EPIC: High-Impact Truths in the New Testament – Part 9

All right, we begin in Galatians chapter 2 today, and we're in chapter 2 verse 19. Paul writes and he says, for through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. Did you know that dying to the law is essential in order to please God? We cannot please God unless we die to the law. Paul says it. It's not my idea, it's not your idea, it's not a trendy movement, it's not a popular new theology, it's 2,000 years old, Paul is saying we die to the law so that we might live to God. Now that's what this is about. Some people think this is about cheap grace, but you know what it's about? It's about living to God. Some people think that this is about lazy living. No, it's about living to God. It's the only way to live from God and to God and for God as we live under grace. Everything else is wax fruit, folks. That's why you can find at many religious places of worship, you find a stuffy environment, a lack of liberty, everybody is putting on airs, and then next thing you know, there's secret sins and there's some sort of catastrophe. Legalism breeds it. But when we live under God's grace, we find that we don't have to wear the mask, we find that we can be ourselves and express Jesus at the same time, we can have fun, we can have a sense of humor, we can enjoy each other, we can be creative, and we don't have to be walking on eggshells trying to project some kind of image. So under the law, sin thrives. Under the law, sin has a heyday. It's like a vacation for sin. It loves it. And so under God's grace, what do you see? In Romans, we read about it.

It says that under God's grace, sin is dead. Apart from the law, sin is dead. Sin will not master you because you're under grace. So isn't it ironic? The very grace that so many are afraid of is actually the path to godliness. The very grace that people are afraid of that they will throw stones at and call names, that very grace is the impetus, the power behind godly living. And I think part of the reason we miss this is because we have a view of godly living that is stiff. We have a view of godly living that is so holy that nobody wants to really be it. We have a view of godly living that is stifled. Godly living, true godliness, involves joy and having fun and peace. And there's only one gospel that leads to peace. There's only one gospel that leads to excitement, to joy, and that is the gospel of God's grace. This is not a special emphasis or a particular focus. This is the gospel itself. And so Paul is saying, I died to the law. How did that happen? Well, I fought the law and the law won. The law killed me. The law brought me to a place of desperation, 613 commands staring me in the face. I couldn't come close. It killed me. The law killed. And amen to that because when I realized my death, I realized my need for true life. Through the law, I died to the law so that I might live to God. What is this message about? It is not about passivity. It is about bearing fruit. And this just happens to be the only way to bear fruit for God.

So we bear fruit for God as the gospel relaxes us. I hope you hear that. You may not hear that very often, but we bear fruit for God as the gospel relaxes us. Look at this. The gospel says, your sins are gone. The gospel says, you're under grace forever, accepted and loved. Jesus says, I got you. I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. What does that do to a person? I begin to breathe that sigh of relief. And then I'm living. from a place of relaxation, because the true message of the gospel has relaxed me. And now, from this place of rest, I can begin to bear fruit. You look at peace and joy, that's not coming from spiritual stress. You look at patience and kindness and love, that's not coming from legalism, folks. This is the only way to bear fruit. We die to the law, we live under God's grace, the gospel relaxes us. Jesus says, my yoke is easy and my burden is light, and you will find rest for your soul, and that rest is what inspires peace and love and joy. You'll never get that from legalism. You'll never get that from rule keeping. Rule keeping never produces joy. It only produces pride, and pride is not joy.

We can have pride in what Jesus did, and that brings real joy. So, we continue now into one of the landmark verses in the New Testament. Oh my goodness, it's staring us in the face. Galatians 2.20, I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. Wow, there is so much here. First, did you notice this crucifixion, past tense? You have been crucified with Christ. They tell you you need to die to self. Religion says die to self. The gospel says you died with Jesus. Religion says try to die to sin. The gospel says you've died to sin. How can you live in it any longer? The religion says there's something wrong with you. You need to get out of the way. Let's put up billboards that say all of him and none of us because you're a dirty, rotten sinner, and you need to get out of God's way. You know what the gospel says? It's you, but it's him. But it's you, but it's him. It's you in him and him in you. It's both of you together in a beautiful union.

