La Gracia Cambia Todo, Noviembre 9, 2025

Good morning, Fellowship family. Buenos dias, familia de Fellowship. It's so good to be here with you all this morning. Es muy bueno estar aquí con ustedes esta mañana. Man, thanks be to God for another opportunity to gather together to worship Him. Y gracias al Señor por otra oportunidad para reunirnos, para alabarle y adorarle a Él. If you have your Bible, turn with me to Galatians chapter 2. Si tienen sus Biblias, por favor, acompáñame a Galatas, capítulo 2. We'll be looking at verses 20 and 21 this morning. Y hoy vamos a estar viendo los versículos 20 y 21. But before we do that, let's pray. Pero antes de hacer eso, vamos a orar. Father, thank You for Your Word. Señor, gracias por Tu Palabra. What a precious gift it is to us, Lord. Porque es un regalo precioso para nosotros. Lord, I just ask that You please bless the reading and teaching of Your Word this morning. Y yo quiero pedirte en esta mañana, Señor, que Tú bendigas la lectura de Tu Palabra. I pray that these will be more than words on a page. Y yo oro, Señor, que sea mucho más que solamente palabras en una Bible. But life, life for our souls. Sino que sea vida para nuestras almas. Help us to be hearers and doers of Your Word, Lord. Ayúdanos a ser oidores y hacedores de Tu Palabra. For the praise of Your glory. Para la gloria de Tu nombre, Señor. And we pray, amen. Verse 20 is probably one of the most popular verses in the Bible. It's a verse that many of you know by heart. Anyone memorize it?

A few of you, okay. It's a wonderful verse. And it's a summary of the Christian life. Verse 20 defines what it means to be a Christian. So I'd like for us to stand and read this aloud together. Y quisiera que, por favor, nos pongamos de pie y leyéramos juntos este versículo. English speakers will read aloud with me. And Spanish speakers will read aloud with Daniel. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. In the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God. For if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. And this is the word of God for the people of God. You can be seated. Paul says, I have been crucified with Christ. What is Paul talking about? Because he wasn't actually physically crucified with Christ. So what's he talking about? Paul is speaking spiritually. He's talking about what happened when he believed in Christ. Before Paul became an apostle, he was a Pharisee trying to earn God's acceptance by keeping the law. But when he encountered the resurrected Christ, it changed everything. He understood that it was impossible to earn salvation through the law. He stopped trusting in his own good works. And he trusted in all that Christ did for him. He trusted in the one who loved him and died for him. And as a result, he was saved from the penalty of the law. The law could not touch him.

The law no longer condemned him. Because the penalty of the law was paid by Christ on his behalf. Now what's true for Paul is true for you and me. We have been crucified with Christ. We are no longer under the penalty of sin. And this is not because of anything we have done, but only because of what Christ did for us on our behalf. Before he went to the cross, what did Jesus do? He lived a life of perfect obedience to the law. Because the law has demands. God's law demands perfect obedience. Perfect obedience to the law is mandatory for salvation. Remember what Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount. You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. That's the standard. Absolute perfection. But none of us are perfect. Not even one. We're all lawbreakers. We've all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And that's why the law cannot save us. The law was not given to us to save us. The law reveals how sinful we really are. The law reveals that we desperately need Jesus. We desperately need a Savior. But unless a person understands that they are a guilty lawbreaker, then they will never see their need for Jesus. Will someone who thinks they're a good person ever trust in Christ? No. If all we tell people is that Jesus loved them and died for them, then Jesus will not

be precious to them. If a person doesn't understand that it was their sin that nailed Jesus to the cross, then they will not trust in Him alone to save them. Jesus is the only one who can save us. He fulfills the demands of the law and pays its penalty. He obeyed every commandment given by God perfectly. And then he went to that cross as our perfect substitute. The righteous for the unrighteous. And on that cross he paid the penalty for our sin. Because sin cannot go unpunished. So Jesus took the punishment for us. He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. He suffered and died in our place. He died our death. So by faith alone, we are no longer under the penalty of the law. The law cannot touch us. Because when Christ died, we died. His death counts for our death. And his life counts for our life. This is the great exchange. This is what Paul's describing in 2 Corinthians 5, 21. For our sake he made him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. This is the heart of the gospel. This is the love of God in Christ. If you look on the screen, you'll see a simple illustration of this. Isn't that beautiful? If you have placed your faith in Christ alone, then this is true for you. Because Christ died for you.

