Taking Pride in Appropriate Things. (Galatians 6:11-18)

0:00Music Mr. Friend of mine tells me about a time when he was in Bible college and he had a professor who he strongly disagreed with. So one day he brought along a friend who was also a professor from a different college to sit in on the class. Now afterwards the two professors began discussing their differences. The discussion quickly turned into a debate and soon a crowd of not only my friend but other students gathered around listening intently. The problem was these were first year students and most of them didn't really fully understand what was being argued. You see the issues were complex, the language and the debate between him seemed to produce more confusion than clarity. So in the next session our student raised his hand and said professor could you

1:05summarize very simply the detail between your position and his. Now on hindsight I think that was a very wise request. When there's any difference particularly a theological difference it's always helpful to pause, take a breath clear the air and try to stay it or clarify the real issues and to do so plainly and that's exactly what we see Paul doing here in this closing paragraph of his letter to the church in Galicia. You see throughout this letter Paul has been in the battle not a personal one but a doctrinal one a theological one. These Jewish legalists who had followed into Galicia and gone around telling these new churches that faith in Christ was not enough and that believers must keep the mosaic law even circumcision all these things they said had to be done to be right with God and Paul has just argued passionately, relentlessly even that justification is by faith alone.

2:08And now he reaches the end of the letter and he picks up the pen himself and summarizes the entire controversy in a very powerful in the original language virtually a single closing sentence. So let me read it for you in our translation today it's Galatians 6 verses 11 to 18 He says see what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand. Okay here he goes those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised the only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law yet they want you to be circumcised but they

3:12may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor on circumcision mean anything what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule to the Israel of God. From now on let no one cause me trouble for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. Okay, Paul's closing statement here divides the issue into two parts. In the opening few verses 11 to 13 he states the position and the motivation of these Jewish legalists. Then in verses 14 to 18 Paul states his country position before offering his close and final greeting. Now in the ancient world authors often

4:17dictated their letters to a secretary and indeed Paul often did himself. But here at this point in the letter Paul is emphasizing that he takes the up the pan and he writes in large emphatic letters to differentiate from the text that's gone before. The way of saying look I am writing this myself it's a bit like underlining a sentence or putting it in bold face. It's his way of saying don't miss this this is the summary this is the heart of the matter and he begins by first describing the legalist's position. They want to make a good show of their works and deeds and their pressurizing believers like you and to being circumcised he says but they do it to avoid being persecuted themselves that's their motivation they have don't themselves want to be persecuted for being those who are now preaching the cross alone yet the law that they demand of others follow he says ironically do not even keep

5:19themselves you see they ultimately want to boast about what they do and how they have won you over to their way of doing things he says. In other words their whole religious belief is external, superficial and ultimately self-serving it's all about appearance not about personal transformation it's all about pride and it's certainly not about the grace of God. Okay so Paul has summarized their position and now beginning in verse 14 he effectively says now let me summarize mine for you. Now this final section this final part of the paragraph in a sense is the distilled essence of the entire book we've just read if you want to know what Galatians is about then this is it friends right here this is the entire book and he states it plainly and without apology as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh these try to compel you to be circumcised that was their position that's what they're trying to get

6:22them to do and that is indeed in a spiritual way is what all legalists always try and do and some still try and do today. Paul wants the Galatians to see that this is not some harmless little ritual not some quaint Old Testament custom that they can adopt without consequences because this strikes the very foundation of Christianity it is nothing less than a denial of the doctrine of justification by faith. Now to help us see this clearly I just want you to keep a sort of a metaphorical finger so to speak in today's text Galatians 6 and for a minute turn with me to Romans 15. Now before reading this verse for you let me say the date of Galatians is debated by some scholars but my and many other conservative Bible commentators have affirmed conviction that Paul wrote Galatians before what is called the Jerusalem council that is described for us

7:22in Acts 15 here. Now not everyone agree agrees with that position however it is important to note that even if you don't believe that that the issues being dealt with in both situations almost everyone agrees are identical and for me the flow of events that makes the most sense of it is if the Galatian letter came first that is simply because of the Jerusalem council had already taken place and they had made this decision and it was the same as what Paul was saying here Paul would have probably just said read the letter sent out from Jerusalem after the council was held there because their apostles have already settled this but anyway let's hear what happened in Acts 15 In verse 1 of that chapter it says certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses you cannot be saved can you see that this is the exact same issue as here in

