Works
Faith, 13 March 2022
18 03 22 Filed in: Sermons | Faith Works: James
Faith
Series—Faith Works: The Book of James
James 5:13-20
Series Big Idea: Jesus’ half-brother, James, offers us timeless instructions for living a God-honoring life.
Big Idea: Faith works when we pray, praise, profess, and pursue.
Faith works! That’s been the message throughout our series on the book of James which we conclude today.
For centuries there has been a tension between faith and works. Many believe if you have enough good works, they will cancel one’s sins and earn you eternity with God in heaven. Much of the Protestant Reformation was an attack on this “works” heresy, emphasizing Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)
Praise the LORD for His amazing grace, His gift, for Jesus. If we are good enough to earn God’s approval, Jesus suffered and died needlessly!
The book of Romans declares,
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24, NIV)
And yet Jesus’ half-brother, James, boldly states,
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26, NIV)
We are not saved by our works, but they are evidence of genuine faith. So many have misunderstood the “believe” in John 3:16 to mean if they mentally agree with historical statements, they can do whatever they want. James’ response:
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19, NIV)
Family, that’s one of the most sobering verses in the Bible! To say you believe Jesus died and rose again is not enough, according to James, because satan himself witnessed the events. He knows it’s history, but he has refused Jesus’ simple invitation to “follow me.” Have you?
PRAY
Dallas Willard once said, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.” Faith works! Grace works! How? The conclusion of this short yet powerful book offers four action steps. For those of you who like alliteration, this is your day! First,
Pray when you suffer.
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. (James 5:13a, NLT)
Simple, right…but is that always your first response? When I’m sick, sometimes I go right for the Tylenol. When someone hurts me, I want to lash back—or at the very least tell others about how I’ve been wronged. When I suffer anxiety over the news, I’m prone to panic, strategize, worry, or try to control situations far beyond my control.
Last week, Pastor Mike talked about suffering. It’s a part of life. Dare I say it’s a part of God’s plan, often, to build our character. If you ever hear prosperity heresy saying God wants you happy, healthy, and wealthy at all times, turn them off! Jesus knows suffering. He promised we’d know it, too…yet we’re so shocked when it happens. Gas prices go up and we freak out while people in Ukraine are running for their lives. We bellyache when our favorite brand of toilet paper is sold out at the store or when winter weather is…cold! Many of us have no idea what true suffering is all about—though many of us do. The point is simply this: pray!
Last Sunday at a First Alliance reunion, one person shared of their incredible suffering, calling it both their “high” and “low.” How can suffering be a high? It has drawn them closer to God.
When things are going well, it’s easy to forget God. I believe that’s one of the reasons why the movement of Jesus seems to be in decline in our nation. We haven’t needed God. Yet what message have you seen and heard more than any other during the war overseas? Pray for Ukraine. I’m told 70% of Ukranians are Christians…and I wouldn’t be surprised if that number is growing! They need God! They have nothing else! Their homes are being destroyed. Their valuables are being abandoned as they flee for their lives. I doubt any are calling their Internet provider to complain about slow downloads!
Pray when you suffer. Can we do that now?
PRAY
The rest of verse thirteen says,
Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. (James 5:13b)
He doesn’t say only praise when you’re happy. God is always worthy of our praise. He is good…all the time! But all of us have moments of suffering and moments of happiness. God wants us to share both—with Him and with one another. Romans again:
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15, NIV)
It’s interesting how Christians seem to be good at the second part, but not the first part! The point is,
Praise when you are happy.
By the way, this is why we sing on Sundays…and elsewhere. It’s a command! Whether you’re a singer or not is beside the point. The word “sing” appears over one hundred times in the Bible. It doesn’t matter if you sing like an angel or can’t carry a tune in a paper bag…make a joyful noise! We sing for the LORD! We sing to the LORD! It's all about Him!
I know a guy in another city who purposely shows up thirty minutes late to his church to skip the music because he says he doesn’t like worship music. But God does!!!
Just to review verse 13,
Pray when you suffer.
Praise when you are happy.
Now James circles back to suffering and prayer.
Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. (James 5:14-15, NLT)
We believe in the power of prayer! Each week our elders are available at the conclusion of our gathering to pray for the sick. We’ve seen God heal! Miracles have not ceased! He doesn’t always answer when and how we desired, but as James said earlier,
You do not have because you do not ask God. (James 4:2b, NIV)
Again, when we suffer, when we are sick, pray! God is not a genie offering on-demand responses to our petitions, but He does hear and He always answers…in His perfect timing. I have tons of questions for God. I have doubts, at times. But I know God is good. I know He can be trusted. I’ve suffered for many years with various challenges, yet I am here to declare God’s faithfulness.
Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. (James 5:15, NLT)
Don’t miss the last part. I believe the greatest miracle is not cancer cured or even broken marriages restored, but forgiveness…salvation. If all God ever did for us was send Jesus, that would be more than enough. Family, this life is so short. Followers of Jesus will be with him forever. Forever! How does that compare to 80 or even 100 years? If the sickness is related to sin—which is possible—it can be forgiven.
Pray when you suffer.
Praise when you are happy.
Profess your sins.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16a, NLT)
It doesn’t say confess to a priest. It doesn’t even say confess to God. He knows! It says confess to and pray for each other…so that you may be healed. Scientists are discovering what the Bible has said for generations: our mind impacts our body. Bitterness can cause physical problems. Buried guilt and shame can make us sick. And let’s not forget sometimes our suffering is the result of our sin. This is not always the case, but many of our ailments and pain are the consequences of sin—ours or those of someone else. This is why God hates sin!
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16b, NLT)
First Alliance is as church of prayer. One of our core values states,
Faithfulness. We are devoted to prayer, the Word of God, and following Jesus.
We have Zoom Prayer each weekday at 9 AM. Elders are available each Sunday morning.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16a, NLT)
Our Life Groups are perhaps the best prayer gathering we have as people do life together, confessing sins and praying for one another.
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16b, NLT)
I could spend all day telling stories of the prayers of righteous people producing wonderful results. Hallelujah!
James uses Elijah as an example of the power of prayer.
Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. (James 5:17-18, NLT)
That’s the power of prayer! You can read all about it and other miracles in 1 Kings chapter 18.
Pray when you suffer.
Praise when you are happy.
Profess your sins.
Lastly, James says we are to
Pursue the wanderer.
We live in a culture that seems to be increasingly independent. People don’t want to get involved in the affairs of others, and often for good reason. I must admit I’m not a huge fan of confrontation. But I’m often reminded of a wonderful book title by Lewis Smedes: Caring Enough to Confront. James says,
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. (James 5:19-20, NLT)
This isn’t about self-righteously judging others, but rather loving…looking out for the best interest of another. It’s not always “nice.” Sometimes love can look rather harsh. It can even inflict pain! Why did I vaccinate my children? Love. Did it hurt? You bet! Did it harm? Quite the opposite.
Nice is not love. Tolerance is not love, either. How would you feel if I sent you a card that said, “I tolerate you!” Love gets involved. Love shows kindness, compassion, and empathy. Love believes in a preferred future and takes risks to protect another. Jesus said,
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. (Matthew 18:15, NIV)
That’s not easy…especially if they don’t listen!
But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:16-17, NIV)
By the way, it never says gossip to others. It never says tell Facebook! The goal is always restoration and reconciliation, and that’s James’ point.
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. (James 5:19-20, NLT)
This is not easy. It’s risky. You might be misunderstood. Your motives must be checked. James is not condoning condemnation. It is about helping a brother or sister get back on the path. Questions are helpful rather than attacks. One of my favorite tools is, “Help me understand.”
It seems as though people are wandering in record numbers. It’s trendy to “deconstruct” one’s faith, which is fine, so long as it is reconstructed and not abandoned. I recently saw a post which said,
Many people reject Jesus because of bad experiences with religious people. But, here’s the thing…Jesus had bad experiences with religious people, too. In fact, they killed him. People will let you down. Jesus won’t.
I pray that we can lovingly bring back wanderers to the faith. I am praying for several prodigals to return to their first love, Jesus. It’s a thrill to see someone repent of their sins and surrender to Christ.
Pursue the wanderer.
This is how James ends his important book. To summarize,
Pray when you suffer.
Praise when you are happy.
Profess your sins.
Pursue the wanderer.
What is your next step? Do you need to pray? Praise? Confess and profess your sins? Pursue a prodigal?
Throughout this book, Jesus’ half-brother, James, offers us timeless instructions for living a God-honoring life because…faith works!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Series—Faith Works: The Book of James
James 5:13-20
Series Big Idea: Jesus’ half-brother, James, offers us timeless instructions for living a God-honoring life.
Big Idea: Faith works when we pray, praise, profess, and pursue.