You don't have to get out of the way. You're right in the middle of it. Your identity in Christ, your union with Jesus, it puts you right in there, and you get to be you with your sense of humor and your hobbies and your interests and your quirks and your uniqueness and your individuality. It is a beautiful thing, this diversity and variety in the body of Christ. Don't change a thing. Be yourself and express Jesus at the same time. That is acceptance. We can quote John 3, 16, for God so loved the world, and think of it in a very generic sense. Oh, God loves the world. God loves me, but God loves everybody, and we'll miss the power of that radical love. But the union that we have with Jesus, that spells love. He's with you and he's in you 24-7 without interruption. You wanna talk love. Well, let me tell you, when God cleans house and moves into your life and says, I'll never let you go, and I'll never revoke my presence, and you don't have to be somebody different, and you don't have to perform for me, you can be yourself and express me. That is when you know God loves you. 24-7 without interruption.

Oh, my goodness, are you kidding me? What a privilege, what an honor that we get to participate in this vine branches relationship. It's no longer I who live, Paul says. That's the old I. But then, you notice how the verse continues? Paul's not done. He says, it's no longer I who live, but then he says, the life that I now live. I thought you said you died. Yeah, but the life I now live, that's the new I. The old I dies, the new I is resurrected with Christ. The new I has one way to live. We live by faith, not by law. When you're 90 years old, don't be known as a rule keeper. Be known as someone who's walking by faith in the resurrected life of Jesus inside of you, and that your life is a miracle. that you're bearing fruit because Jesus lives. You're bearing fruit because Jesus is alive, living in you. The life I now live, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That's part of the gospel. Jesus gave himself for us. That's his death. When Jesus gives himself for you, that's his death. But when you die with Jesus, that's your death. And we need both aspects of the cross.

The cross says Jesus died for you. The cross says you died with Jesus. We need both of those. We hang crosses around our necks. We put crosses on the walls of our churches and we talk about one half of its meaning, that Jesus paid it all, all to him we owe, that Jesus died for your sins, that he took them away forever, and that's awesome. That's incredible. But don't miss the other half of the message of the cross that you died with Jesus. Otherwise, it's yucky you. You're living with yucky you. And many people think that's spiritual. They think that's humble. They think that's Christianity, to live with yucky you. If you could just talk bad about yourself and talk down to yourself and say, I'm just a dirty, rotten, sinner worm of a person. But God loves me. God doesn't love sin. And you are not sin. You are the righteousness of God. God changed you. He transformed you. He killed you and resurrected you to put you in the family with the right DNA, with the right lineage, the right heritage, the right family line.

Wow, you're a perfect fit with a perfect God because by one offering, he made you perfect for all time. You're not perfectly behaved, but you are perfectly equipped and perfectly qualified to enjoy Jesus forever. All right, now we finish chapter two, verse 21. Paul says, I do not nullify the grace of God because if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly. Why do you think Jesus went to the cross? We can't say grace is a nice idea. It's the whole reason he died. We can't say grace is a special focus. It's the whole reason he was crucified. Christ did not die needlessly, and we should never nullify or ignore or diminish the grace of God. People say, watch out for that grace, and God is saying, you need more of it. You need grace upon grace upon grace. Watch out for that grace is like saying, watch out for that victory. Watch out for that victory over sin. You might get too much of it. Who's saying watch out for that love? Nobody, but oh, you bring out the G word, that grace. We got too much of it, watch out for it. It's dangerous, it's cheap. Let me tell you, it's not cheap. It costs Jesus everything, and it's free to you.

It's either expensive or free, but it's not cheap. It's expensive to Jesus, free to you. It's never cheap. Jesus paid it all. The ultimate price, and so you can't have too much grace because you can't have too much victory over sin. Titus chapter two, the grace of God teaches us to say no to sin. How does that sound? I like the sound of that. The grace of God teaches us to say no to sin, so don't nullify it. Now we begin this passionate diatribe by the apostle Paul, Galatians chapter three, verse one. Paul continues, he says, you foolish Galatians. Who has tricked you? Who has bewitched you? Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Now let me tell you, the town of Galatia is a long way from Calvary, so when it says publicly portrayed as crucified, those Galatians did not get a glimpse of the cross from Galatia. What Paul is saying is I taught you. I painted the picture, folks. I told you about Jesus Christ crucified, and I didn't mince words. I laid it out there for you, and. I made it plain.

