The Importance of Obeying the Truth
Notes
Transcript
Text
Text
1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Review
Review
There is a sense in which Paul’s letter changes direction in chapter 3. He has laid some groundwork that has brought us to this point and now he is turning his attention to the heart of the matter which we find right at the beginning of this chapter.
In Chapter 1 he outlined the Distinctive parts of the Gospel - These are the pieces that make up the whole of the truth we are to make the centerpiece of our lives. Are we familiar enough with these truth to recognize a fake?
In Chapter 2 he pointed to his Defense of the Gospel - He went to Jerusalem and met with the “pillars” of the early church - his message was not altered. He went to Antioch and confronted Peter with his hypocrisy - his message was not altered! Paul was a great defender of the truth and we should be as well!
Introduction
Introduction
Declaration: The truth of the gospel must be lived...not just believed
Declaration: The truth of the gospel must be lived...not just believed
Proposition: What hinders our obedience to the truth?
Proposition: What hinders our obedience to the truth?
Transition: We are going to look at Paul’s Indictment and Interrogation of these Christians and hopefully see the
Transition: We are going to look at Paul’s Indictment and Interrogation of these Christians and hopefully see the
Notice first...
I. Paul’s Indictment
I. Paul’s Indictment
1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Paul starts this section of his letter with a very forward and pointed charge aimed at their heart!
A. He indited them on their deception
A. He indited them on their deception
“who hath bewitched you”
He called them “foolish” and “bewitched”
Bewitched: This is the only time this word is used in the whole of Scripture. It means: to be deceived - to be enchanted -
Illustration: In late September 1864 Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was leading his troops north from Decatur, Alabama, toward Nashville. But to make it to Nashville, Forrest would have to defeat the Union army at Athens, Alabama. When the Union commander, Colonel Wallace Campbell, refused to surrender, Forrest asked for a personal meeting, and took Campbell on an inspection of his troops. But each time they left a detachment, the Confederate soldiers simply packed up and moved to another position, artillery and all. Forrest and Campbell would then arrive at the new encampment and continue to tally up the impressive number of Confederate soldiers and weaponry. By the time they returned to the fort, Campbell was convinced he couldn't win and surrendered unconditionally!
Today in the Word, June 27, 1993.
Why would they be drawn to this deception?
The Apparent Authority of these religious leaders
A desire to belong and be accepted
The relief of suffering that they were experiencing
The seeming logic of the law that was presented
Quote: Something is very subtle about appealing to the Bible itself in support of error. The unwary can easily be deceived by the glib: "This is what the Bible says: `Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy’" (), or "See, the Bible says, ’Forbid not to speak with tongues" (1 Cot 14:39), or "When you’re dead, you’re dead. The Bible says so. It says, ’The dead know not any thing’" (). It is the old cultic trick of "interpreting" a Scripture without regard to its context, without regard to the scope and purpose of the book in which it is found, and without regard to the people to whom the particular passage was addressed. We must always find out under what circumstances and by whom a passage was written. We must regard the culture, the history, and the geography that form the background of the passage. We must consider the usual rules of grammar that apply and consider also the dispensation to which the passage belongs. Ever since Pentecost, with its radical change in God’s administration of human affairs, any sound interpretation of Old Testament Scriptures must take into account the change of dispensations. Grace is not law (although there was grace under a dispensation of Law and although there is law under a dispensation of grace). Calvary has changed the basis of God’s dealings with men. The church is not Israel, although saved Jews in the church are spoken of as "the Israel of God." Israel is a temporal nation with national hopes, goals, and destiny. The church is supranational, spiritual, heavenly, and eternal. Mount Sinai imposes a different set of principles than does Mount Calvary.
Those who are either ignorant of these things or choose to ignore them end up distorting the Scriptures. Error remains error no matter who teaches it and no matter how much Bible it quotes. The hypnotic fascination of error, indeed, lies in its seemingly authoritative but actually deceptive use of Scripture. The fact that the Judaizers could appeal to so many Old Testament Scriptures to "prove" their point is what bewitched the Galatians. The Seventh-day Adventists do the same to beguile those who heed them.
B. He indited them on their disobedience
B. He indited them on their disobedience
“that ye should not obey the truth”
This seemingly small statement is really the heart of why Paul is writing
They were beginning to live disobedient lives - lives outside of the “truth”
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
We do not get to concoct our own way to worship God - He calls us to worship him through the truth of the gospel
Not only does Paul indite them about their deception and disobedience but he takes it one step further and asks them a series of probing questions....
II. Paul’s Interrogation
II. Paul’s Interrogation
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
When Paul recognized their slide away from the truth of the gospel he peppered them with a series of probing questions designed to grab their attention!
A. He interrogated them about their salvation
A. He interrogated them about their salvation
“Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith?”
How did you get the Spirit of God?
The different ministry of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament times vs Church
This is the evidence of our Salvation
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Why did Paul ask them this question?
Could a slide away from the truth begin with forgetting how we started? - We must never lose sight of this truth!
B. He interrogated them about their sanctification
B. He interrogated them about their sanctification
“Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
It is Gods plan to make us perfect - mature
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col
A proper understanding of how this is accomplished will set the tone for our entire Christian life
Why would we think that we need a miracle of God to make us his child but not a miracle of God to mature us?
We cannot mature in our own strength!
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
C. He interrogated them about their suffering
C. He interrogated them about their suffering
“Have ye suffered so many things in vain?”
They had walked away from their pagan past - the heathen secular world around them rejected them
They had alienated themselves from the religious crowd - the Jews were not their friends
They had nothing because of their decision to follow Christ - now they were beginning to make arrangements to solve some of these problems by making some agreements with these Judaizers
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
At times we can be guilty of “suffering in vain” - or allowing the sufferings we have experienced to lose their effect on us!
D. He interrogated them about their signs
D. He interrogated them about their signs
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
“He therefore that ministereth to you in the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
They lived in a time when God was authenticating his ministry and his ministers through various signs
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
Acts
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Paul points out that no such thing existed among the “law keepers”
Anything that God has done in our life has been through his Spirit not through our efforts to manufacture righteousness!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Why is it so important for us to be “obedient to the truth”?
Why do we resist? - What is our view of obedience?
Do we think of God as some cruel taskmaster, always waiting for us to step out of line in disobedience? Like we are plowing oxen in a field and God must keep us plowing for his own benefit?