Faith works! That’s been the message throughout our series on the book of James which we conclude today.
For centuries there has been a tension between faith and works. Many believe if you have enough good works, they will cancel one’s sins and earn you eternity with God in heaven. Much of the Protestant Reformation was an attack on this “works” heresy, emphasizing Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)
Praise the LORD for His amazing grace, His gift, for Jesus. If we are good enough to earn God’s approval, Jesus suffered and died needlessly!
The book of Romans declares,
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24, NIV)
And yet Jesus’ half-brother, James, boldly states,
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26, NIV)
We are not saved by our works, but they are evidence of genuine faith. So many have misunderstood the “believe” in John 3:16 to mean if they mentally agree with historical statements, they can do whatever they want. James’ response:
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19, NIV)
Family, that’s one of the most sobering verses in the Bible! To say you believe Jesus died and rose again is not enough, according to James, because satan himself witnessed the events. He knows it’s history, but he has refused Jesus’ simple invitation to “follow me.” Have you?
PRAY
Dallas Willard once said, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.” Faith works! Grace works! How? The conclusion of this short yet powerful book offers four action steps. For those of you who like alliteration, this is your day! First,
Pray when you suffer.
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. (James 5:13a, NLT)
Simple, right…but is that always your first response? When I’m sick, sometimes I go right for the Tylenol. When someone hurts me, I want to lash back—or at the very least tell others about how I’ve been wronged. When I suffer anxiety over the news, I’m prone to panic, strategize, worry, or try to control situations far beyond my control.
Last week, Pastor Mike talked about suffering. It’s a part of life. Dare I say it’s a part of God’s plan, often, to build our character. If you ever hear prosperity heresy saying God wants you happy, healthy, and wealthy at all times, turn them off! Jesus knows suffering. He promised we’d know it, too…yet we’re so shocked when it happens. Gas prices go up and we freak out while people in Ukraine are running for their lives. We bellyache when our favorite brand of toilet paper is sold out at the store or when winter weather is…cold! Many of us have no idea what true suffering is all about—though many of us do. The point is simply this: pray!
Last Sunday at a First Alliance reunion, one person shared of their incredible suffering, calling it both their “high” and “low.” How can suffering be a high? It has drawn them closer to God.
When things are going well, it’s easy to forget God. I believe that’s one of the reasons why the movement of Jesus seems to be in decline in our nation. We haven’t needed God. Yet what message have you seen and heard more than any other during the war overseas? Pray for Ukraine. I’m told 70% of Ukranians are Christians…and I wouldn’t be surprised if that number is growing! They need God! They have nothing else! Their homes are being destroyed. Their valuables are being abandoned as they flee for their lives. I doubt any are calling their Internet provider to complain about slow downloads!
Pray when you suffer. Can we do that now?
PRAY
The rest of verse thirteen says,
Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. (James 5:13b)
He doesn’t say only praise when you’re happy. God is always worthy of our praise. He is good…all the time! But all of us have moments of suffering and moments of happiness. God wants us to share both—with Him and with one another. Romans again:
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15, NIV)
It’s interesting how Christians seem to be good at the second part, but not the first part! The point is,
Praise when you are happy.
By the way, this is why we sing on Sundays…and elsewhere. It’s a command! Whether you’re a singer or not is beside the point. The word “sing” appears over one hundred times in the Bible. It doesn’t matter if you sing like an angel or can’t carry a tune in a paper bag…make a joyful noise! We sing for the LORD! We sing to the LORD! It's all about Him!
I know a guy in another city who purposely shows up thirty minutes late to his church to skip the music because he says he doesn’t like worship music. But God does!!!
Just to review verse 13,
Pray when you suffer.
Praise when you are happy.
Now James circles back to suffering and prayer.
Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. (James 5:14-15, NLT)
We believe in the power of prayer! Each week our elders are available at the conclusion of our gathering to pray for the sick. We’ve seen God heal! Miracles have not ceased! He doesn’t always answer when and how we desired, but as James said earlier,
You do not have because you do not ask God. (James 4:2b, NIV)
Again, when we suffer, when we are sick, pray! God is not a genie offering on-demand responses to our petitions, but He does hear and He always answers…in His perfect timing. I have tons of questions for God. I have doubts, at times. But I know God is good. I know He can be trusted. I’ve suffered for many years with various challenges, yet I am here to declare God’s faithfulness.
Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. (James 5:15, NLT)
Don’t miss the last part. I believe the greatest miracle is not cancer cured or even broken marriages restored, but forgiveness…salvation. If all God ever did for us was send Jesus, that would be more than enough. Family, this life is so short. Followers of Jesus will be with him forever. Forever! How does that compare to 80 or even 100 years? If the sickness is related to sin—which is possible—it can be forgiven.
Pray when you suffer.
Praise when you are happy.
Profess your sins.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16a, NLT)
It doesn’t say confess to a priest. It doesn’t even say confess to God. He knows! It says confess to and pray for each other…so that you may be healed. Scientists are discovering what the Bible has said for generations: our mind impacts our body. Bitterness can cause physical problems. Buried guilt and shame can make us sick. And let’s not forget sometimes our suffering is the result of our sin. This is not always the case, but many of our ailments and pain are the consequences of sin—ours or those of someone else. This is why God hates sin!
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16b, NLT)
First Alliance is as church of prayer. One of our core values states,
Faithfulness. We are devoted to prayer, the Word of God, and following Jesus.
We have Zoom Prayer each weekday at 9 AM. Elders are available each Sunday morning.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16a, NLT)
Our Life Groups are perhaps the best prayer gathering we have as people do life together, confessing sins and praying for one another.
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16b, NLT)
I could spend all day telling stories of the prayers of righteous people producing wonderful results. Hallelujah!
James uses Elijah as an example of the power of prayer.
Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. (James 5:17-18, NLT)
That’s the power of prayer! You can read all about it and other miracles in 1 Kings chapter 18.
Pray when you suffer.
Praise when you are happy.
Profess your sins.
Lastly, James says we are to
Pursue the wanderer.
We live in a culture that seems to be increasingly independent. People don’t want to get involved in the affairs of others, and often for good reason. I must admit I’m not a huge fan of confrontation. But I’m often reminded of a wonderful book title by Lewis Smedes: Caring Enough to Confront. James says,
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. (James 5:19-20, NLT)
This isn’t about self-righteously judging others, but rather loving…looking out for the best interest of another. It’s not always “nice.” Sometimes love can look rather harsh. It can even inflict pain! Why did I vaccinate my children? Love. Did it hurt? You bet! Did it harm? Quite the opposite.
Nice is not love. Tolerance is not love, either. How would you feel if I sent you a card that said, “I tolerate you!” Love gets involved. Love shows kindness, compassion, and empathy. Love believes in a preferred future and takes risks to protect another. Jesus said,
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. (Matthew 18:15, NIV)
That’s not easy…especially if they don’t listen!
But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:16-17, NIV)
By the way, it never says gossip to others. It never says tell Facebook! The goal is always restoration and reconciliation, and that’s James’ point.
My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. (James 5:19-20, NLT)
This is not easy. It’s risky. You might be misunderstood. Your motives must be checked. James is not condoning condemnation. It is about helping a brother or sister get back on the path. Questions are helpful rather than attacks. One of my favorite tools is, “Help me understand.”
It seems as though people are wandering in record numbers. It’s trendy to “deconstruct” one’s faith, which is fine, so long as it is reconstructed and not abandoned. I recently saw a post which said,
Many people reject Jesus because of bad experiences with religious people. But, here’s the thing…Jesus had bad experiences with religious people, too. In fact, they killed him. People will let you down. Jesus won’t.
I pray that we can lovingly bring back wanderers to the faith. I am praying for several prodigals to return to their first love, Jesus. It’s a thrill to see someone repent of their sins and surrender to Christ.
Pursue the wanderer.
This is how James ends his important book. To summarize,
Pray when you suffer.
Praise when you are happy.
Profess your sins.
Pursue the wanderer.
What is your next step? Do you need to pray? Praise? Confess and profess your sins? Pursue a prodigal?
Throughout this book, Jesus’ half-brother, James, offers us timeless instructions for living a God-honoring life because…faith works!
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
It's Always Been Faith, 11 March 2018
It’s Always Been Faith
D6 Series— By Faith Alone
Galatians 3:1-29
Series Overview: The purpose of this series from the book of Galatians is to emphasize the vital role of faith in our lives.
Big Idea: Justification has always been through faith, even in the Old Testament.
Introduction
Last week we began our four-week study of the book of Galatians. Obviously four sermons can’t begin to contain all of the riches contained within this letter from Paul to some of the early churches in what is now Turkey, which is why many of our small groups and Sunday School classes are using the D6 curriculum with content synchronized not only with many of my sermons but also our children and youth studies.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
Here’s the summary from last week: we are saved by faith in Jesus, not works.
