La Gracia Cambia Todo, Diciembre 7, 2025

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And so let's look at these first verses, verses 8 through 11. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. Paul comes and he says, I'm afraid that you're returning to the place that God took you out of. And it's that you've forgotten what God did when he took you out of that place. And he asks, why have you returned to these gods that in reality aren't gods? They're weak. They're basic. They're useless. And he gives an example here. And he says that they were observing days and months and seasons and years to gain the favor of God. But in this sense, he's speaking about Gentile customs. And so follow me for just a minute. The Jews were teaching them that if they would keep the ceremonial law, then that would help them to gain the favor of God. And Paul compares that legalism of the Judaizers. And he compares that to being the same thing that the Gentiles did to worship their gods. Look at what it says in Colossians 2, 16 through 17. Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in question of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. See there's an idea in religion that there are certain things that make me more pleasing before God. And there are certain things, whether it be with the true God or with the false God,

that I believe that this is going to help me earn favor. And so fundamentally, both groups are thinking in the same way. Think about the world. If I work for the God of money, and I give all my effort, in response to my work I'll receive what it is I desire, power, peace, security, but I have to do something in order to receive it back. Think about the sins of pleasure, the immorality. If I experience all of this pleasure, I give my mind and my body over to this pleasure, which is the reward for all my good work. And then the God of pleasure is going to give me back And so fundamentally, both groups are thinking in the same way. Think about the world. If I work for the God of money, and I give all my effort, in response to my work I'll what it is that I'm seeking out. receive what it is I desire, power, peace, security, but I have to do something in order When Paul says that you've returned to elementary things, it's that Judaism sets God or Jehovah sets him up as someone who is transactional with me. So if I do these type of things for God, then he's going to bless me. He's going to love me more. He's going to give me more favor. And so we have reduced the gospel of grace a una serie de transacciones con Dios. And turned it into a series of transactions with God. And so we shouldn't be surprised when we treat others in a transactional way. He says, I fear for you. Como esto se puede traducir a nuestra vida diaria?

And how can we translate this into our daily life? Alguien puede guardar un dia como muy especial para el señor. Someone can keep a day just so special for the Lord. Y vivir en la carne el resto de la semana. And live a terrible life the rest of the week. Alguien puede saber mucho de la Biblia y jactarse de su conocimiento. Someone can know so much about the Bible and boast about their biblical knowledge. Y destruir el testimonio con ese orgullo mirando de menos a los demás. And destroy the testimony with that pride they have looking down upon others. Alguien puede creer que está chequeando la lista de lo que Dios le ha pedido que haga. And someone can feel like they're just checking every box off the list of the things that God has commanded. And live a life without joy or peace. Living under that system, it's a system of slavery. That's a system that kills joy. It kills relationships. And it makes us live before God as if we were his slaves rather than as if we were his children. That's the contrast that Paul is making here in this passage. He says, you are children, but you're acting as if you were slaves. What's the difference? A son already has the favor of the father. Aún cuando falla. Even when he fails.

El esclavo está tratando de mantener su estatus delante de su amo. The slave is constantly striving to keep his status before his master. ¿Cuál era la otra preocupación de Pablo? What was the other concern of Paul? Era de olvidar su amor, el amor y el gozo. He feared they were forgetting their love and joy. Mira lo que dice versículo 12 al 16. Look at what verses 12 through 16 say. Dice, os ruego, hermanos, hacéos como yo, pues yo también me he hecho como vosotros. Ningún agravio me habéis hecho. Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. Pero sabéis que fue por causa de una enfermedad física de que os anuncié el evangelio la primera vez. You know that it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first. Y lo que para vosotros fue una prueba en mi condición física, no despreciasteis ni rechazasteis, ni sino que me recibisteis como un ángel de Dios, como a Cristo Jesús mismo. And though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. Aquí viene la pregunta, ¿dónde está pues aquel sentido de bendición que tuvisteis? Pues testigo soy en favor vuestro de que ser posible

os hubiera sacado los ojos y me los hubieras dado. And here comes a question, what then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that if possible you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. Me he vuelto por tanto vuestro enemigo al deciros la verdad. Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? Pablo dice, háganse como yo me hice. Hey. He tells them, Paul tells them, make yourselves as I have made myself. Remember, I was a Jew, a Hebrew of Hebrews. A Pharisee of Pharisees. I was driven by the law, I respected every single law there was to obey. And I realized I had no power in my life. And I realized I couldn't earn the favor of God following all those laws. And so I abandoned that. I abandoned the idea that I could earn the favor of God with my morality. Make yourselves as I have made myself. Don't listen to those Judaizers. Don't return to those idols that promise things they can't give you. Imitate me. And I don't say this because you've offended me or something like that. I don't say this because I'm angry with you. Remember.

