Taking Pride in Appropriate Things. (Galatians 6:11-18)

Music

Mr. Friend of mine tells me about a time when he was in Bible college and he had a

professor who he strongly disagreed with. So one day he brought along a friend who

was also a professor from a different college to sit in on the class. Now

afterwards the two professors began discussing their differences. The

discussion quickly turned into a debate and soon a crowd of not only my

friend but other students gathered around listening intently. The problem

was these were first year students and most of them didn't really fully

understand what was being argued. You see the issues were complex, the language

and the debate between him seemed to produce more confusion than clarity.

So in the next session our student raised his hand and said professor could you

summarize very simply the detail between your position and his.

Now on hindsight I think that was a very wise request. When there's any

difference particularly a theological difference it's always helpful to pause,

take a breath clear the air and try to stay it or clarify the real

issues and to do so plainly and that's exactly what we see Paul doing here

in this closing paragraph of his letter to the church in Galicia. You see

throughout this letter Paul has been in the battle not a personal one but a

doctrinal one a theological one. These Jewish legalists who had followed

into Galicia and gone around telling these new churches that faith in Christ

was not enough and that believers must keep the mosaic law even circumcision

all these things they said had to be done to be right with God and Paul has just

argued passionately, relentlessly even that justification is by faith alone.

And now he reaches the end of the letter and he picks up the pen himself

and summarizes the entire controversy in a very powerful

in the original language virtually a single closing sentence.

So let me read it for you in our translation today it's Galatians 6

verses 11 to 18

He says see what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand.

Okay here he goes those who want to impress people by means of the

flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised the only reason they do

this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who

are circumcised keep the law yet they want you to be circumcised but they

may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which

the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor

on circumcision mean anything what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to

all who follow this rule to the Israel of God. From now on let no one

cause me trouble for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Okay, Paul's closing statement here divides the issue into two parts.

In the opening few verses 11 to 13 he states the position and the motivation

of these Jewish legalists. Then in verses 14 to 18 Paul states his country position

before offering his close and final greeting. Now in the ancient world authors often

dictated their letters to a secretary and indeed Paul often did himself.

But here at this point in the letter Paul is emphasizing that he takes the

up the pan and he writes in large emphatic letters to differentiate from the text

that's gone before. The way of saying look I am writing this myself

it's a bit like underlining a sentence or putting it in bold face.

It's his way of saying don't miss this this is the summary this is the heart of

the matter and he begins by first describing the legalist's position.

They want to make a good show of their works and deeds and their pressurizing

believers like you and to being circumcised he says but they do it to avoid being

persecuted themselves that's their motivation they have don't themselves want

to be persecuted for being those who are now preaching the cross alone yet

the law that they demand of others follow he says ironically do not even keep

themselves you see they ultimately want to boast about what they do

and how they have won you over to their way of doing things he says.

In other words their whole religious belief is external,

superficial and ultimately self-serving it's all about appearance not about

personal transformation it's all about pride and it's certainly not about

the grace of God. Okay so Paul has summarized their position

and now beginning in verse 14 he effectively says now let me summarize mine for you.

Now this final section this final part of the paragraph in a sense

is the distilled essence of the entire book we've just read

if you want to know what Galatians is about then this is it friends right here

this is the entire book and he states it plainly and without apology

as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh these try to compel you to

be circumcised that was their position that's what they're trying to get

them to do and that is indeed in a spiritual way is what all

legalists always try and do and some still try and do today.

Paul wants the Galatians to see that this is not some harmless little ritual

not some quaint Old Testament custom that they can adopt without consequences

because this strikes the very foundation of Christianity it is nothing less

than a denial of the doctrine of justification by faith.