Faith + nothing = salvation
Religion is the human quest to be good enough for a perfect, holy God. It always fails. Always. Whether it’s the Koran or the Old Testament Mosaic Law or even Christian traditions, none of us is perfect and, therefore, can never achieve what God requires—complete purity.
That’s why God the Father sent Jesus to live a perfect life, die for sinners like us, and rise from the dead, proving the sacrifice was sufficient.
Religion says it’s about what you do.
Jesus says it’s about what he has done.
Religion says if you behave like us and believe like us, then you can belong.
Jesus says you belong, believe, and then behave.
This past week someone told me it’s easier to live in legalism than to live in freedom. It requires no faith to follow the rules. Just obey the checklist.
Following Jesus is radically different. Freedom through Jesus means we’re not bound by rules, but rather we are granted a relationship with God and two commands which flow from knowing Christ:
Love God
Love Others
We are never to violate the teachings of the Bible, instruction meant to give life. But because our faith is based on Jesus’ work on the cross, not our good works, the pressure’s off. We were created to know and enjoy God and others. Life is all about relationships, and knowing Jesus is the most essential, life-giving, transformational relationship of all. Do you know him?
Paul, the writer of Galatians, was a Jewish leader who persecuted Christians prior to his life-changing encounter with Jesus. Many of the first Christians were trying to determine the role of the law of Moses, the Mosaic Law of 613 commands. Can a Christian eat pork? Do they have to be circumcised? What about the Sabbath? Are the standards different from Gentile and Jewish followers of Yeshua—Jesus? Religion was getting in the way of knowing and following Christ.
There’s one unfortunate thing about written communication: the lack of non-verbals. Bible translators work tirelessly to convert the original Greek of the New Testament to English. Note the intensity of Paul’s words and his rhetorical questions.
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3)
These Christians have been deceived by the Judaizers, believing circumcision and other works are necessary to know and follow Jesus. They’ve moved from freedom to legalism. Paul preached that Jesus was enough. His death on the cross offers a free and complete salvation for those who put their faith and trust in him.
Paul’s going to mention the Holy Spirit 16 times in this short book. His point here is both salvation—our justification—and sanctification—maturity to become like Jesus—are the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s a God thing!
I would love to camp out here and discuss the Holy Spirit at length as I have done in past sermons. When you get Jesus, you get the Holy Spirit. It’s a two-for-one deal. Actually, it’s a three-for-one deal because when you surrender control of your life to Jesus and put your faith in him, he reconciles you to your heavenly Father and gives you the Holy Spirit to live inside of you, giving you the power to gradually become like Jesus.
Last Sunday I said religion says
Behave
Believe
Belong
The crazy thing is even if someone wanted to behave, if they don’t believe and have the power of the Holy Spirit, they can’t behave!
The message of the gospel is reversed:
Belong
Believe
Behave
Jesus loves us and invites us into a relationship with him, to belong to his family. As we welcome people into life-giving community at First Alliance Church, many will inevitably believe simply because they see something different, something attractive about us—the Holy Spirit overflowing in us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Don’t you want to be around people like that? Are we people like that?
The Galatians began their spiritual journey relying on the Holy Spirit, but now they’re getting hung up on legalism, works, and their own power. As one writer notes, “As far as Paul is concerned, the Christian life starts, continues and ends in dependence on the Holy Spirit.”
Friends, ministry is a fascinating partnership between us and God. We can’t change people. We can’t make anyone trust Jesus. We can’t make anyone “behave” a certain way. We can influence others, but you cannot control another person. It’s difficult controlling one’s self! In fact, someone once said the only thing in the world you can control is your attitude. But I digress.
God is sovereign and in control. As I mentioned last week:
“It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.” ― Billy Graham
God does the work, but He amazingly invites us to be a part of the process, to proclaim good news, to set an example of righteousness for others to follow, to love others. But the people in Galatia were still hung up on the 613 commands of the Mosaic Law.
Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Galatians 3:4-6)
They’ve seen the Holy Spirit do miracles. Lives have been transformed, including Paul’s. Healings have occurred. The early church was a pretty dynamic community, as should ours!
Paul’s point is everything flows from faith, from Jesus, from the Holy Spirit. Even Abraham—the first Jew, the first to be circumcised—was made righteous not by his works but his faith in God. He did good works, too, but they flowed from his faith, not the other way around. Abraham was justified by faith. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 which says
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:7-9)
Now Paul quotes Genesis 12:3, but replaces “peoples” with “nations” because “nations” meant everyone who was not a Jew. Jews and Gentiles are called children of Abraham here. This is amazing. The Jews were God’s chosen people, but Jesus allows Gentiles into the family.
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” (Galatians 3:10-12)
Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4
“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness — (Habakkuk 2:4)
If you rely on the law for your justification and salvation, you must be perfect. Faith is the path to righteousness. Christ has already dealt with our sin, Hallelujah!
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:13-14)
It’s your choice, friends—religion or faith. Works or grace. The law or the cross. Jesus became a curse for us. He was our substitute. And even Gentiles can receive salvation…and the Holy Spirit, too! The book of Hebrews tells us
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Are you getting Paul’s point?!
Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. (Galatians 3:15-16)
Christ is greater than Moses. Christ is greater than Abraham. Christ is God!
What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Galatians 3:17-18)
Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. (Galatians 3:19-20)
The law exposes sin. It makes us aware of our failures and need for God, for forgiveness, for a Savior. The law is associated with sin, not salvation and justification.
Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:21-22)
One writer notes:
All that the law could do was expose sin, it could not remove it. In fact, it locked up everything under the control of sin (3:22a). It was like a doctor telling a patient, “You are sick, and I know what is wrong with you, but I don’t have any medicine that can cure you.” The medicine that was needed was the coming of Christ.
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. (Galatians 3:23-25)
Faith in Christ shows we are becoming mature. We love God and obey God because he first loved us. Our good works are response to God’s grace and our surrender to the Holy Spirit.
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29)
Friends, we are invited to become children of God, adopted into his family, born again. It doesn’t matter your age, race, language, education, or social status. These things divided people in Paul’s day much like they do today. When we put on Christ, when we wear his uniform, so to speak, we are on his team, we are related by blood…his blood. Anything that divides believers into two groups is not of God. We are one, and we are all heirs of Christ.
That is truly good news!
So What?
If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, been filled with the Holy Spirit, experienced freedom and forgiveness, been born again, adopted into God’s family, it’s as simple as accepting Jesus’ invitation, his gift, trusting him.
If you have trusted Jesus, is he truly LORD of your life? Are you daily asking the Holy Spirit to fill you and transform you to be more like Jesus, loving God and loving others? Those are the simple signs of spiritual maturity, not church attendance or Bible memorization or tithing ten percent of your income, though those are good things. Our works and sanctification flow from our faith and justification, not the other way around.
Today we celebrate the freedom that comes from faith rather than religion. Paul wrote to the church in Rome
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
Credits: some ideas from: D6, Galatians (Hippo/Africa Bible Commentary Series)
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
D6 Series— By Faith Alone
Galatians 3:1-29
Series Overview: The purpose of this series from the book of Galatians is to emphasize the vital role of faith in our lives.
Big Idea: Justification has always been through faith, even in the Old Testament.
Introduction
Last week we began our four-week study of the book of Galatians. Obviously four sermons can’t begin to contain all of the riches contained within this letter from Paul to some of the early churches in what is now Turkey, which is why many of our small groups and Sunday School classes are using the D6 curriculum with content synchronized not only with many of my sermons but also our children and youth studies.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
Here’s the summary from last week: we are saved by faith in Jesus, not works.
Faith + nothing = salvation
Religion is the human quest to be good enough for a perfect, holy God. It always fails. Always. Whether it’s the Koran or the Old Testament Mosaic Law or even Christian traditions, none of us is perfect and, therefore, can never achieve what God requires—complete purity.
That’s why God the Father sent Jesus to live a perfect life, die for sinners like us, and rise from the dead, proving the sacrifice was sufficient.
Religion says it’s about what you do.
Jesus says it’s about what he has done.
Religion says if you behave like us and believe like us, then you can belong.
Jesus says you belong, believe, and then behave.
This past week someone told me it’s easier to live in legalism than to live in freedom. It requires no faith to follow the rules. Just obey the checklist.
Following Jesus is radically different. Freedom through Jesus means we’re not bound by rules, but rather we are granted a relationship with God and two commands which flow from knowing Christ:
Love God
Love Others
We are never to violate the teachings of the Bible, instruction meant to give life. But because our faith is based on Jesus’ work on the cross, not our good works, the pressure’s off. We were created to know and enjoy God and others. Life is all about relationships, and knowing Jesus is the most essential, life-giving, transformational relationship of all. Do you know him?
