Oct. 22, 2023

“THE ROAD TO FREEDOM” 

“WHICH DO YOU WANT TO HEAR FIRST, THE BAD NEWS OR THE GOOD NEWS?”

GALATIANS 1:1-10

No one can justify himself or herself before God, it is only in Christ that anyone is justified. Our only hope is grace and grace alone. And when we place our trust in Jesus, we are saved!

Paul’s letter to the Galatians sets us free. Its bold statement of liberating grace points us away from a false gospel of self empowered words and toward the true gospel of faith and Spirit-empowered love. Paul’s message is that grace is the way to life, and the way of life.

1.   Paul’s Greeting- Galatian 1:1-5

*His Ministry- Galatians 1:1-2

Galatians 1:1-2 “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia.”

1 Corinthians 15:20, 23 “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 23But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

*His Message- Galatians 1:3-4 

Galatians 1:3-4 “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

Liberty in Christ is the theme of Galatians. The Judaizers wanted to lead the Christians out of the liberty of grace into the bondage of the Law.

“…deliver us from this present evil age..” vs.2 In Jesus God has rescued us from this evil world we live in. 

Ephesians 2:1-2 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.”

*His Motive- Galatians 1:5

Galatians 1:5 “To whom be glory forever and ever Amen.”

Paul’s motive was pure and godly, he wanted to glorify Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 

The glory of God is the defining theme of Scripture. 

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

2.   Exposing The Danger To The Galatians- Galatians 1:6-10

*Paul Expresses His Anxiety- Galatians 1:6-7 

Galatians 1:6 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.”

Exodus 32:8 “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

We must never forget that the Christian life is a living relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.”

You cannot mix grace and works, because the one excludes the other.

Galatians 1:7 “Which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

“Pervert” vs.7- means to turn about, to change into an opposite character. The word could be translated “to reverse.”

Trouble describes the feeling of the disciples in the ship during the storm:

Matthew 14:26 “And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.”

We are saved by grace and we are to live by grace:

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

*Paul Exposes His Adversaries- Galatians 1:8-10

Those who love the Lord are to hate evil.

Psalm 97:10 “You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.”

Romans 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”

Galatians 1:8 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”

“Accursed” vs.8- means dedicated to destruction.

Galatians 1:9 “As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

Galatians 1:10 “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 4:1 “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God.”