He took your sin upon himself. So his death counts for your death. And by faith alone, his perfect righteousness is credited to you. His life counts for your life. So when God looks at you, he doesn't see your sin. He only sees you dressed in the righteousness of Christ. You are justified in his sight. God looks at you and he's pleased with you. Not because of anything you have done, but only because of what Christ has done for you. Only because you are in Christ. And what's the promise for everyone who is in Christ? Romans 8, verse 1. You guys know this. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. So if you're a believer, then meditate on this wonderful promise. You're free from the condemnation of the law. There's no condemnation for you. But if you're here this morning and you haven't trusted in Christ alone, then you are still under condemnation. Repent of your sin. Trust in Christ alone. If you do, you will be forgiven. Then you will be dressed in the righteousness of Christ. And there will be no condemnation for you. That's the promise. But we're not just saved from the penalty of sin. God doesn't just save us from the penalty of sin and then leave us to ourselves. He also gives us the power to pursue righteousness and bear fruit for His glory. Paul says, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. We are indwelt by the Spirit of Christ.

Christ dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit radically changes everything. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17. This is another verse that many of you have memorized. You can say it with me. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. This is all of grace, brothers and sisters. Because this is not something we achieve externally. The Spirit transforms us from the inside out. Our old hard heart is removed. And we're given a new tender heart. And what comes with a new heart? New affections. New desires. We go from hating God to loving God. We go from loving sin to hating sin. We go from wanting what we want to wanting what God wants. But we not only have new affections and desires. He gives us the power to actually do what is pleasing in His sight. Because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. We're given the desire and the power to obey God. We're given the desire and the power to pursue. We're given the desire and the power to live for the glory of Christ. We're freed from the power of sin. The power of sin is broken in our lives. We have the power to fight and kill sin. We have the power to crucify the desires of the flesh. Sexual immorality, idolatry, hatred, jealousy, selfish ambition, drunkenness, envy, strife. This is what the flesh produces.

Those are the things that the flesh produces. But the Spirit gives us the desire and the power to kill those things and bear fruit of the Spirit. What is the fruit of the Spirit? Can anyone list them all? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These attitudes glorify God because they're produced by the Spirit of God. So here's the question. Are these evident in your life? This is why we must walk by the Spirit, as Paul says in Galatians 5. This means we must continually depend on the Spirit for our power and guidance in every action. Just as the branch depends on the vine to bear fruit, we depend on Christ. And God's will for our lives is that we bear much fruit. Bearing fruit is an essential part of our sanctification. God's will for our lives is our sanctification. And sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus. We spend our lives growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. We spend our lives reading and studying the Word of God. We spend our lives beholding the glory of Christ. We spend our lives aiming to do what is pleasing to Him. We spend our lives crucifying our self-centered desires. We spend our lives serving others. We spend our lives pursuing godly character. We spend our lives making much of Jesus. But all these things are an over-fruition. flow of faith in Christ. Pero todas estas cosas son producto de que rebosa de adentro para afuera de nosotros lo que nosotros tenemos en Cristo, lo que hemos encontrado en Cristo. We live our lives trusting in the person and works of Christ alone.

Vivimos nuestras vidas confiando en la persona y en las obras de Cristo, solamente en la persona y en las obras de Cristo. Paul says, I live by faith. Pablo dijo, Pablo lo dijo así, yo vivo por fe. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Yo vivo por fe en el Hijo de Dios que me amó y se dio a sí mismo por mí. We are saved the very moment we repent and trust in Christ. Nosotros somos salvos en el preciso momento en el que nos arrepentimos y confiamos en Cristo. But we never stop trusting in Christ and all that He is for us. Pero jamás paramos de confiar en Cristo y en todo lo que Él es por nosotros. He is our righteousness. Él es nuestra justicia. He is our freedom. Él es nuestra libertad. He is our peace. Él es nuestra paz. He is our honor. Él es nuestro honor. He is our strength. Él es nuestra fuerza. He is our life. Él es nuestra vida. Christ is our life. Él es nuestra vida. He's everything. Él lo es todo. He's all we have. Es todo lo que tenemos. And He's all we need.