So, who's tricking you now? Because you ought to know you were taught enough. You were taught clearly. I clearly painted the picture of the finished work of Jesus Christ. And now, what happened? You're acting like it's not finished when it's finished. He goes on and now he's going to give them that multiple choice quiz. Remember this from Galatians 3? The multiple choice quiz. This is the only thing I want to find out from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Now, first I want to point out that Paul's fibbing a little. Because he says, this is the only thing I want to know. And then he asks them three things. He asks them three things. Now, they're all related. So, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the first thing he wants to know is this. How did you get saved? And folks, I need us to go there. I need you to go there right now. How did you get saved? What did it take? What was the attitude? What was the temperament? What was the focus? How did you get saved? And you have to conclude that at that very moment that your attitude was, I can't. Only you can. And I'm going to let you save me.

I'm going to let you do for me what I cannot do for myself. That was the attitude. Now, you see where Paul is going. He's going to say, then why did you quit that? Why did you change? Why did you transition to plan B? Why did you switch methods? That's where he's going. Because just as you received him, so walk in him. Rooted and grounded in Christ. Not living just for him. But living from him. You hear that? I'm not just living for him. I'm living from him with the attitude of, I can't. You can. And I'm going to let you. You hear that? The moment I say, I can. I can, Lord. And watch my smoke. Now I'm walking after the flesh. I'm trying to get perfected by human effort. I'm trying to be a rule keeper, a law keeper, a self-improver, a behavior manager. That is not the Christian life. The Christian life is Christ. The Christian life is Christ in you. The Christian life is Christ through you. It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. But I'm still in the picture because I live by faith in him.

It's all of him, and yet I get to be in it. And it's all of him, and yet I get to be in it. And it's a mystery. Paul calls it the mystery of Christ in you. Now revealed. Not rocket science. Not a mystery that's hidden now. It's revealed. It's plastered all over the New Testament. You'll find Jesus talking about it. Jesus says, because I live, you also will live. He says, it's vine and branches. You in me, and I in you. He talked about it, then he gave it to us, and now we've all stopped talking about it. You survey the church, nobody's talking about it. I'm talking globally. When's the last time somebody asked you, hey, what's Jesus up to in you? What's the Lord been doing lately in you? What's the spirit of God teaching you lately? Nobody's talking about what Christ in us is doing, and yet Christ in us is the gospel. This is it. This is the real thing. Having begun by the spirit, are we switching methods? Verse 3, he says, are you so foolish? Having begun by the spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Some translations say human effort. I like it because it captures the essence of what Paul is saying. You started by Jesus, and now is it grunt work? You started by Jesus, and now is it sweat and blood and tears? You started by Jesus, and now you're going to finish what he says is finished?

How about you count yourself dead? Instead of fighting sin with human effort, how about you do the Jesus root? I'm dead to sin. I died with you. dead to this thought. I'm alive to you. I could entertain it. I could try to resist it with willpower. Guess what? Unbelievers have willpower. What we have is the Spirit of God teaching us. We are dead to that thought and alive to our Savior. Having begun by the Spirit, are you now? And now, I guess I would ask you this. What would the modern church answer for this one? You foolish Americans. You foolish Canadians. Apologies to my wife. You foolish Asians and Australians, Russians and South Americans. You foolish Galatians. What would the modern church answer to Paul's multiple choice question if we were being honest? I'm telling you, we are really good at light shows and entertainment and horses and Harleys on stage and amazing music. And then we leave people with three ways to exert human effort. And see you next week where we'll hold you accountable and tell you to do even more. But don't worry. You'll get more lights and more horses and more Harleys and more entertainment and more refreshments. But that's all in there along with the self-improvement, the behavior management. Having begun by the Spirit, are we now being perfected some other way? Paul goes on and he says, did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain? What's he saying? Folks, look what you've been through. I mean, you've stood up for the gospel. I came in, Paul says. I came in and I taught you. I clearly portrayed Christ as crucified. I laid it out there for you, dead to the law, alive to God's grace, living under grace. His grace is sufficient for you. I laid it out. And then you got pummeled with peer pressure and rejection. They called you heretics. They hated you. They told you that it was great that you're saved. But they told you Jesus did something great. But and they start bringing in Moses. You have suffered a great deal to stand up for the truth. Are you really going to back out now? Are you really going to give up now? Are you really going to compromise? It's Jesus plus nothing. And you know that. Have you suffered so many things for no reason? You're going to mix law and grace and expect a different result this time. You know what they say about people who go down the same path over and over and get electrocuted? You know, those rats, those mice, they go down the same path and they get shocked and they come back

