Galatians: Justified by Jesus’ Cross…Sanctified by Jesus’ Spirit
#11 Gal. 4:12-20 Paul’s Gospel Transforms Lives…Legalism is Powerless
Berean Community Church
Pastor Kevin Block 03.29.09
Risking ALL secondary things to have the BEST—Jesus Christ
For everyone who has at least ‘tasted’ Jesus Christ and the glory of His Spirit in your life… you know that He alone satisfies!
When you & I think God wants us to try our best to follow Him & do His will…on Legalistic path…safe…respectable…but not
what the Spirit of Christ wants… training wheels are to be temporary to enable us to learn to experience faith living w/out falling
God allows us to keep training wheels on-fleshly leaning on self to live/do God’s will as we learn to live by ‘hearing with faith.’
Living w/out training wheels by ‘hearing with faith’ is never winsome to our flesh… risky, failure/falling happen, no experience
Yet…it is ONLY as we by faith take off training wheels-leaning on rules/traditions/our experience: that we learn & grow in faith
Gospel Transforms IF you are living by ‘hearing with faith’…whereas Legalism is powerless, dead words!
Follow Jesus as I am following Jesus: Freedom in Christ from legalism is not easy or foreign--you’ve tasted it
12 Become as I am : How was Paul? How was he living? 3:2-5 ‘hearing with faith’ NOT ‘trying to do the Law’
Why is it so hard for Christians to live by ‘hearing with faith’ rather than just living ‘in the faith’?
2:20 Saving faith reshapes the human heart: no longer you living but Jesus living in you! *Abraham’s hearing
5:17 Your flesh is opposed to the Spirit: wants praise of menJn. 5:44 , trusts self not JesusJn. 5:39-40
3:1f Legalism finds a foothold in our hearts=caters to pride: be religious/moral NOT putty in Jesus’ hands
5:24 Though your flesh is crucified (sin’s absolute power removed) It must be daily put to death: Jesus’ LIFE
Unrighteousness: Choose to NOT act on Sin’s barking Self-righteousness: Choose to NOT trust/rely on me to DO
12 Reason : I have become like you: I am not trusting in my ‘Jewishness’ to be right with God or live with Christ!
Paul, a Jew, had become like a Gentile (not trying to do the Law) to be a Christian & live the Christian life
He pleads with Gentile Christians: don’t become like a Jew (try to keep the Law) but keep ‘hearing with faith’
True Christianity is found only in trusting in Jesus Christ not trusting plus trying...
*How do you know if you are simply trusting Jesus or trusting Jesus plus trying? Do you want any credit?
1 Cor 1:29-31, Eph. 2:8-9, Gal. 5:14, Ps. 115:1
12 -15 Reason : You have done me no wrong…Remember the freedom/power/blessing of the Gospel you experienced!
13 Do you recall how my plans to move on were interrupted because of a terrible infection I got in my eyes?
Remember how they were red, infected, filled with puss? I was a sorry sight and yet you listened to me.
14 In a sense my infection was a trial to you…yet you didn’t despise me but received me & saw Christ in me
15 You were so touched by Jesus’ power, grace, love, forgiveness & acceptance through my Gospel THAT…
If necessary most of you would have given me your own eyes. Why? Because you by faith SAW Jesus!
You realized that seeing Jesus through the eyes of faith was better than seeing with your own physical eyes.
The Gospel I preached to you was beautiful, glorious, satisfying, thrilling…life transforming! RIGHT?
15-16 Questions : Has my telling you the truth made me your enemy?
15 Do you remember that sense of blessing you had…am I not telling you the truth?
16 Am I your enemy for reminding you of the truth of the past?
17 Truth: Legalists’ intent: 1) Shut you out (from Jesus) 5:12 SO … 2) You will make much of them 6:13
18 Truth: My intent: God’s best for you
Seek Jesus to be Formed in You : Trust the Spirit to make your death & resurrection with Jesus experiential
19 I want Jesus Christ to be formed in you :
Paul’s passion is NOT that they would make much of him but would make much of JESUS!
Spiritual formation IS NOT the result of discipline, dedication, commitment…the doing of spiritual habits…
IS the result of being so shaped from within by Jesus’ presence through the Spirit that…
-we are ‘not conformed to this age but transformed by the renewal of our minds…’ Rom. 12:2
-our union with Jesus is so real that ‘the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies…’ 2 Cor. 4:10
-we confess that our ministry ‘was not I but the grace of God which is with me…’ 1 Cor. 15:10
-we know in experience that ‘it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me…’ Gal. 2:20
When Jesus is formed in you…your freedom from LAW will not result in lawless, self-glorifying license…
But joyful, God-exalting, Christ-confident, Spirit-empowering, self-denying, other-serving LOVE
Be putty in Jesus’ hands : Take your hands off & trust the Spirit of Christ to shape & infuse you with Jesus’ LIFE.
Be in relationship with those who are in Jesus’ hand : Like the ‘cold’, faith is contagious…faith inspires faith!