Remember. Remember how you received me and treated me when I arrived sick to you. You reacted with such a tremendous joy. With such great love for me. When I was at my lowest point. When there was nothing that Paul could do physically. They received the message of Christ from him. Not because Paul appeared strong in that moment. In his weakness. In the worst. They loved him. They demonstrated love. They demonstrated joy. To the point where Paul says they received him as if he were an angel. As if he were Christ himself. But what's happened here with the Galatians? They've begun to focus on external things. And they've started to look at others, judging them according to how much they appear to look like them. According to their religious marks. And Paul says, you didn't receive me based on my appearance. And what's happening in this relationship between Paul and the Galatians? It's being damaged. And so he reminds them, don't forget your love. Don't forget your joy. You demonstrated a love that in my problem of my sight,

you would have grabbed your own eyes and given them to me. You treated me with such love, it was as if if I couldn't see, you would have taken your own eyes out and given them to me if you could. The religious pride separates the relationships. Religious pride puts an end to relationship. Because we can't be vulnerable. We can't be real with each other. We have to hide our struggles and our sins. Because everybody else seems like they don't have any struggles. And people show up and they look at us and think, wow, look how spiritual they are. But if they could see their true life, they'd realize they're not that spiritual like they seem. But grace, grace demands that we be real with each other. It demands that we be vulnerable. And so if my status before God isn't determined by my desempeño, my performance, why do I have to hide it then? Grace sets me free to be real. Not so that I minimize my sinfulness and not so that I say, oh God will forgive me anyway so just let me do whatever, because then I haven't understood God's grace either. But it sets me free to be real about my need for a Savior, to confess before God that I'm not perfect and I'm not even close to being perfect and that I need the hope of my Lord and Savior. I'm reminded about the parable in the book of Luke, the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee.

And the Pharisee begins to pray, oh thank you God that I'm not like these tax collectors. I'm not a cheat, I'm not unjust, I'm not an adulterer, I'm not like this terrible tax collector. I fast, I tithe. But what does the publican say? What does the tax collector say? It says that he was fearful to draw near to God. He couldn't even lift his eyes to heaven. And he pounded his chest as a signal of the pain he felt for his sin. And he said, have mercy upon me a sinner. And Jesus asks a question, who went to their home justified? We can't impress God. Why would we try? Another one of the concerns that Paul had is that they were allowing themselves to be manipulated, to be manipulated by these false teachers. And it says this in verses 16 through, verses 17 through 18. They make much of you but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose and not only when I am present with you. I've seen that one of the common denominators among those who want to trick others is that they have a tendency to exclude others that teach something different. And instead of pointing them to the word of God as the ultimate authority, they point others to themselves. And so in that way they create what we call a cult. And they begin to separate their little group away from those that might teach something different. And so then they can control them more. And that's why in our families we must teach the word of God. That's why it's so important that we teach our children to ask questions even if they're

difficult questions. And that's why we ought to create a culture where our children are taught to filter the truth based on the word of God, not based upon the word of mom and dad. You know, you can say to your kids, you're going to church because I said so. Perhaps at times, yes, but why? Create a relationship with them. But these false teachers, they're manipulating people. And they start to create this division. Don't go over there to this teacher. Don't listen to them. And in this case, they're saying, oh, don't get together with Paul. And so what were they doing? They were acting like, oh, I love you so much, and they were making much of them. But Paul says, they're doing this to separate you from me. And so when you have relationships that generate division in your life, be careful. Because the true gospel should take us to love even those that we disagree with. They were creating division. And Paul says, it's okay if people want to treat you well. But may they do it at all times, not just when I'm around. Because what I hear is when I leave, they want to separate you from me. What is the final concern that we see today? He's concerned they're resisting being changed into the image of Christ. In the end, if they allowed themselves to be carried astray by this false teaching, then they would be resisting being transformed into the image of Christ. Because as we've talked about so many times, the law in and of itself has no ability to bring about transformation. The law shows us our sin, but it has no power to change me. With the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, yes, that can transform me. Look at what verses 19 through 20 say. My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is

formed in you. I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Paul uses such a strong example here. It says that he's suffering as if in childbirth. I was with my wife when she was suffering birth pains, and I don't think she's the best example for this. Because it's like nothing was happening. We were watching a soccer game in the World Cup, and 10 minutes later, she had a baby. Maybe some of you are saying, ah, now I get why y'all had six kids. But for many of you, you probably can identify with this. It was so painful for Paul to see that the Galatians were resisting the transformation of the Holy Spirit. That was a pain that he was feeling as a pastor. You see, when a person who's been transformed by the grace of God, and they just want to return to their old ways. And I wish I could talk to you in a special way. I wish I could change the way I'm speaking to you. But please understand the pain that I'm feeling for you because of what you're doing. Don't go back to that. Don't let yourself be manipulated by these false teachers. Don't forget the sensitivity that you felt and the joy that you felt when you experienced the grace of Christ. Because you'll continue experiencing this pain. I'll continue experiencing this pain until Christ is formed in you. What do we learn from this church? We should examine the way in which we're walking with God. Have we turned cold? That we look upon like living for God as if it's something, well, I'll do this and He'll do that. To the point where we forget the love and the joy that God's given us.

We should think about this church. And as the worship team comes forward, I want us to pray. I don't want us to forget and I don't want us to resist the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in us and among us. We should live as children and not as slaves. And so I'd like for us to pray together. And then we'll have a celebration of baptism that reminds us of the life change that God does in us. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your love. Because you gave it to us not because we deserved it, but in spite of the fact that we didn't deserve it. You loved us because Christ did on the cross what we couldn't do for ourselves. And that's what every day should come into our minds and our hearts. God for everyone here who is being tempted to return to their old life, remind them Lord that there's nothing in that place. And that all joy and satisfaction is found in you, Father. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.