and they go to not real bright, not real bright. Have you suffered in vain or have you learned your lesson about God's grace? Verse five, he says, so then it's not just about getting saved. So then does he who provides you with the spirit and works miracles among you. How does he do it? Does he do it through the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Does he do it when you behave yourself? So let me get this straight. You behave yourself for a while and then God works in your life. You behave yourself for a while and then God does a miracle. You do your part of being good. And then God comes in and says, oh, look how good she's been. Now let me do a miracle. You see, that's what he's asking them about. That's what he's saying. What does God do in your life? How does he act? Does he wait for you to live the boy scout life first or is he the initiator? Now I'm telling you, this is actually a bigger issue than you think. This is actually everywhere. Have you ever heard you're going to block the blessing? You're going to block that blessing. What do you got to do? Well, just give you money. If you give the money, then it's like you're, you're paying off the drug Lord in the neighborhood. So he keeps your shop safe and then you won't be able to do it. blocked the blessing. Oh, well, you know you got, you know, you know why the Lord can't bless you. There's too much sin in your life. You heard that? It's the sin blocking. He can't even hear your prayers. There's a wall of sin. You know what Ephesians says? He destroyed the barrier wall. There is no wall. And so, we've got this idea that we do our part first. Let me get cleaned up. Let me get the sin out of my life. Let me pay my money so the blessing is not blocked, and then God will act. And Paul is taking that, and he's turning it upside down, and he's saying, God is good because God is good. God is good because that's his nature, not because you pay him. God is not waiting to get paid. God is good. Amen? And there you have a gospel that is all about Jesus again, because for a minute, we were getting distracted.

It was about Jesus on the front side for getting saved, and then it was about you as soon as we got you saved. We tell the unbeliever, don't we? We say, oh, don't worry. Salvation? No, no, no, no, no, no. You don't understand. It's not about you. It's about Jesus. Oh, well, I mean, I haven't been to church late. Oh, it's not about church. It's not about attendance. It's about Jesus and what he did. He attended the cross. He attended the tomb. He's at the right hand of God. It's about Jesus. It's not about you. They say, well, they say, you know, I haven't read my Bible much lately. Well, it's not about how much you read the Bible. It's about Jesus and what he did, not what you did. Then they get saved. You say, now, are you reading your Bible and going to church? I thought you said, I thought you, because just a moment ago you were saying, yeah, but now that you're saved, I need to keep tabs on you. No, none of this. None of this inspiration. I need to keep tabs. None of this. I need to keep you accountable. None of it. I'm going to get out my clipboard. You see, we can't let it happen. He who began a good work in you is going to carry you on to completion and you'll be inspired from here and it's real because he's alive. How does he do it? Not by the works of the law. Verse 10. We skip forward. For as many as are of the works of the law are under, a curse because it is written, cursed is everyone who does not abide by how much? All things written in the book of the law to perform them. What does that tell you? First of all, the law is all or nothing. Second of all, this is not a piece of the law.

Did you notice? Paul's talking about all things written where? In the book of the law. What does that tell you? It's the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament and every regulation in it, the book of the law. He's not saying, hey folks, just, you know, just do your best on the 10. Oh, you don't want to do the Sabbath? Do your best on the 9. No, it's all or nothing. Not my theology, not yours, not your opinion, not mine. 2,000 years ago, he says it's the book of the law, not the moral law, not the ceremonial law, not the sacrificial system, not your favorite parts, but all things written in the book of the law. What does that tell you? We have no business playing buffet line of law. We have no business cherry-picking from God's law. It's all or nothing. So why is Paul talking like this? He's putting down the gauntlet. I mean, he is calling them to the carpet. He is saying make your choice, but you got to be educated to make a good choice. I'll tell you what, because some people think there's law and there's grace and then there's a third choice. That's what they think. That's the most popular opinion. Have you noticed that people gravitate, humans gravitate toward a balance of almost anything. You see it in our politics. We go a little bit this way, a little bit that way, a little bit this way, then we elect this person and we elect this. person. Over time we do the ping-pong match. We like a balance. Seems to be the case. Guess what? You get saved, people still like a balance of law and grace. What is Paul saying? There's no room for that. There's no room for balance. It's all or nothing. You don't get to pick ten. You don't get to pick nine. You don't get

