were thrilled by your conversion is remember your family didn't like it. Your friends didn't like it. The culture didn't like it.

You see, you suffered whenever you come to Jesus Christ in any culture you do, but in this culture. A great deal.

He says so then does he who provides you with the spirit and works miracles among you do it by works of the law or by the hearing of faith is the one thing that Paul did that the Judaizers didn't do Paul healed the sick. Paul blind people saw Lane people walked that's the apostle Paul. You see Paul a lot, all about to happen under Paul.

He's about the Judaizers do what they did didn't do anything and so he gives this personal approach. You saw it you experienced it.

No understand for the Galatians. It's all new to them. They basically all came to Christ as adults they were pagans. The apostle Paul comes and preach the gospel. They decided and so for them it's a very very momentous event. And that's the way it is for many of us concerning the way was for me because I was fortunate enough in a certain way to come to Christ as an adult. In other words, I knew it was like to be without Christ and then I knew when Jesus Christ came in my life, what that meant. It is interesting maybe with you.

It's the same way, but I can remember the moment I prayed to receive Christ. I can remember from that moment on my life is different. Some of you were raised in personal. You may have heard the gospel when you're young there's on time alive. I didn't believe in Jesus Christ. That's a wonderful testimony, but that's not the testimony, the Galatians, the Galatians knew what was momentous to me. Most of you know that many of you I know came to Christ as an adult you know the difference between religiosity in Jesus Christ and grace because you said in churches you went there every week you said in the church you stood up when they set up your site dominates a dog when they said something you said something and you went to it week after week after week after week, but when you finally understood the gospel of Jesus Christ and you put your faith and trust in him and you were born again to God's family, you know there was a difference that day.

You see, that's a different relationship and religion, and Paul tries to appeal by the personal approach. He then moves to a very solid approach. The scriptural approach from verses 6 to 14.

He quotes the Old Testament.

He said even so, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. That's in Genesis 15. Now that's interesting because Paul wants to quote a particular Old Testament writer here Moses because who's the champion for the Judaizers Moses why they say Moses wrote the law poses, yes, but Moses also wrote Genesis and long before there was a law look what he said. Moses wrote that Abraham believed God, and that was reckoned or accounted or imputed to him as righteousness exactly what Paul says in Romans chapter 4 verse three he says, therefore, be sure that it is those who are of the faith. Who are the sons of Abraham now is putting something in from left field, the Judaizers came and said, look, we know the truth because Jewish and were sons of Abraham, and we have the genetic background we can trace our roots. Right back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Paul said basically big deal so that's not really what a son of Abraham as though he understands and certainly is, but notice what he says here, therefore, be sure it is those who are of faith who are the sons of Abraham see the real son of Abraham. Accounts are you a son of Abraham by faith. In other words, Abraham had faith and was it reckoned to him as righteousness.

Do you have faith in its reckoned to you as righteousness. Therefore, your son of Abraham. He says the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preach the gospel before hand. Abraham saying all the nations will be blessed in you all the people groups. He said all the way back in Genesis, Moses knew. He wrote it down that all the people groups around the world will be blessed and come under the blessing of the Abraham a covenant how my faith is inference you're already in the Abraham covenant because you are people of faith, he said so then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham the believer see not Abraham the patriarch Abraham the believer instantly makes this scriptural appeal. If you take the father of the Jewish race. You can find out how was he justified before God by faith.

Whenever you have faith you are justified just like Abraham.

Therefore, the blessings of Abraham are yours and your sons of Abraham, so use the personal approach the watches he goes on. The question then comes up. What about the law. He said for as many as are the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written curse. It is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them quotes Moses again, this time in Deuteronomy 0 if you want to be saved by the law.

That's great, but Moses wrote that in order to be saved by the law, you have to keep all of it not 30%, not 50%, not 80% 100% and that's why Moses gave him 600 laws and ordinances said go had no Kinko's if you mess up on one of them. Your cursed. Now what you should respond when you hear that is what I can possibly do that. And God would say hallelujah. That's the point. You can't possibly do this because it reveals my righteousness. He says now that no one is justified by the law before God. He said it is evident, for the righteous mental live by faith.

No one could ever be justified by the law. That's what the law tells us he's however the law is not of faith. On the contrary, who you he said he who practices them shall live by them.

If you want to put yourself under law than the laws gonna be the standard to judge as you and if the laws the standard judges you get lost because your cursed. He said Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written curse. It is everyone who hangs on a tree in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we he says would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. You see, the law condemned it cursed you and so how do we get out of it well.

Remember there was a moral wall and there was a ceremonial law ceremonial law was you sacrifice something. It was only a shadow but you sacrifice something when you could do the moral law so the fulfillment of that is who Jesus Christ so what does John the Baptist say when he foresees Jesus Christ, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Here is he's the sacrifice he lives the perfect life and then is put on the cross and cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. He's not stoned to death is a sinner.

He hangs on the tree, he becomes the curse, he then becomes our sin bearer.