Y es todo lo que necesitamos. Christ is enough. Él es suficiente. He is enough. Él es suficiente. And there's nothing we need to add to what He has done for us. No hay nada que tengamos que añadirle a lo que Él ha hecho por nosotros. It is finished. Él lo terminó, Él lo completó. The battle is won. Él ganó la batalla. We're victorious in Christ. Ahora somos victoriosos en Cristo. What Jesus did for us on the cross is enough. Lo que Jesucristo hizo en la cruz es suficiente. But the Galatians were being told that faith in Christ alone wasn't enough. Pero los Gálatas, la gente de Gálatas que estaban leyendo la carta de Pablo, a ellos alguien les había dicho que no era suficiente con la justicia de Cristo. They were told they also had to be circumcised. Les habían dicho, por ejemplo, que también tenían que circuncidarse. And instead of trusting the gospel, y que en vez de confiar en el Evangelio, they began trusting in their own efforts to make them right with God. Tenían que confiar en sus propios esfuerzos para mantenerse en la justicia de Dios. So Paul asks this question in chapter 3, verse 5. Así que en el capítulo 3, en el versículo 5, Pablo les hace esta pregunta. Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Dice, ¿Aquel pues que les da el Espíritu, el que suministra el Espíritu y hace milagros entre ustedes, lo hace por las obras de la ley o por el oír con fe? The answer to this question is obvious, right?

Y la respuesta a esta pregunta es obvia. We receive the Spirit by faith. Nosotros recibimos el Espíritu por fe. And the power to live the Christian life comes from the Spirit, not from works of the law. Y el poder de vivir la vida cristiana viene del Espíritu, no viene de las obras de la ley. We cannot be made right with God through the law or our own works. Nosotros no podemos ser justificados delante de Dios a través de la ley o por nuestras propias obras. If we believe that, then we're saying Christ's work is not enough. Porque si nosotros nos creemos eso, entonces lo que estamos diciendo es que la obra de Cristo y lo que Cristo hizo no es suficiente. Let's read verse 21 real quick. Vamos a leer el versículo 21 otra vez. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Dice, no hago nula la gracia de Dios, porque si la justicia viene por medio de la ley, entonces Cristo murió en vano. We set aside the grace of God when we try to add human works to it. If I could be saved by being circumcised, then Christ died for nothing. If I could be saved by baptism, then Christ died for nothing. If I could be saved as a result of anything that I do, then Christ died for nothing. It is true that we are saved by good works. That got your attention, I know. We are saved by good works, but we are not saved by our good works. We are saved by the perfect works of Christ alone on our behalf. And when we try to add anything to what he has already done for us, then what we're communicating to God is that Christ's sacrifice is not enough. Listen to this quote from R.C. Sproul. It is Christ's righteousness that justifies.

All we bring to the table is our trust in him and his righteousness. If we add one ounce of our own righteousness as our confidence, then we repudiate the gospel. And that is the reason why we need to preach the gospel to ourselves every day. Every day we must look to Christ and remember what he did for us on that bloody cross. He loved us and gave himself for us. And that was Paul's motive. Second Corinthians 5, verses 14 and 15. I love this passage. For the love of Christ controls us. Because we've concluded this, that one has died for all, therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Paul's not talking about his love for Christ. He's talking about Christ's love for him. This is what compelled him, the love of Christ. He was overwhelmed by God's love for him. He couldn't imagine living for anything else. What else is there to live for? He was motivated by the love of Christ, and he obeyed Christ out of gratitude. Out of gratitude to Christ, he made much of Christ. Love will only be our primary motive if we keep our eyes on Jesus. You must keep your eyes fixed on Christ. You must continually think about what he did for you on that cross. He loved you and gave himself for you. Make it personal, like Paul did. Jesus loved me and gave himself for me. He died for me while I was still a sinner. And because of this, there's no condemnation for me. This is all of grace. It's all of grace.

Grace really is amazing. This won't be on the screen, but I'm going to recite this verse out loud. You all know this verse. So I want you guys to help me out. I want you to fill in the blanks. By grace, you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. Not a result of, so that no one can boast. We can't boast because we've done nothing to save ourselves. The only boasting we can do is in the cross of Christ. Galatians 6, verse 14. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Boasting in Christ excludes any possibility of boasting in our works. We boast only in the cross of Christ. Because without the cross, we would be condemned forever. So thank him for the cross. Serve him out of gratitude for all that he has done. And praise him for his glorious grace. Because we are sinners saved by grace alone. Through faith alone. In Christ alone. According to scripture alone. For the glory of God alone. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for... Sending your son to die for us. Thank you for the cross. We know that apart from Jesus, we're completely hopeless.

We just praise you for your glorious grace. That you've saved us and reconciled us to yourself. You've saved us from the penalty of the law. You've empowered us with your spirit. We're free from the power of sin. And we're free to live for you. Out of gratitude to what you have done for us in Christ. Jesus, we love you. We thank you and we praise you. Only you are infinitely worthy of praise and worship. It's in your precious name we pray. In your precious name we pray. Amen.