to throw tithing in and make it eleven. It's all or nothing and it's a curse. So then he tells us we gotta see that no one is justified by the law before God and that is evident because nobody can keep it. The righteous man will live by faith. Now live there means two things. Live means live like get saved live like have life but also live like daily like every day. Live by faith in the one who gave his life for you and then he gave his life to you to express himself through you as you live by faith. So we got just a couple of more few more verses here to finish up of this incredible landmark passage. Oh my goodness. However, when you just thought you could balance them Paul says however the law is not of faith and in fact he who practices them will live by them. Now I would ask you this. This is kind of a trick verse because who practices the law? Who really practices the law? Nobody, zero, zilch, nadie. That's Spanish. Nobody. Nobody practices the law in reality so nobody lives by the law. Now I want you to notice this radical statement that I wish we could put on Christian billboards today in the Bible Belt and plaster them across the nation. The law is not of faith. I mean does it get any clearer than that? How much faith does it take for you to pick some laws and obey them? The Mormons are doing it. The Muslims are doing it. Anybody can pick some laws and rules and try to keep them. That requires zero faith. See you're living a miracle life. Your life is of faith. Law-keeping is not a faith but your life is of faith. Law-keeping is not a faith but you're saying Jesus is alive in me and I end up behaving because of a miracle called resurrection in me. That's why I behave. Now that's faith. That's faith. You believe crazy stuff. You believe a man was in a whale spit up on the beach. You believe the Israelites walked through walls of water. You believe Jesus rose from the dead and floated up into the sky and you believe Jesus is inside of your body living his life in you and through you. You believe some crazy wonderful beautiful stuff and it's the truth. But the law is not of faith. Fortunately verse 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Oh I'm scared of I'm scared of God's punishment as somebody called in

the other day. I lost my child in a custody battle. I think I think it's because of something I did years ago. I think God's punishing me. I had the pleasure of telling that woman God is not interested in kidnapping as punishment for your sins. Jesus died for your sins. God is not interested in punishing you. Jesus took the punishment. The wages of sin is death and Jesus died and there are no more wages. God is not treating you based on your sins. He's treating you and relating to you based on your Savior not your sins. There is no punishment left. There's no condemnation. God is not the one you pay off to keep on his good side. No musical chairs. No mood swings. No punishment. Jesus became the curse and there's no curse left. In order we finish with this. Why did he do it? In order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham you remember the promise the blessing of Abraham it would come to the Gentiles so that we the Gentiles we the Americans we the Galatians We would receive the promise of the Spirit. How? Through faith. Two final thoughts. You're a Gentile. Look at your lineage. Look at your ancestors. They didn't care about Yahweh. Most of us, our ancestors, they didn't care about Yahweh. They weren't chasing after God. They weren't pursuing the Lord. They were making campfires and dancing around them, hoping that the pagan deities would bring them a good crop. Your people were not good people. No offense. My people, the Irish, were not good people. Meaning, we were in Adam. Sure, there's a lot to appreciate about culture and heritage and countries and borders and traditions. I'm talking about spiritually. We all were in Adam. And as Gentiles, we were not pursuing Yahweh. And so here comes God, and it's His idea, and it's His Son, and it's His sacrifice. And He chases you down, and He pursues you, and He saves you, and He dwells in you and seals you. And it's all Him. You weren't even looking for Him. Your people. Our people. Secondly, you never heard of Moses, and neither did your ancestors.

Never heard of Him. Made no effort to keep Him. Never memorized His laws. Never looked at the book of Leviticus and did our best. Our people were never involved in any of that. Only the Jews. And so God says, you know what? It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter to me. It's not about you anyway. I'm just going to lavish my love, and it's based on me, not you. You don't have to initiate. You don't have to chase me. You don't have to pursue me. You don't have to try to obey me first. It's not about you. It's about me. And I'm good because I'm good. That's God. That's the gospel. Jesus initiated. We get to respond and say, wow, and thank you. Let's do that right now. Father, we thank you for this incredible message of your grace. It's not about us. It's about you. Having begun by the Spirit, we're going to keep on by the Spirit so that you don't ask, what happened? We know the truth. We're going to walk in it. We're going to trust you, your life. We believe in miracles, and that miracle is the renewing of our mind, our growth in your grace. We believe in miracles. Christ in us. We thank you for this radical truth of your grace. We love you. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. For more information, visit www.fema.org