Now to help us see this clearly I just want you to keep a sort of

a metaphorical finger so to speak in today's text Galatians 6

and for a minute turn with me to Romans 15. Now before reading this verse for you

let me say the date of Galatians is debated by some scholars

but my and many other conservative Bible commentators

have affirmed conviction that Paul wrote Galatians

before what is called the Jerusalem council that is described for us

in Acts 15 here. Now not everyone agree agrees with that

position however it is important to note that even if you don't believe that

that the issues being dealt with in both situations

almost everyone agrees are identical and for me the flow of events that makes

the most sense of it is if the Galatian letter came first

that is simply because of the Jerusalem council had already taken place

and they had made this decision and it was the same as what Paul was saying here

Paul would have probably just said read the letter sent out from Jerusalem

after the council was held there because their apostles have already settled

this but anyway let's hear what happened in Acts 15

In verse 1 of that chapter it says certain men came down from Judea and taught

the brethren unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses

you cannot be saved can you see that this is the exact same issue as here in

Galatia unless you're circumcised they say you cannot be saved

so if we know back to Galatians 6 Paul says what these people are doing

is exactly same as what would later be discussed in Acts 15

in the Jerusalem council is there's people moving amongst us who want

for you to be circumcised so he's not telling them anything new here at this

point in the letter they already knew that he already

set that out for them but what he does here is explain to these to us which

he's not gone before why these guys want them

circumcised what's the real motivation behind this

only helpfully gives us three reasons first in the first half of verse 12 he

simply says they want to boast about it as many as desire to make a good showing

in the flesh these try to compel you to be circumcised

simply they want to show off about it they want to parade your circumcision

as proof of their success they're not even doing this out of conviction

they're doing it for appearances and for the pre as they think they'll get

for persuading you secondly in the second half of verse 12 he says they're

actually also doing it to avoid persecution

and that's their main motivation now this is crucial because of course if you

preach the cross of Christ and you preach that Christ died and paid for all your

sins and that you don't any longer need the law but you don't need circumcision

you don't need the mosaic rituals you don't need the ceremonies you don't

need the law and rules of Moses to finish what Christ has already

accomplished then you're going to be persecuted by those who still hold up

you obviously so if you drop the law and cling to the cross

those who still cling to the law will persecute you

so he's saying part of the motivation these guys in preaching circumcision

is to avoid their own persecution they wanted safety they wanted

acceptance they wanted to stay in good standing

with the traditional Jewish community and thirdly he says they simply want to glorify

in your flesh verse 13 listen again for not even those who are circumcised

keep the law but they desire to have you circumcised that they make glory in

your flesh the point is the same these guys want to boast about you

they want to brag about how many converts they have made and brought back

to their religious belief system and then Paul adds the devastating observation

but even those who claim this and do this and who are circumcised themselves

don't keep the law they just claim to keep the law

they claim circumcised in as necessary for salvation but Paul says they then

don't keep the law themselves not really

now he's already argued this point in chapter three when he said cursed as

everyone who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law

so this is the position about if you want to be saved by the law

then you must keep all of it perfectly continuously inwardly outwardly

and of course no one does that and no one can so Paul has argued here and said

they want to glory in your flesh they want to boast in their accomplishments

through you they want everyone to say look what these guys have done

and Paul argues that that is actually the motivation

and the whole essence of their position and this is important for us to

understand friends because it's still happening today

now of course the particulars and the context may have changed

but the spirit is the same some people still today

in the Christian church glory in their formulas in their religious

tradition whether they be baptismal formulas or christening celebrations

some glory in external religious practices

some glory simply hen how many people they can convince to follow them

and this is in many ways the same spirit Paul is confronting here in Galatians

it is the spirit of religious pride but before we point fingers

Paul is gently reminding everyone reading this even today

that we need to be wary because there is a little bit

if not a whole lot of this and every one of us

because at heart we all like to boast really we all like to say

look what God has done through me and when we understand that

then the natural question that arises out of understanding that becomes

well is there anything legitimate anything legitimately

that we can spiritually boast about is there anything that we can in fact

glory in and Paul answers that in the next

section and it's the heart of his position

verse 14 he says may I never boast except

in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been

crucified to me and I to the world

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now it's helpful to understand what Paul means by the term when he uses