Paul, the writer of Galatians, was a Jewish leader who persecuted Christians prior to his life-changing encounter with Jesus. Many of the first Christians were trying to determine the role of the law of Moses, the Mosaic Law of 613 commands. Can a Christian eat pork? Do they have to be circumcised? What about the Sabbath? Are the standards different from Gentile and Jewish followers of Yeshua—Jesus? Religion was getting in the way of knowing and following Christ.
There’s one unfortunate thing about written communication: the lack of non-verbals. Bible translators work tirelessly to convert the original Greek of the New Testament to English. Note the intensity of Paul’s words and his rhetorical questions.
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3)
These Christians have been deceived by the Judaizers, believing circumcision and other works are necessary to know and follow Jesus. They’ve moved from freedom to legalism. Paul preached that Jesus was enough. His death on the cross offers a free and complete salvation for those who put their faith and trust in him.
Paul’s going to mention the Holy Spirit 16 times in this short book. His point here is both salvation—our justification—and sanctification—maturity to become like Jesus—are the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s a God thing!
I would love to camp out here and discuss the Holy Spirit at length as I have done in past sermons. When you get Jesus, you get the Holy Spirit. It’s a two-for-one deal. Actually, it’s a three-for-one deal because when you surrender control of your life to Jesus and put your faith in him, he reconciles you to your heavenly Father and gives you the Holy Spirit to live inside of you, giving you the power to gradually become like Jesus.
Last Sunday I said religion says
Behave
Believe
Belong
The crazy thing is even if someone wanted to behave, if they don’t believe and have the power of the Holy Spirit, they can’t behave!
The message of the gospel is reversed:
Belong
Believe
Behave
Jesus loves us and invites us into a relationship with him, to belong to his family. As we welcome people into life-giving community at First Alliance Church, many will inevitably believe simply because they see something different, something attractive about us—the Holy Spirit overflowing in us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Don’t you want to be around people like that? Are we people like that?
The Galatians began their spiritual journey relying on the Holy Spirit, but now they’re getting hung up on legalism, works, and their own power. As one writer notes, “As far as Paul is concerned, the Christian life starts, continues and ends in dependence on the Holy Spirit.”
Friends, ministry is a fascinating partnership between us and God. We can’t change people. We can’t make anyone trust Jesus. We can’t make anyone “behave” a certain way. We can influence others, but you cannot control another person. It’s difficult controlling one’s self! In fact, someone once said the only thing in the world you can control is your attitude. But I digress.
God is sovereign and in control. As I mentioned last week:
“It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.” ― Billy Graham
God does the work, but He amazingly invites us to be a part of the process, to proclaim good news, to set an example of righteousness for others to follow, to love others. But the people in Galatia were still hung up on the 613 commands of the Mosaic Law.
Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Galatians 3:4-6)
They’ve seen the Holy Spirit do miracles. Lives have been transformed, including Paul’s. Healings have occurred. The early church was a pretty dynamic community, as should ours!
Paul’s point is everything flows from faith, from Jesus, from the Holy Spirit. Even Abraham—the first Jew, the first to be circumcised—was made righteous not by his works but his faith in God. He did good works, too, but they flowed from his faith, not the other way around. Abraham was justified by faith. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 which says
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:7-9)
Now Paul quotes Genesis 12:3, but replaces “peoples” with “nations” because “nations” meant everyone who was not a Jew. Jews and Gentiles are called children of Abraham here. This is amazing. The Jews were God’s chosen people, but Jesus allows Gentiles into the family.
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” (Galatians 3:10-12)
Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4
“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness — (Habakkuk 2:4)
If you rely on the law for your justification and salvation, you must be perfect. Faith is the path to righteousness. Christ has already dealt with our sin, Hallelujah!
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:13-14)
It’s your choice, friends—religion or faith. Works or grace. The law or the cross. Jesus became a curse for us. He was our substitute. And even Gentiles can receive salvation…and the Holy Spirit, too! The book of Hebrews tells us
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Are you getting Paul’s point?!
Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. (Galatians 3:15-16)
Christ is greater than Moses. Christ is greater than Abraham. Christ is God!
What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Galatians 3:17-18)
Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. (Galatians 3:19-20)
The law exposes sin. It makes us aware of our failures and need for God, for forgiveness, for a Savior. The law is associated with sin, not salvation and justification.
Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:21-22)
One writer notes:
All that the law could do was expose sin, it could not remove it. In fact, it locked up everything under the control of sin (3:22a). It was like a doctor telling a patient, “You are sick, and I know what is wrong with you, but I don’t have any medicine that can cure you.” The medicine that was needed was the coming of Christ.
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. (Galatians 3:23-25)
Faith in Christ shows we are becoming mature. We love God and obey God because he first loved us. Our good works are response to God’s grace and our surrender to the Holy Spirit.
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29)
Friends, we are invited to become children of God, adopted into his family, born again. It doesn’t matter your age, race, language, education, or social status. These things divided people in Paul’s day much like they do today. When we put on Christ, when we wear his uniform, so to speak, we are on his team, we are related by blood…his blood. Anything that divides believers into two groups is not of God. We are one, and we are all heirs of Christ.
That is truly good news!
So What?
If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, been filled with the Holy Spirit, experienced freedom and forgiveness, been born again, adopted into God’s family, it’s as simple as accepting Jesus’ invitation, his gift, trusting him.
If you have trusted Jesus, is he truly LORD of your life? Are you daily asking the Holy Spirit to fill you and transform you to be more like Jesus, loving God and loving others? Those are the simple signs of spiritual maturity, not church attendance or Bible memorization or tithing ten percent of your income, though those are good things. Our works and sanctification flow from our faith and justification, not the other way around.
Today we celebrate the freedom that comes from faith rather than religion. Paul wrote to the church in Rome
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
Credits: some ideas from: D6, Galatians (Hippo/Africa Bible Commentary Series)
One Way, 4 March 2018
One Way
D6 Series— By Faith Alone
Galatians 1:1-12; 2:15-21
Series Overview: The purpose of this series from the book of Galatians is to emphasize the vital role of faith in our lives.
Big Idea: Despite claims to the contrary, Jesus is the only way to God, not works or religion.
Introduction
Today we begin not only a new series but a new church-wide curriculum designed to take us strategically through the entire Bible over the next six years. D6 is based upon the Deuteronomy 6 command to teach God’s Word to one’s children:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
At First Alliance, we believe the Bible is God’s timeless Word, our source of authority, and a living, breathing document guiding us to know and love God and others. We want to know and follow God’s commandments, teaching them to future generations. The free Mission 119 app, Right Now Media, our Sunday gatherings, our small groups, and our children’s and student ministries are all grounded on the Holy Bible.
D6 is synchronizing the subject of our sermons with our children, youth, and many of our small groups. Parents, we’re going to explore the same scriptures your kids are studying today, and if you’re in one of our midweek small groups using D6, don’t sleep during my sermon! I’m going to feed you God’s Word and your group will be a great place to digest it, so to speak, interacting with the text and letting the Bible transform you from the inside out to become more like Jesus, our example for what it means to be human.
This month we’ll look at the New Testament book of Galatians. In April, we will examine several of the Old Testament Psalms. May will include a study of various attributes of God. Our series on Galatians is entitled, “By Faith Alone.” Before we look at today’s text, it’s important for us to understand what we’re reading. Context is vital when reading the Bible—or anything, for that matter.
Paul is a brilliantly educated man who was so committed to Judaism, he was a part of the execution of Christians…until Jesus miraculously introduced Himself to the man then known as Saul. Because God has a sense of humor, this Christian-hater became one of the most devoted and influential Christ-followers in history, writing many books of the Bible including this epistle or letter to a group of churches in a region called Galatia around AD 50, most likely when Nero is Emperor of Rome.
The Christian faith was relatively young. Jesus had arrived, died, resurrected, and ascended into heaven and the early church was trying to figure out what it meant for both Jews and Gentiles to follow Jesus. Many false teachers were polluting Jesus’ message. Some things never change! Paul begins
Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers and sisters with me,
To the churches in Galatia: (Galatians 1:1-2)
Paul begins by defending his authority as an apostle, a term that in Greek means “one who is sent.” He had seen Jesus and experienced a remarkable transformation as a result. His authority comes from Jesus and God the Father who raised Christ from the dead.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5)
Jesus gave himself for our sins. He died for you and me. Hallelujah!
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! (Galatians 1:6-9)
We recently talked about this word “gospel.” It means good news. In a word, the gospel is Jesus. In three, Jesus is LORD. Paul’s astonished, he marvels at people turning to a different gospel. He uses strong language. What’s going on here?