Resist LEGALISM at every level : Your acceptance… Your worth/value… Your ability… Rest in JESUS!
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Galatians: Justified by Jesus’ Cross…Sanctified by Jesus’ Spirit Berean Community Church
#11 Gal. 4:12-20 Paul’s Gospel Transforms Lives…Legalism is Powerless Pastor Kevin Block 03.29.09
Jesus is inviting you to RISK ALL secondary things to have BEST—namely LIFE in/through His Spirit
For everyone who has ‘tasted’ Jesus Christ and glory of His Spirit in your life… you know He alone satisfies!
When we think God wants us to try our best to follow Him/do His will…on Legalistic path=safe, respectable
but not what Spirit wants: training wheels=temporary to learn to exp ‘center’ of faith living w/out killing self
Living w/out training wheels by ‘hearing w/faith’=never winsome to flesh: risky, fail, fall, no experience
Yet ONLY as we by faith take off TW: stop lean on rules/traditions/experience and we learn & grow in faith
Gospel Transforms as you seek to live by ‘hearing with faith’… Legalism is safer but powerless & dead
Follow Jesus as I am following Jesus: Freedom in JC from legalism is not easy or foreign--you’ve tasted it
12 Become as I am : How was Paul living? 3:2-5 ‘hearing with faith’ NOT ‘trying to do the Law’
Why is it so hard for Christians to live by ‘hearing with faith’ rather than just living ‘in the faith’?
2:20 Saving faith reshapes human heart: no longer you living but Jesus living in you! *Abraham’s hearing
Saving faith is dynamic not static…trusting moment by moment…ongoing hearing, trusting, following
5:17 Your flesh is opposed to the Spirit: wants praise of menJn. 5:44 , trusts self not JesusJn. 5:39-40
3:1f Legalism finds a foothold in our hearts=caters to pride: be religious/moral NOT putty in Jesus’ hands
5:24 Though your flesh is crucified (sin’s absolute power removed) It must be daily put to death: Jesus’ LIFE
Unrighteousness: Choose NOT act on Sin’s barking Self-righteousness: Choose NOT rely on self to do
12 Reason : I have become like you: I am not trusting in my ‘Jewishness’ to be right w/God or live w/JC.
Paul, a Jew, had become like a Gentile (not trying to do the Law) to be a Christian & live Christian life
He pleads with Gentile Christians: don’t become like Jews (law-keepers) but keep ‘hearing with faith’
Are y trusting J or J + trying? Do you want credit? 1 Cor 1:29-31, Eph. 2:8-9, Gal. 5:14, Ps. 115:1
12f Reason : You have done me no wrong…Remember freedom/power/blessing of Gospel you experienced!
13 Do you recall how my plans to move on were interrupted because terrible infection I got in my eyes?
Remember how they were red, infected, filled with puss? I was a sorry sight and yet you listened to me.
14 My infection was a trial to you…yet you didn’t despise me but received me & saw Christ in me
15 You were so touched by Jesus’ power, grace, love, forgiveness/acceptance through my Gospel THAT…
If necessary most of you would have given me your own eyes. Why? Because you by faith SAW Jesus!
You realized seeing Jesus through the eyes of faith was better than seeing with your own physical eyes.
Gospel I preached to you was beautiful, glorious, satisfying, thrilling…life transforming! RIGHT?
15f Questions : Has my telling you the truth made me your enemy?
15 Do you remember that sense of blessing you had…am I not telling you the truth?
16 Am I your enemy for reminding you of the truth of the past?
17 Truth: Legalists’ intent: 1) Shut you out (from Jesus) 5:12 SO … 2) You will make much of them 6:13
18 Truth: My intent: God’s best for you
Seek Jesus to be Formed in You : Trust Spirit to make your death & resurrection with Jesus experiential
19 I want Jesus to be formed in you : Paul’s passion: don’t make much of me but much of JESUS!
Spiritual formation IS NOT result of discipline, dedication, commitment… doing spiritual habits…
IS the result of being so shaped from within by Jesus’ presence through the Spirit that… you are ‘not conformed to this age but transformed by the renewal of your mind’ Rom. 12:2 your union with Jesus is so real that ‘the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body’ 2 Cor. 4:10 you confess that your ministry ‘was not I but the grace of God in me…’ 1 Cor. 15:10 you know in experience that ‘it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me…’ Gal. 2:20
When Jesus is formed in you…your freedom from LAW will not = lawless, self-glorifying license
But joyful, God-exalting, Christ-confident, Spirit-empowering, self-denying, other-serving LOVE
Be putty in Jesus’ hands : Take your hands off & trust Spirit of Christ to shape/infuse you with Jesus’ LIFE.
Be in relationship with those who are in Jesus’ hand : Like a ‘cold’, faith is contagious…faith inspires faith!
Resist LEGALISM at every level : Your acceptance… Your worth/value… Your ability… Rest in JESUS!
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