Paul's Epistles - Galatians
Part 15 – Not Circumcision but New Creation
Pastor Bruce A.
Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Paul wrote the Galatians concerning some
of the false teachings that had been allowed, specifically salvation in Christ
with works (or obedience to Old Covenant) added in.
Paul explains plainly to them this is a
false teaching. These are two completely different covenants with God, with the
Old only showing our guilt and condemning, and the New showing our salvation in
the Lord and freeing us from the condemnation of the first.
Being a slave to sin exposed by the
commands, and being set free by Christ revealed through His ministry and
Gospel.
Paul explains there is no other gospel but
the one he originally taught them, the one that saved them and changed them. To
accept any other teaching does not “add” to their salvation, but causes them to
move in a direction which takes them away from it.
Paul explains God’s promise, and how
salvation through Christ alone was set in motion and can be seen in the
Abrahamic Covenant. The promise of a coming Savior, how those who put their
faith (or trust) in him (not just believe as in He is real), would become the
children of God and heir to the Kingdom.
He explained how the two covenants work,
the first based on works of the flesh, which only lead to condemnation, and the
second based on the Spirit which leads to life everlasting.
Paul denounces their legalism, which is
based on the works of men for salvation, and tries to convince them of the
Truth, which is the freedom only found in Christ Jesus, a free gift, not
earned, or deserved, but given by Faith alone.
There is freedom in Christ Jesus. But with
that freedom, comes the responsibility of being Good to all, through the power
and fruits of the Holy Spirit.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE Galatians 6:11-18
11 See
what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
12 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.13 Not
even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be
circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.14 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. 15 Neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new
creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this
rule—to the Israel of God.
17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble,
for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
I.
SEE WHAT LARGE
LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE TO YOU WITH MY OWN HAND!
This statement near the end proves Paul
wrote the entirety of Galatians himself, which he normally did not do. Scribes
generally wrote while he dictated, which him usually writing the postscript and
signing his name.
a.
They wish to impress by means of the flesh
i. The Judaizers who
were pressuring Peter to teach the old ways were attempting to get the
Galatians to embrace Law along with Christ.
b.
To compel you to be circumcised
i. No Law or anything
else for that matter is required in conjunction with Christ’s sacrifice at the
cross
c.
There is a reason they are doing this
i. Paul states there
is a reason, which may be to destroy the church, selfish gain, holding of power,
lording over believers, maintaining control of people, but these are conditions
of a deeper cause.
II.
THE ONLY REASON
THEY DO THIS IS TO AVOID BEING PERSECUTED FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST
The message of the cross (as well as the
Truth of the Word of God) brings forth persecution from both the world and the
church.
It strikes at the very heart of all
Spiritual Pride and Self-Righteousness.
The Truth of the Gospel will bring
persecution from the World.
The Truth from the Gospel will bring
persecution from the Church.
And all this persecution comes from those
who do not want to receive the Gospel Truth of God’s Word.
a.
Not even those who are circumcised are keeping the Law
i. But they want you
to be circumcised so you may boast of the flesh
ii. Participating
in the rite (or ritual) of circumcision, which was the seal of the Law of
Moses, did not help anyone keep the Law.
iii. Neither
will any other rite or ritual, because these things take place outwardly.
iv. The
ONLY thing that will be of any use, is the becoming of a NEW CREATION in
Christ!
v. The Old MUST pass
away!
b.
May I never boast except in the cross of Jesus Christ
i. I, myself can do
nothing
ii. Rituals,
rites, works of the flesh cannot save me
iii. Only by
submitting to the Cross may the Spirit of God make me a New Creation
iv. If we
do not allow the old to pass away, the new cannot come
c.
Through which (the
cross) the world has been crucified to
me, and I to the world
i. The ONLY way we can
overcome sin, the flesh, the world, is by placing Faith exclusively in the
Cross of Christ and keeping it there.
ii. We
cannot come to Christ, then return to the flesh and expect to be in Christ!
1.
Matthew 6:24 – You cannot serve
two masters
a.
Paul struggled between Old and New
Covenant, living by the flesh and by the Spirit until he realized the old only
leads to death, and life is only in the Spirit.
2.
Romans 7 – Struggle between
Flesh and Spirit
a.
“…what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
b. “So I find this
law at work: Although I
want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being (our Spirit) I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at
work in me, waging war against the
law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. (our flesh)”
3.
Romans 8 – The difference
between committing a sin and living in sin
a.
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set
on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with
the Spirit have their minds set on what the
Spirit desires.”
b.
“8 Those who are in the realm
of the flesh cannot please God.”
c.
“9 You, however, are not in
the realm of the flesh but are in
the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit
of Christ, they do not belong to
Christ.”
d. “12 Therefore, brothers and
sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to
it. 13 For if you live according
to the flesh, you will die; but if by the
Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
4.
If one belongs to Christ, they will live by the Spirit
not the flesh.
a.
How do you know if you are living by the
Spirit and belong to God?
b.
You will desire what the Spirit wants, NOT
what the flesh wants.
c.
Your obligation is to the Spirit, not the
flesh.
d.
Romans 8:13 if you live according to the
flesh (live in sin) you will die.
e. but if by the Spirit you
put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
i.
You MUST submit to the Lord and allow God’s Holy Spirit to
remove the sin from your life.
ii.
If you
continue to live in sin, you are preventing God from removing it and therefore,
are NOT in Christ, and will die.
III.
NEITHER CIRCUMCISED
OR UNCIRCUMCISION MEANS ANYTHING
a.
What counts is the NEW CREATION
i. Peace and Mercy to
all who follow this rule
ii. Which
comes by SUBMISSION to the Spirit and Faith in what Christ did at the Cross
b.
From now on, let no one cause me trouble for I bear on
my body the marks of Jesus
i. Stop listening to
false teachers
ii. Paul
refers to his persecution that he suffered because of the “offense of Christ”
mentioned in 5:11
c.
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with YOUR SPIRIT
brothers and sisters, Amen
CONCLUSION – Therefore, live by the
spirit, desiring what the spirit wants.
Allow God to crucify the desires of your
flesh, so that you may live by the Spirit of God.
When you live by His Spirit, you will not
longer live in sin.
Luke 9:62 “Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back
is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Do not return to
your life of sin.
Proverbs 26:11 “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.”
Do not return
to a life of sin.
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