It might be helpful to look back. The Mosaic Law was a group of 613 commands, 365 negative and 248 positive. These Old Testament regulations covered moral, social, and ceremonial matters. Much controversy in the early church surrounded the relevance of Jewish laws upon Gentile Christians…and even Jewish Christians, for that matter. Paul writes later in Galatians:
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)
Prior to the coming of the Messiah and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, obedience to God centered on the Mosaic Law. Jesus said
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17)
The people in Galatia were beginning to think their salvation came from their works, their good deeds, following the law, something only Jesus was able to do perfectly. Paul’s message is simple: there’s one way to salvation and that’s through Jesus.
False teachers begin by causing confusion. Then they try to get one to leave their faith, and then they introduce a perverted gospel. In Galatia, the false teachers told Gentiles to become Jews. They added religion and works to the requirements, but Paul is saying faith in Christ alone is what is required to be accepted by God. In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul wrote
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Works will come, but they are they flow from our relationship with God, they don’t establish it.
We are saved by grace through faith, a gift from God for us to accept.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
Throughout history, many have tried to please people rather than God. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz started the AO1 Foundation “to demonstrate the love of God by providing opportunities and support for the less fortunate and those in need.” What I love about AO1 besides the mission is the meaning of AO1: Audience of One.
Every day we can choose to follow the world or follow God. What will you do today? What will you do tomorrow?
Clearly Paul is trying to establish his authority over the false teachers.
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12)
I wish we had time to cover the entire text, but jump to the next chapter, Galatians 2:15. Here Paul addresses the lies of works for salvation after a sharp disagreement with Peter regarding circumcision for the Gentiles and the simplicity of the gospel.
“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16)
Justified is a legal term meaning “to declare righteous,” the opposite of condemnation. We are all condemned sinners but we can be justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Unless you’re perfect, your good works will not be enough to satisfy God’s judgment. Only faith in Jesus can do that.
Paul abandoned some Jewish observances, causing alarm among the religious.
“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. (Galatians 2:17-18)
God’s grace doesn’t mean we are encouraged to sin. Quite the opposite. In fact, the more we understand God’s grace and sacrifice for us, the more we want to obey God and live lives that bring Him honor and glory. If our emphasis is on doing good things, the temptation to be arrogant, judgmental, and self-righteous like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day is staggering. If our focus is on Jesus and what he has done for us and our desperate need for his mercy, his kindness will lead us to repentance and righteousness.
“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:19-21)
When we trust Jesus, we participate in his victory over sin.
Let me make this as simple as I possibly can:
1. Jesus died to pay the price of our sins and bring us abundant life now and eternal life with God beyond the grave.
2. It’s all about Jesus. You can’t get to heaven—or experience the ultimate life now—without Jesus.
3. With all due respect to other religions, our faith is unique in that it’s not what we do but what Jesus did that gives us life. If there were other ways to know God, Jesus would’ve gladly skipped the cross and let us earn salvation through our good works.
4. Jesus is the way, the one way to God. Jesus is the way, the one way to God.
D6 Doorposts: The fact that no one can earn justification through works of the Law demonstrates that I cannot save myself; I need a Savior. God offers salvation and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.
So What?
A few days ago, I met two twentysomething men at the UpTown Association Annual Meeting. I told them I hate organized religion—which often gets a response, especially after I told them I’m a pastor! I said, “I’m all about Jesus, but I hate religion.”
Some church people have told me, “That’s a little harsh.” But the recent Mission 119 study of the book of Luke has reminded me of Jesus’ attitude toward the religious people who piled rules and regulations upon people, missing the point of God’s quest for a relationship with us. I’m reminded of these precious words from the late Billy Graham:
“It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.” ― Billy Graham
Love the sinner and hate your own sin!
Religion is all about humans trying to earn God’s favor. Faith in Jesus demands we confess our sins, repent, and receive God’s amazing grace through Jesus. The cross was enough!
Essentially our text for today is Paul’s attack on religion. It’s all about Jesus, not our good works.
Some things never change. It never ceases to amaze me how many people will take tradition and culture and turn them into idols. In Paul’s day, it was eating kosher and circumcision, among other things.
Tragically, we have sent a message to our culture that we’re against everything.
We’re against abortion.
We’re against smoking.
We’re against drinking.
We’re against swearing.
Now I’m not saying I encourage those things, but I just wonder how often we add things to the gospel. And what if we became known for what we are for? We are for life, love, peace, joy, kindness, goodness, generosity…people!
As I’ve said before, religion says
Behave
Believe
Belong
Do the right things (or appear to do the right things), believe like us, and then you can belong.
Jesus reversed it time and time again. I was reminded of this several times during our Mission 119 study of Luke.
Belong
Believe
Behave
The message I long to send to our city is, “You belong here.” Jesus welcomed everyone into a relationship with him…and the Father. “Come as you are…but don’t stay that way” might be another way to say it since we are all called to grow, mature, and follow Jesus.
When people feel loved and belonging, the gospel becomes almost irresistible. Jesus saw it and I’ve seen it…people belong and want to believe. They ask the reason for the hope we have. Few in our post-Christian culture will respond to megaphone-touting street preachers, but when we are in relationship with people far from God, our faith will leak. If we live lives worth following, belonging will lead to belief. People begin their journey of following Jesus…and get the Holy Spirit who then gives them the power to behave.
When we focus on the external behavior without the power of the Holy Spirit, it’s almost impossible for someone to change. When the focus is on belonging, belief and behavior will follow.
So here’s the challenge: do you have a relationship with an unchurched person? Let me be more specific: have you shared a meal or coffee with a non-Christian in the past six months? I don't mean a religious conversation; just a simple friendship.
If not, perhaps legalism and religion have kept you from engaging with people Jesus died to save. It’s not by your good works or theirs that salvation is achieved. It’s only by God’s grace and the work of Jesus on the cross. That’s good news…and good news needs to be shared!
If you’ve never trusted Jesus with your life, why not begin today? He loves you and proved it by dying for you. You can try to earn your way into God’s favor, but you’ll never succeed because we’re all sinners. Jesus died so we can live! You can’t save yourself. We need a Savior and that’s why we love and worship Jesus.
Credits: some ideas from: D6, Galatians (Hippo/Africa Bible Commentary Series)
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
D6 Series— By Faith Alone
Galatians 1:1-12; 2:15-21
Series Overview: The purpose of this series from the book of Galatians is to emphasize the vital role of faith in our lives.
Big Idea: Despite claims to the contrary, Jesus is the only way to God, not works or religion.
Introduction
Today we begin not only a new series but a new church-wide curriculum designed to take us strategically through the entire Bible over the next six years. D6 is based upon the Deuteronomy 6 command to teach God’s Word to one’s children:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
At First Alliance, we believe the Bible is God’s timeless Word, our source of authority, and a living, breathing document guiding us to know and love God and others. We want to know and follow God’s commandments, teaching them to future generations. The free Mission 119 app, Right Now Media, our Sunday gatherings, our small groups, and our children’s and student ministries are all grounded on the Holy Bible.
D6 is synchronizing the subject of our sermons with our children, youth, and many of our small groups. Parents, we’re going to explore the same scriptures your kids are studying today, and if you’re in one of our midweek small groups using D6, don’t sleep during my sermon! I’m going to feed you God’s Word and your group will be a great place to digest it, so to speak, interacting with the text and letting the Bible transform you from the inside out to become more like Jesus, our example for what it means to be human.
This month we’ll look at the New Testament book of Galatians. In April, we will examine several of the Old Testament Psalms. May will include a study of various attributes of God. Our series on Galatians is entitled, “By Faith Alone.” Before we look at today’s text, it’s important for us to understand what we’re reading. Context is vital when reading the Bible—or anything, for that matter.
Paul is a brilliantly educated man who was so committed to Judaism, he was a part of the execution of Christians…until Jesus miraculously introduced Himself to the man then known as Saul. Because God has a sense of humor, this Christian-hater became one of the most devoted and influential Christ-followers in history, writing many books of the Bible including this epistle or letter to a group of churches in a region called Galatia around AD 50, most likely when Nero is Emperor of Rome.
The Christian faith was relatively young. Jesus had arrived, died, resurrected, and ascended into heaven and the early church was trying to figure out what it meant for both Jews and Gentiles to follow Jesus. Many false teachers were polluting Jesus’ message. Some things never change! Paul begins
Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers and sisters with me,
To the churches in Galatia: (Galatians 1:1-2)
Paul begins by defending his authority as an apostle, a term that in Greek means “one who is sent.” He had seen Jesus and experienced a remarkable transformation as a result. His authority comes from Jesus and God the Father who raised Christ from the dead.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5)
Jesus gave himself for our sins. He died for you and me. Hallelujah!