The curse that he God is the curse that you and I deserve see that's called substitutionary atonement, Jesus Christ, and bears our sin, and he said by our faith in Jesus Christ as he concludes that he says our faith in Jesus Christ he said is the reason we have the spirit of promise.

So use the scriptural argument is solid, so this great teacher uses a personal argument and use the scriptural argument and Ellingham's ontological argument chapter 3 verse 15 he says brethren. He said I speak in terms of human relations even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it is been ratified. No one sets it aside or as conditions to it.

What's that mean in English easy a deal is a deal that's it. You have a deal.

You sign a contract. What I tell you to read the small print what I tell you that the deal is a deal whenever you sign it.

That's what you signed pulses even with men who are really you know that impressive a deal still a deal is and how much more so God makes the deal.

You see, that's the logic.

He says now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say and to his seeds as referring to many, but rather to one and to your seed that is Christ who is the deal between Abraham and God gives the deal and who's the recipient of the deal. The seed of Abraham, who is the seed of Abraham, Christ died for the Judaizers. A no no no no no, were the seeds, Abraham's father and were always seeds both absolutely not.

That's not the way it works. By the way, it's kind of a strange thing if you enjoy such a thing, and I kind of do, but the word seed in Greek is prima and the word seed in Hebrew is sera and both Burma and sera are both singular and plural. In other words, in either case, when you say it it's it's been translated with and I understand why why it's called seed really is. In both cases be big translated sperm is interesting and of itself, but Paul says it only goes to one seed.

You see, now he could have been plural and still look singular. In fact, Paul invents a word here which I find kinda fascinating the form of sperm is spotty. That means singular samadhi. That's how you use use it. He made wrote the word on spur Mohsen for plural seeds, but the Greeks don't use the word spur Mohsen is never used anywhere.

Pulses now many use it here for plural and other words Paul wants to make it sure that we understand some under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that this has nothing to do with a people group. This has only to do with Jesus Christ. So who was the seed of the woman in Genesis 3, Jesus Christ, who is the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ, that supposed trying to say that's with a covenant is made. He said what I am saying is this the law, which came 430 years later does not invalidate the covenant previously ratified by God.

So to nullify the promise. The law comes way later. Now I know I know some of you and I know your job until kind of people and so I know somewhere and we commit an email you to tell me somebody made a mistake in this verse just the kind of thing. Some people look for and because you're going to say I researched it and Abraham showed up 645 years before Moses in the law and call made a mistake because he only said 430 years. Okay normally, by the way, when you find something that you're so convinced of that is absolutely contrary to what the Bible says start with the fact you're probably wrong that that's probably where you're at and believe that somewhere in the last 2000 years someone is answered your question because I usually do, but in this case it's kind of a niche is an interesting thought, and what he means by 430 years.

The last time that the Abraham it covenant is repeated by God in the Old Testament the last time Mr. Jacob exactly 430 years before the law. So it's the last time God repeats the Abraham a covenant repeats at the Jacob so we can save the email right. He then says this for if the inheritance is based on the law. It is no longer based on promise but God is granted to Abraham by means of a promise will that's the case why the law then if the law doesn't really doing to set us up before God being religious is not my ticket to be right with God, then why do I have to why did God give the lawn the first place. Well pulses it's easy it was added because of transgressions that what you God wanted to give you a whole list of things that you shouldn't do, so that when you do all the things are on the list, you realize you shouldn't do.

You see, that's the whole point of it.

That's why the 600 to give you so many and by the way, this is not an easy lesson for religious people. When God would've only given us 10 Commandments, you know, a lot of religious people said I'm in a keep. Now I don't know about that that be the lying when I think the false witness. One could be in jeopardy. There, but we could. Jesus ran into people. Jesus actually rented the people. As I said before last week. That said, I kept all 600. So Jesus said okay what if you even think in your mind spots that her lust for anger. You broke the law. Then they said let's kill him because because everybody know that they did that the law was added for transgression. The law was an added so that you would see if you can work your way to heaven.

The law was added so you would say you can do this if you absolutely cannot do this. That's the point of the law. He said it was added because of transgression, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come, he said, to whom the promise of been made.

Now a mediator is not for one party only, whereas God is only one you said what you mean by that hissing grace is superior lot. Another reason the promise made to Abraham was only between who God and Abraham.

But the law was given. The angels were mediators between God and man and Moses would mediator between man and God. He said there is no middleman when it comes to the him him a covenant.

There's just God and Abraham.

That's the deal. He said that makes it superior so is the law then contrary to the promises of God is his, then the law completely out of whack with grace.

Now he says may it never be make anointed, absolutely not. For if the live been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law and other words loss perfect is the law of God. Good gets good is a great it's great is a perfect is perfect.

There's not a problem with the law. Guess who the problems you using the law is not a problem. Your problem I'm a problem we can keep the law is that if everyone can keep the law person had to come and because we could do it on her own but we can pass through the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time. Remember that you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online event website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio program at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just the one time support for ministry can be sent Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds. Pastor Bill sermon. You can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series you're looking for or you can search by title.

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