the world here and the world being crucified to me and I to the world

because it's very easy to think he's is referring to that list of things that

you should do and don't do the worldly activities that were all warned about

the thing he's talking about the sins and the dangers that we can all fall into

but I don't think this is what Paul is talking about

specifically in this passage I think in the context of Galatians

I believe Paul is using the word the world to build upon and refer to the

religious world that he's come out of the whole system of the rights rituals

and regulations and the religious pride that lay behind what these guys were

promoting so when Paul says the world has been crucified to me and I to the

world he says I'm dead to everything these guys stand for all the idea of

religion and religiosity here they are he says coming among you and

shouting at the top of their lungs we keep the law we observe the sabbath

we've been circumcised look at our religious credentials they're glorifying

in all the religious externals and Paul says I simply glory in the cross

because the cross crucified me to all of that stuff

and that is exactly what he also says in Philippians chapter 3

let's just turn there for a very quick moment

Philippians 3 beginning in verse 3 says for we are the circumcision who worship

God in the spirit and rejoice in Jesus Christ and we are the ones who have no

confidence in the flesh then Paul in that chapter lists

his own religious resume if you like and if you're judging people in that way

it is indeed impressive he says I was circumcised in the eighth day

I have of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew of the Hebrews

a Pharisee zealous enough to persecute the church

blameless concerning the righteousness in the law

that was Paul's world the religious world and he had credibility

upon credibility layer upon layer inner group within inner group

but then he adds in verse 7 what things were gained to me

these I have counted loss for Christ in other words those things that I thought

meant something are nothing compared to what I've gained through Christ

and a verse say it he says I count them as rubbish

that I may win Christ and be find in him not having my own righteousness

which is from the law but which is through faith in Christ

that's exactly the same thing as what Paul is saying here in Goliath in 6

he's saying I've been crucified to all of that I've been severed from the

entire idea that religion can save you in his particular case in context of course

it was the religious rules of these Jewish legalists

but for us today if you've grown up in a church or a religious environment

that demanded endless rules and requirements

and they positioned them as being a thing that were needed in order to make you

right with God then you may recognize exactly what Paul means here

and what a relief it can be to discover that it simply just has to be

recognizing that Jesus Christ died for you and that his death on the cross

fully finally and forever settled the sin question for you

what a relief to know that you don't have to keep all the regulations of man

or the rituals of religion anymore and Paul is saying here

look I've died to all that and it's died to me I'm divorced of it and I'm glad

of it because I simply know and accept Christ as Lord

so he glorifies in the cross because it was the cross that severed him

from the requirements to follow that entire system

but he gives another reason he glorifies in the cross

because not only did the cross separate him from trying to follow the rules of

the religious world he adds in verse 15

for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or nor

uncircumcisions reveals anything but a new creation

now what's going on here I think you can almost if you read between the lines

here the debate in Galicia one group is saying

I'm proud I've been circumcised you can be proud of your circumcised

and maybe the other side of the argument was becoming a little bit like well

I'm proud of myself because I haven't been circumcised

so there's a half and have not each glorifying in their own position

those glorifying in the false position and those taking a little pride

in reacting and standing against us and Paul says let's be clear

let me tell you something in Christ Jesus neither circumcision

nor uncircumcision counts for anything you've had it done

doesn't matter it's worthless now you don't have it done

doesn't matter either it's still worthless what does matter

is being a new creation being born again that is what matters the new birth

and that is the only thing that counts before God

I glory in the cross because the cross made me a new creation

I was born again I became a new creation in Christ

and that not religious rules not rituals not religious achievements

none of that matters before God and that my friends is the great motif of the new testament

it's the very difference between death and new life

I am crucified yet I live Galatians 2 verse 20

put off the old man put on the new that's Ephesians chapter 4

we are buried with him and we are raised with him

that's Romans 26 all of it saying the same thing

death to the old life in the new and Paul sums it up here

by saying I glory in the cross because it killed off the old world

and created a new one and a new me to live in it

and then a final blessing for those who walk in this way

he closes Ben verse 6 thing by saying as many as walk according to this rule

then peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God

now the word rule here is actually referring to the carpenters measuring line

a plum line a standard Paul is saying this is the standard

by which we measure boasting and it is simply that of the cross of Christ

so he's saying so whether you're a Jew or a Gentile in heritage

it matters not if you glory in the cross then peace and mercy be upon you

will be upon you and then Paul's final subtle brilliant little comment

little job perhaps and from now on let no one trouble me

for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ

like this is classic Paul subtle sharp and brilliant

there's a word play going on here remember the whole issue in Galatia

is them being told they needed to be circumcised

these Jewish legalists are proudly saying look at the marks on our bodies

this is proof of my piety and Paul says don't bother me with that argument

ever again if you want to talk about marks look at the marks I bear in my body

the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ he's talking about the fact that he's been beaten