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! (Galatians 1:6-9)
We recently talked about this word “gospel.” It means good news. In a word, the gospel is Jesus. In three, Jesus is LORD. Paul’s astonished, he marvels at people turning to a different gospel. He uses strong language. What’s going on here?
It might be helpful to look back. The Mosaic Law was a group of 613 commands, 365 negative and 248 positive. These Old Testament regulations covered moral, social, and ceremonial matters. Much controversy in the early church surrounded the relevance of Jewish laws upon Gentile Christians…and even Jewish Christians, for that matter. Paul writes later in Galatians:
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)
Prior to the coming of the Messiah and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, obedience to God centered on the Mosaic Law. Jesus said
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17)
The people in Galatia were beginning to think their salvation came from their works, their good deeds, following the law, something only Jesus was able to do perfectly. Paul’s message is simple: there’s one way to salvation and that’s through Jesus.
False teachers begin by causing confusion. Then they try to get one to leave their faith, and then they introduce a perverted gospel. In Galatia, the false teachers told Gentiles to become Jews. They added religion and works to the requirements, but Paul is saying faith in Christ alone is what is required to be accepted by God. In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul wrote
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Works will come, but they are they flow from our relationship with God, they don’t establish it.
We are saved by grace through faith, a gift from God for us to accept.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
Throughout history, many have tried to please people rather than God. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz started the AO1 Foundation “to demonstrate the love of God by providing opportunities and support for the less fortunate and those in need.” What I love about AO1 besides the mission is the meaning of AO1: Audience of One.
Every day we can choose to follow the world or follow God. What will you do today? What will you do tomorrow?
Clearly Paul is trying to establish his authority over the false teachers.
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12)
I wish we had time to cover the entire text, but jump to the next chapter, Galatians 2:15. Here Paul addresses the lies of works for salvation after a sharp disagreement with Peter regarding circumcision for the Gentiles and the simplicity of the gospel.
“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16)
Justified is a legal term meaning “to declare righteous,” the opposite of condemnation. We are all condemned sinners but we can be justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Unless you’re perfect, your good works will not be enough to satisfy God’s judgment. Only faith in Jesus can do that.
Paul abandoned some Jewish observances, causing alarm among the religious.
“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. (Galatians 2:17-18)
God’s grace doesn’t mean we are encouraged to sin. Quite the opposite. In fact, the more we understand God’s grace and sacrifice for us, the more we want to obey God and live lives that bring Him honor and glory. If our emphasis is on doing good things, the temptation to be arrogant, judgmental, and self-righteous like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day is staggering. If our focus is on Jesus and what he has done for us and our desperate need for his mercy, his kindness will lead us to repentance and righteousness.
“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:19-21)
When we trust Jesus, we participate in his victory over sin.
Let me make this as simple as I possibly can:
1. Jesus died to pay the price of our sins and bring us abundant life now and eternal life with God beyond the grave.
2. It’s all about Jesus. You can’t get to heaven—or experience the ultimate life now—without Jesus.
3. With all due respect to other religions, our faith is unique in that it’s not what we do but what Jesus did that gives us life. If there were other ways to know God, Jesus would’ve gladly skipped the cross and let us earn salvation through our good works.
4. Jesus is the way, the one way to God. Jesus is the way, the one way to God.
D6 Doorposts: The fact that no one can earn justification through works of the Law demonstrates that I cannot save myself; I need a Savior. God offers salvation and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.
So What?
A few days ago, I met two twentysomething men at the UpTown Association Annual Meeting. I told them I hate organized religion—which often gets a response, especially after I told them I’m a pastor! I said, “I’m all about Jesus, but I hate religion.”
Some church people have told me, “That’s a little harsh.” But the recent Mission 119 study of the book of Luke has reminded me of Jesus’ attitude toward the religious people who piled rules and regulations upon people, missing the point of God’s quest for a relationship with us. I’m reminded of these precious words from the late Billy Graham:
“It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.” ― Billy Graham
Love the sinner and hate your own sin!
Religion is all about humans trying to earn God’s favor. Faith in Jesus demands we confess our sins, repent, and receive God’s amazing grace through Jesus. The cross was enough!
Essentially our text for today is Paul’s attack on religion. It’s all about Jesus, not our good works.
Some things never change. It never ceases to amaze me how many people will take tradition and culture and turn them into idols. In Paul’s day, it was eating kosher and circumcision, among other things.
Tragically, we have sent a message to our culture that we’re against everything.
We’re against abortion.
We’re against smoking.
We’re against drinking.
We’re against swearing.
Now I’m not saying I encourage those things, but I just wonder how often we add things to the gospel. And what if we became known for what we are for? We are for life, love, peace, joy, kindness, goodness, generosity…people!
As I’ve said before, religion says
Behave
Believe
Belong
Do the right things (or appear to do the right things), believe like us, and then you can belong.
Jesus reversed it time and time again. I was reminded of this several times during our Mission 119 study of Luke.
Belong
Believe
Behave
The message I long to send to our city is, “You belong here.” Jesus welcomed everyone into a relationship with him…and the Father. “Come as you are…but don’t stay that way” might be another way to say it since we are all called to grow, mature, and follow Jesus.
When people feel loved and belonging, the gospel becomes almost irresistible. Jesus saw it and I’ve seen it…people belong and want to believe. They ask the reason for the hope we have. Few in our post-Christian culture will respond to megaphone-touting street preachers, but when we are in relationship with people far from God, our faith will leak. If we live lives worth following, belonging will lead to belief. People begin their journey of following Jesus…and get the Holy Spirit who then gives them the power to behave.
When we focus on the external behavior without the power of the Holy Spirit, it’s almost impossible for someone to change. When the focus is on belonging, belief and behavior will follow.
So here’s the challenge: do you have a relationship with an unchurched person? Let me be more specific: have you shared a meal or coffee with a non-Christian in the past six months? I don't mean a religious conversation; just a simple friendship.
If not, perhaps legalism and religion have kept you from engaging with people Jesus died to save. It’s not by your good works or theirs that salvation is achieved. It’s only by God’s grace and the work of Jesus on the cross. That’s good news…and good news needs to be shared!
If you’ve never trusted Jesus with your life, why not begin today? He loves you and proved it by dying for you. You can try to earn your way into God’s favor, but you’ll never succeed because we’re all sinners. Jesus died so we can live! You can’t save yourself. We need a Savior and that’s why we love and worship Jesus.
Credits: some ideas from: D6, Galatians (Hippo/Africa Bible Commentary Series)
We Are Saved, 2 February 2014
Big Idea: We are saved by grace. We were dead but now we’re alive. Hallelujah!
Ephesians 2:1-10
Introduction
One of my many weaknesses is my propensity to see things in black and white in a world of grey. I tend to be all or nothing, going to extremes. I’ve learned this about myself and I am working to avoid the tendency but when I was younger it wouldn’t be uncommon for me to turn the volume of the radio down to 1 when someone complained that 11 was a little much, or if someone said I talked too much I would resort to silence.
Although much of life is grey, some things are clearly black or white, on or off, yes or no, Seattle or Denver!
The Wrath of God
Our series on the book of Ephesians is called Who Do You Think You Are? This is one of the most important questions in life. How you see yourself determines how you think and act and live. We live in a culture where most people see themselves as good people, at least in comparison to the criminals we see paraded in front of us on the nightly news. People will say, “I haven’t killed anyone, I paid—most of—my taxes, and I’m kind to animals so I’m pretty good.” But they’re not. I’m not. Romans 3:23 says that
“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
We tend to focus on the first part, but what about the latter. God’s glory is perfection. He is holy. He is righteous. He hates sin—all sin!
I want to begin today with God’s wrath. It’s politically incorrect to discuss, but it’s real. We can deny it but does not change it. God hates sin and
“…the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23)
Ephesians 2 could’ve begun like this:
You are dead in your transgressions and sins in which you live, following the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also live among them, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we are by nature objects of wrath.
Objects of wrath. That means all sin will be destroyed. It’s like cancer. You wouldn’t want a doctor to remove 10% of your cancer or even 90%. The goal is to live 100% cancer free. God can only live in a sin-free environment. His wrath will come and destroy all sin…and that’s a good think—unless we are sinners. But we are! We are all sinners.
Celebrate Jesus
Today is a day of celebration. We’re not celebrating my birthday or yours. We’re not celebrating a Super Bowl championship since it is hours away. Today we are celebrating Jesus, and every day should be a celebration of Christ. Our text for today actually begins
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
It’s all past-tense because of Jesus!!!
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
But God. God butts in! He invades our broken planet that has been decimated by sin like our state has been invaded by snow and cold temperatures.
We were dead. Now we’re alive…with Christ. We are alive…in Christ.
Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people come alive!
I didn’t do it. You didn’t do it. Jesus did it!
We were dead and then Jesus made us alive!
I have a friend, Tony, who died six years ago at St. Joe’s Hospital. His heart was the worst the hospital had ever seen, but then a miracle occurred; he came back to life, and has never been the same since—in a good way. He was dead and now he’s alive.
What did Tony do to move from death to life? Nothing! He laid in the hospital bed and was healed in the midst of an ocean of prayer and a supernatural event not even the doctors can explain.
It’s the same way with us. We were dead and then Jesus made us alive. That’s grace!
Grace
Grace is unmerited favor. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not fair. You can’t do anything to get it. It’s amazing!
A week ago I was DJing with a friend and I explained it this way:
If you recklessly smash your car into mine (please don’t!), justice means you pay to get my car fixed—and me, too, if I’m injured.
Mercy means I shrug it off, forgive you, and pretend the accident never happened. Who likes mercy?!
Grace means I not only refuse payment to fix my car, I offer to pay to fix yours…and take you out for ice cream!
That’s insane, right? That’s grace! That’s what Jesus offers every man, woman and child.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7)
We are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. This means we are invited to spend eternity with Almighty God. We are welcomed into His Kingdom, not because we were good, but because of grace.
Notice again the phrase “in Christ” and “with Christ.” It’s all Jesus. We’re just along for the ride. Literally.
I have a friend who owns a Ferrari. It’s a beautiful car probably worth more than my house. He has two sons and if he were to ever let them drive the Ferrari into town, it would be obvious that there is only one reason they were driving such nice wheels—their dad! They did nothing to deserve the privilege except be born.
That’s grace!
Don’t miss these next two verses. This is one of the most important passages in the entire Bible.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
What is our role in salvation? Nothing! It’s all a gift. Even faith is a gift of God!
We all deserve God’s wrath. You, me, Billy Graham, and—fill in the blank!
Religion has always tried to work hard to make God like us. Every religion I have ever encountered is spelled D-O; it’s about what we do. The problem is our works compared to God are like me trying to jump from here to the moon. It doesn’t matter how much I practice or how hard I work, there’s no way I could ever jump to the moon.
What I love about the movement of Jesus is we are the only ones with grace. Grace is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s not what we do, but what’s been done by Jesus. I’ve encouraged my three kids to check out other religions. Explore. We’re the only ones with grace. It’s amazing, it’s extravagant, it’s almost unbelievable!
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
There’s so much that can be said about this verse but I want to briefly highlight a few thoughts
We are God’s workmanship, His masterpiece, His creation, His treasure. He doesn’t make junk!
We were created “in Christ.” We were created by Christ and then recreated in Christ because of grace.
We were created to do good works. We don’t do good works and then get in. We encounter Jesus and do good works as a result. Our lives are lived not out of obligation but gratitude. One of the most important works we can do is let dead people know they are dead, and how they can become alive in Christ!
God knew us in our mother’s womb and prepared good words for us to do. He wants us to do two things: love Him and love others. When you ponder grace, don’t you want to dance, sing, and then obey whatever He says?!
We were dead. Because of Jesus we’re alive!
Credits:
Some ideas from
J.I. Packer, Ephesians (sermon series audio)
Mark Driscoll, Who Do You Think You Are (book and podcast series)
GLO Bible
Louie Giglio, Passion City Church sermon series
J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible, http://thruthebible.ca
You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.
Ephesians 2:1-10
Introduction
One of my many weaknesses is my propensity to see things in black and white in a world of grey. I tend to be all or nothing, going to extremes. I’ve learned this about myself and I am working to avoid the tendency but when I was younger it wouldn’t be uncommon for me to turn the volume of the radio down to 1 when someone complained that 11 was a little much, or if someone said I talked too much I would resort to silence.
Although much of life is grey, some things are clearly black or white, on or off, yes or no, Seattle or Denver!
The Wrath of God
Our series on the book of Ephesians is called Who Do You Think You Are? This is one of the most important questions in life. How you see yourself determines how you think and act and live. We live in a culture where most people see themselves as good people, at least in comparison to the criminals we see paraded in front of us on the nightly news. People will say, “I haven’t killed anyone, I paid—most of—my taxes, and I’m kind to animals so I’m pretty good.” But they’re not. I’m not. Romans 3:23 says that
“…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
We tend to focus on the first part, but what about the latter. God’s glory is perfection. He is holy. He is righteous. He hates sin—all sin!
I want to begin today with God’s wrath. It’s politically incorrect to discuss, but it’s real. We can deny it but does not change it. God hates sin and
“…the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23)
Ephesians 2 could’ve begun like this:
You are dead in your transgressions and sins in which you live, following the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also live among them, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we are by nature objects of wrath.
Objects of wrath. That means all sin will be destroyed. It’s like cancer. You wouldn’t want a doctor to remove 10% of your cancer or even 90%. The goal is to live 100% cancer free. God can only live in a sin-free environment. His wrath will come and destroy all sin…and that’s a good think—unless we are sinners. But we are! We are all sinners.
Celebrate Jesus
Today is a day of celebration. We’re not celebrating my birthday or yours. We’re not celebrating a Super Bowl championship since it is hours away. Today we are celebrating Jesus, and every day should be a celebration of Christ. Our text for today actually begins
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
It’s all past-tense because of Jesus!!!
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)
But God. God butts in! He invades our broken planet that has been decimated by sin like our state has been invaded by snow and cold temperatures.
We were dead. Now we’re alive…with Christ. We are alive…in Christ.
Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people come alive!
I didn’t do it. You didn’t do it. Jesus did it!
We were dead and then Jesus made us alive!
I have a friend, Tony, who died six years ago at St. Joe’s Hospital. His heart was the worst the hospital had ever seen, but then a miracle occurred; he came back to life, and has never been the same since—in a good way. He was dead and now he’s alive.
What did Tony do to move from death to life? Nothing! He laid in the hospital bed and was healed in the midst of an ocean of prayer and a supernatural event not even the doctors can explain.
It’s the same way with us. We were dead and then Jesus made us alive. That’s grace!
Grace
Grace is unmerited favor. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not fair. You can’t do anything to get it. It’s amazing!
A week ago I was DJing with a friend and I explained it this way:
If you recklessly smash your car into mine (please don’t!), justice means you pay to get my car fixed—and me, too, if I’m injured.
Mercy means I shrug it off, forgive you, and pretend the accident never happened. Who likes mercy?!
Grace means I not only refuse payment to fix my car, I offer to pay to fix yours…and take you out for ice cream!
That’s insane, right? That’s grace! That’s what Jesus offers every man, woman and child.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6-7)
We are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. This means we are invited to spend eternity with Almighty God. We are welcomed into His Kingdom, not because we were good, but because of grace.
Notice again the phrase “in Christ” and “with Christ.” It’s all Jesus. We’re just along for the ride. Literally.
I have a friend who owns a Ferrari. It’s a beautiful car probably worth more than my house. He has two sons and if he were to ever let them drive the Ferrari into town, it would be obvious that there is only one reason they were driving such nice wheels—their dad! They did nothing to deserve the privilege except be born.
That’s grace!
Don’t miss these next two verses. This is one of the most important passages in the entire Bible.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
What is our role in salvation? Nothing! It’s all a gift. Even faith is a gift of God!
We all deserve God’s wrath. You, me, Billy Graham, and—fill in the blank!
Religion has always tried to work hard to make God like us. Every religion I have ever encountered is spelled D-O; it’s about what we do. The problem is our works compared to God are like me trying to jump from here to the moon. It doesn’t matter how much I practice or how hard I work, there’s no way I could ever jump to the moon.
What I love about the movement of Jesus is we are the only ones with grace. Grace is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s not what we do, but what’s been done by Jesus. I’ve encouraged my three kids to check out other religions. Explore. We’re the only ones with grace. It’s amazing, it’s extravagant, it’s almost unbelievable!
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
There’s so much that can be said about this verse but I want to briefly highlight a few thoughts
We are God’s workmanship, His masterpiece, His creation, His treasure. He doesn’t make junk!
We were created “in Christ.” We were created by Christ and then recreated in Christ because of grace.
We were created to do good works. We don’t do good works and then get in. We encounter Jesus and do good works as a result. Our lives are lived not out of obligation but gratitude. One of the most important works we can do is let dead people know they are dead, and how they can become alive in Christ!
God knew us in our mother’s womb and prepared good words for us to do. He wants us to do two things: love Him and love others. When you ponder grace, don’t you want to dance, sing, and then obey whatever He says?!
We were dead. Because of Jesus we’re alive!