8:24Galatia unless you're circumcised they say you cannot be saved so if we know back to Galatians 6 Paul says what these people are doing is exactly same as what would later be discussed in Acts 15 in the Jerusalem council is there's people moving amongst us who want for you to be circumcised so he's not telling them anything new here at this point in the letter they already knew that he already set that out for them but what he does here is explain to these to us which he's not gone before why these guys want them circumcised what's the real motivation behind this only helpfully gives us three reasons first in the first half of verse 12 he simply says they want to boast about it as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh these try to compel you to be circumcised simply they want to show off about it they want to parade your circumcision as proof of their success they're not even doing this out of conviction

9:28they're doing it for appearances and for the pre as they think they'll get for persuading you secondly in the second half of verse 12 he says they're actually also doing it to avoid persecution and that's their main motivation now this is crucial because of course if you preach the cross of Christ and you preach that Christ died and paid for all your sins and that you don't any longer need the law but you don't need circumcision you don't need the mosaic rituals you don't need the ceremonies you don't need the law and rules of Moses to finish what Christ has already accomplished then you're going to be persecuted by those who still hold up you obviously so if you drop the law and cling to the cross those who still cling to the law will persecute you so he's saying part of the motivation these guys in preaching circumcision is to avoid their own persecution they wanted safety they wanted acceptance they wanted to stay in good standing

10:31with the traditional Jewish community and thirdly he says they simply want to glorify in your flesh verse 13 listen again for not even those who are circumcised keep the law but they desire to have you circumcised that they make glory in your flesh the point is the same these guys want to boast about you they want to brag about how many converts they have made and brought back to their religious belief system and then Paul adds the devastating observation but even those who claim this and do this and who are circumcised themselves don't keep the law they just claim to keep the law they claim circumcised in as necessary for salvation but Paul says they then don't keep the law themselves not really now he's already argued this point in chapter three when he said cursed as everyone who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law

11:31so this is the position about if you want to be saved by the law then you must keep all of it perfectly continuously inwardly outwardly and of course no one does that and no one can so Paul has argued here and said they want to glory in your flesh they want to boast in their accomplishments through you they want everyone to say look what these guys have done and Paul argues that that is actually the motivation and the whole essence of their position and this is important for us to understand friends because it's still happening today now of course the particulars and the context may have changed but the spirit is the same some people still today in the Christian church glory in their formulas in their religious tradition whether they be baptismal formulas or christening celebrations some glory in external religious practices

12:33some glory simply hen how many people they can convince to follow them and this is in many ways the same spirit Paul is confronting here in Galatians it is the spirit of religious pride but before we point fingers Paul is gently reminding everyone reading this even today that we need to be wary because there is a little bit if not a whole lot of this and every one of us because at heart we all like to boast really we all like to say look what God has done through me and when we understand that then the natural question that arises out of understanding that becomes well is there anything legitimate anything legitimately that we can spiritually boast about is there anything that we can in fact glory in and Paul answers that in the next section and it's the heart of his position verse 14 he says may I never boast except

13:35in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world what if art could be the thing that restores our hope let the art speak about hope is a two day conference for artists writers musicians and makers gathering April 10th and 11th in Madison, Wisconsin this year's event features a live concert from jazz musician Ruth Naomi Floyd on Friday evening on Saturday here from the dynamic husband and wife duo artist and writer Tim and Sherry Lowley register now at slbf.org slash lta s that's slbf.org slash lta s let the art speak about hope April 10th and 11th God invites us into the hope of redemptive creative work that's our legitimate claim here

14:35now it's helpful to understand what Paul means by the term when he uses the world here and the world being crucified to me and I to the world because it's very easy to think he's is referring to that list of things that you should do and don't do the worldly activities that were all warned about the thing he's talking about the sins and the dangers that we can all fall into but I don't think this is what Paul is talking about specifically in this passage I think in the context of Galatians I believe Paul is using the word the world to build upon and refer to the religious world that he's come out of the whole system of the rights rituals and regulations and the religious pride that lay behind what these guys were promoting so when Paul says the world has been crucified to me and I to the world he says I'm dead to everything these guys stand for all the idea of