stoned whipped imprisoned all because he preached across

he literally carries physical scars on his body

for standing firm in the gospel of grace and he says if you want

to boast about any marks then book about about that

you boast in marks of circumcision he's saying I actually bear the marks of

persecution I have suffered for the cross the very cross

you guys are by nature ashamed of

okay Paul then brings this remark but letter to a close

with these tender words brothers and sisters he says may the grace of our Lord

Jesus Christ be with you in your spirit now if you flip through Paul's

other letters you'll notice he ends every one of them

with a benediction of grace and here and only here

in this one do we see him add the words brothers and sisters at the start

the point being is after all the sharp warnings all the rebukes all the

doctrinal corrections he's had to made the passionate appeals he's made

at the end he softens his tone and draws everything to a close

it's as if he's saying I've spoken firmly in this letter to you

but ultimately I've done it because I love you you are my brethren my brothers

and sisters and what I want most for you is that you know the grace of God

and notice the lovely final tree of blessings he leaves them with

peace mercy and grace you see if you're glorifying in the cross and that is the

center of your life if you're walking by that

rule and that way of thinking not religious rules and

systems then peace and mercy and grace are years

and are promised to be yours in abundance these guys wanted to boast in their

converts in their religious rituals in their achievements

they wanted to say look at what we've done but Paul says here there's only one

legitimate spiritual boast in all of the universe

and that is to glory in the cross of Christ and God forbid I should do

anything except that that's it that's the whole Christian life and one

sentence it's not about your accomplishments it's not about your performance

religious or otherwise it's not about any resume

spiritual or otherwise you might have it's not your religion

your disciplines your sacrifices or indeed your personal successes

the only proper boast and measure is the cross of Christ

because Christianity is not what you do for God it is ultimately about what

God has done for you and done for you in Christ

our only confidence in life and death should be the finished

work of Jesus Christ so that means don't get puffed up even when you do

something for the Lord yes we should serve him

yes we should labor and work hard for him yes we should give him our best

but remember what Paul says I am what I am only by the grace of God

if we understand that where then is boasting

Paul tells us it is excluded and Paul ends this latter as I do also today

by simply saying brothers and sisters in the light of all we've learned

may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you in spirit thanks for being

with me today Amen

you

Okay, we're closing our season today, working through the vocalizations.

I want to thank you for traveling this road of grace with me.

We've watched Paul defend the gospel with fire in his belly, haven't we?

We've seen him plead with believers that they not return to a life of slavery, and we've

heard him call us to walk in the Spirit, to love one another, and to serve one another,

and to boast only in the cross.

Galatians has reminded us again and again that the Christian life begins with grace, continues

in grace, and ends in grace.

And if this letter has done its work in you and I, then we should leave it with lighter,

hard, freer consciences, and a deeper gratitude for the one who loved us and gave himself for

us.

But our journey isn't over.

After a couple of days off of preparation, when I'll post some bonus episodes, we'll

return in a few days and start our next season, and we're going to step into a very different

landscape.

We're going back into the Old Testament, and the books of one and two kings.

Now, if Galatians showed us the freedom of the gospel, kings will show us the consequences

of forgetting it.

We will see leaders rise and fall, nations flourish and crumble, and through it all the faithfulness

of God will shine like a steady flame in the darkness.

So I invite you friends to return for the next episode, and for the next season, as

we continue learning how to work with God in a world constantly, and pulls us away from

that.

Until then, my friends, when the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, Spirit.

Until then, friends, may I reiterate what Paul said, being that may the grace of our

Lord Jesus Christ be with you in your Spirit.

Thanks for being with me today.

Bye-bye for now.