Credits:
Some ideas from
J.I. Packer, Ephesians (sermon series audio)
Mark Driscoll, Who Do You Think You Are (book and podcast series)
GLO Bible
Louie Giglio, Passion City Church sermon series
J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible, http://thruthebible.ca
You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.
Faith Works, 7 August 2011
Big Idea: Faith and works are marks of true believers.
When I was in middle school, I asked the question of friends, all of whom said heaven. “Why?” I asked. “Because I’m a good person and haven’t killed anyone,” they would usually respond.
“There’s a problem, though” I would say. “You’re not good enough. I’m not good enough.”
...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24)
All of my goodness is as filthy rags it says in Isaiah 64:6.
Let’s look at some of Paul’s writings for a moment:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
How are we saved? By grace. Through faith. By God.
This is one of the most vital passages in the Bible. You are not good enough to go to heaven.
It’s not what you do that gets you to heaven but what was done by Jesus.
So does that mean that all dogs go to heaven, and people, too? No. We must receive the gift. Action is required. Faith is not merely something in your head, but something that is expressed.
Niagara Falls story
The Great Blondin - the man who invented the high wire act, announced to the world that he intended to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. More than five thousand people gathered to watch. Halfway across, Blondin suddenly stopped, steadied himself, back flipped into the air, landed squarely on the rope, and then continued safely to the other side. Blondin crossed the Falls again and again; blindfolded, carrying a stove, in chains, and on a bicycle. Just as he was about to begin yet another crossing, this time pushing a wheelbarrow, he turned to the crowd and shouted, "Who trusts that I can cross pushing this wheelbarrow?" Every hand in the crowd went up. Blondin pointed at one man:
"Do you trust that I can do it?" he asked.
"Yes, I trust you can." said the man.
"Are you certain that you trust me?" said Blondin.
"Yes" said the man.
"Absolute trust? Absolutely certain?"
"Yes, absolute trust, with absolute certainty."
"Thank you," said Blondin, "please get into the wheelbarrow."
On Thursday I took my son and two friends to see the Detroit Tigers. They were losing 5-0 near the end of the game and I told my friend, “If I was a betting man, I’d say the Tigers will lose.” After the Tigers scored two runs and had opportunities for more, I leaned over and said, “I’m glad I’m not a betting man.”
There’s a difference between saying you believe something and putting action behind it. It’s one thing to say the Tigers will win and another to put money on it, not that I’m advocating gambling!
Are you willing to get in the wheelbarrow?
Let’s look at today’s passage from the book of James.
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17)
Here James refers to the poor again as he did in his definition of “pure religion.”
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (1:27)
Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. That’s why I love Jesus. He didn’t just tell people, “I love you.” He demonstrated His love by giving His very life for us, dying on the cross in our place, receiving the punishment of our sins.
Martin Luther took issue with James, arguing that we are not saved by works, but instead by faith.
James' point is not to argue whether we are saved by faith or by works. His point is that our belief, which saves us, is only true belief if it is confirmed by our actions, if it is confirmed by hopping in the wheelbarrow.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder. (2:18-19)
Check this out—satan believes in God, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to heaven!
It’s not enough to say you believe in God. Again, talk is cheap. Knowledge isn’t enough. Following Jesus is a verb, it involves action. Demons may believe in God, but they don’t serve Him, they don’t call Him LORD, they haven’t died to themselves in order to let Jesus live in and through them. Jesus said if we want to follow Him we must pick up our cross daily. We must die. We must put our faith into action.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. (2:20-24)
Real faith requires action.
At this point it should be obvious that in context James is talking about works and faith being so tightly interwoven that to suggest you are saved, but do not do good works in response to that salvation then it's likely you are not really saved. Notice that James does not say, "You are justified by works alone." He very clearly unites works and faith. Either one alone is useless. It’s like a screen door on a submarine.
It’s so useless that James equates it to a body without a spirit, which is a dead body. The living dead. Those who claim to have faith but have no works are living with a dead thing; their dead spirit.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (2:25-26)
Jesus did not die 2000 years ago to simply make history. His butchered body didn’t hang on a cross for people to say they witnessed a death. He died to demonstrate His love for us that we would die to ourselves, be recreated in His image, and make a difference in our world. Christians are to do more than talk the talk...we are to walk the walk. The world can’t see our mental beliefs, but they can see our actions...and often they FAIL to see our actions, making us hypocrites.
Jesus’ ministry was filled with good works as he healed the sick and fed the poor. That opened the door to dialogue about faith.
We need to walk in faith, not sit in faith.
So my challenge to you...and to me...is to walk the walk and put are faith into action. That’s what our Master did.
You can listen to the podcast here.
When I was in middle school, I asked the question of friends, all of whom said heaven. “Why?” I asked. “Because I’m a good person and haven’t killed anyone,” they would usually respond.
“There’s a problem, though” I would say. “You’re not good enough. I’m not good enough.”
...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24)
All of my goodness is as filthy rags it says in Isaiah 64:6.
Let’s look at some of Paul’s writings for a moment:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
How are we saved? By grace. Through faith. By God.
This is one of the most vital passages in the Bible. You are not good enough to go to heaven.
It’s not what you do that gets you to heaven but what was done by Jesus.
So does that mean that all dogs go to heaven, and people, too? No. We must receive the gift. Action is required. Faith is not merely something in your head, but something that is expressed.
Niagara Falls story
The Great Blondin - the man who invented the high wire act, announced to the world that he intended to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. More than five thousand people gathered to watch. Halfway across, Blondin suddenly stopped, steadied himself, back flipped into the air, landed squarely on the rope, and then continued safely to the other side. Blondin crossed the Falls again and again; blindfolded, carrying a stove, in chains, and on a bicycle. Just as he was about to begin yet another crossing, this time pushing a wheelbarrow, he turned to the crowd and shouted, "Who trusts that I can cross pushing this wheelbarrow?" Every hand in the crowd went up. Blondin pointed at one man:
"Do you trust that I can do it?" he asked.
"Yes, I trust you can." said the man.
"Are you certain that you trust me?" said Blondin.
"Yes" said the man.
"Absolute trust? Absolutely certain?"
"Yes, absolute trust, with absolute certainty."
"Thank you," said Blondin, "please get into the wheelbarrow."
On Thursday I took my son and two friends to see the Detroit Tigers. They were losing 5-0 near the end of the game and I told my friend, “If I was a betting man, I’d say the Tigers will lose.” After the Tigers scored two runs and had opportunities for more, I leaned over and said, “I’m glad I’m not a betting man.”
There’s a difference between saying you believe something and putting action behind it. It’s one thing to say the Tigers will win and another to put money on it, not that I’m advocating gambling!
Are you willing to get in the wheelbarrow?
Let’s look at today’s passage from the book of James.
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17)
Here James refers to the poor again as he did in his definition of “pure religion.”
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (1:27)
Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. That’s why I love Jesus. He didn’t just tell people, “I love you.” He demonstrated His love by giving His very life for us, dying on the cross in our place, receiving the punishment of our sins.
Martin Luther took issue with James, arguing that we are not saved by works, but instead by faith.
James' point is not to argue whether we are saved by faith or by works. His point is that our belief, which saves us, is only true belief if it is confirmed by our actions, if it is confirmed by hopping in the wheelbarrow.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder. (2:18-19)
Check this out—satan believes in God, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to heaven!
It’s not enough to say you believe in God. Again, talk is cheap. Knowledge isn’t enough. Following Jesus is a verb, it involves action. Demons may believe in God, but they don’t serve Him, they don’t call Him LORD, they haven’t died to themselves in order to let Jesus live in and through them. Jesus said if we want to follow Him we must pick up our cross daily. We must die. We must put our faith into action.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. (2:20-24)
Real faith requires action.
At this point it should be obvious that in context James is talking about works and faith being so tightly interwoven that to suggest you are saved, but do not do good works in response to that salvation then it's likely you are not really saved. Notice that James does not say, "You are justified by works alone." He very clearly unites works and faith. Either one alone is useless. It’s like a screen door on a submarine.
It’s so useless that James equates it to a body without a spirit, which is a dead body. The living dead. Those who claim to have faith but have no works are living with a dead thing; their dead spirit.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (2:25-26)
Jesus did not die 2000 years ago to simply make history. His butchered body didn’t hang on a cross for people to say they witnessed a death. He died to demonstrate His love for us that we would die to ourselves, be recreated in His image, and make a difference in our world. Christians are to do more than talk the talk...we are to walk the walk. The world can’t see our mental beliefs, but they can see our actions...and often they FAIL to see our actions, making us hypocrites.
Jesus’ ministry was filled with good works as he healed the sick and fed the poor. That opened the door to dialogue about faith.
We need to walk in faith, not sit in faith.
So my challenge to you...and to me...is to walk the walk and put are faith into action. That’s what our Master did.
You can listen to the podcast here.