15:36religion and religiosity here they are he says coming among you and shouting at the top of their lungs we keep the law we observe the sabbath we've been circumcised look at our religious credentials they're glorifying in all the religious externals and Paul says I simply glory in the cross because the cross crucified me to all of that stuff and that is exactly what he also says in Philippians chapter 3 let's just turn there for a very quick moment Philippians 3 beginning in verse 3 says for we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Jesus Christ and we are the ones who have no confidence in the flesh then Paul in that chapter lists his own religious resume if you like and if you're judging people in that way it is indeed impressive he says I was circumcised in the eighth day I have of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew of the Hebrews

16:37a Pharisee zealous enough to persecute the church blameless concerning the righteousness in the law that was Paul's world the religious world and he had credibility upon credibility layer upon layer inner group within inner group but then he adds in verse 7 what things were gained to me these I have counted loss for Christ in other words those things that I thought meant something are nothing compared to what I've gained through Christ and a verse say it he says I count them as rubbish that I may win Christ and be find in him not having my own righteousness which is from the law but which is through faith in Christ that's exactly the same thing as what Paul is saying here in Goliath in 6 he's saying I've been crucified to all of that I've been severed from the entire idea that religion can save you in his particular case in context of course

17:38it was the religious rules of these Jewish legalists but for us today if you've grown up in a church or a religious environment that demanded endless rules and requirements and they positioned them as being a thing that were needed in order to make you right with God then you may recognize exactly what Paul means here and what a relief it can be to discover that it simply just has to be recognizing that Jesus Christ died for you and that his death on the cross fully finally and forever settled the sin question for you what a relief to know that you don't have to keep all the regulations of man or the rituals of religion anymore and Paul is saying here look I've died to all that and it's died to me I'm divorced of it and I'm glad of it because I simply know and accept Christ as Lord so he glorifies in the cross because it was the cross that severed him

18:39from the requirements to follow that entire system but he gives another reason he glorifies in the cross because not only did the cross separate him from trying to follow the rules of the religious world he adds in verse 15 for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or nor uncircumcisions reveals anything but a new creation now what's going on here I think you can almost if you read between the lines here the debate in Galicia one group is saying I'm proud I've been circumcised you can be proud of your circumcised and maybe the other side of the argument was becoming a little bit like well I'm proud of myself because I haven't been circumcised so there's a half and have not each glorifying in their own position those glorifying in the false position and those taking a little pride in reacting and standing against us and Paul says let's be clear let me tell you something in Christ Jesus neither circumcision

19:39nor uncircumcision counts for anything you've had it done doesn't matter it's worthless now you don't have it done doesn't matter either it's still worthless what does matter is being a new creation being born again that is what matters the new birth and that is the only thing that counts before God I glory in the cross because the cross made me a new creation I was born again I became a new creation in Christ and that not religious rules not rituals not religious achievements none of that matters before God and that my friends is the great motif of the new testament it's the very difference between death and new life I am crucified yet I live Galatians 2 verse 20 put off the old man put on the new that's Ephesians chapter 4 we are buried with him and we are raised with him that's Romans 26 all of it saying the same thing

20:42death to the old life in the new and Paul sums it up here by saying I glory in the cross because it killed off the old world and created a new one and a new me to live in it and then a final blessing for those who walk in this way he closes Ben verse 6 thing by saying as many as walk according to this rule then peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God now the word rule here is actually referring to the carpenters measuring line a plum line a standard Paul is saying this is the standard by which we measure boasting and it is simply that of the cross of Christ so he's saying so whether you're a Jew or a Gentile in heritage it matters not if you glory in the cross then peace and mercy be upon you will be upon you and then Paul's final subtle brilliant little comment

21:43little job perhaps and from now on let no one trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ like this is classic Paul subtle sharp and brilliant there's a word play going on here remember the whole issue in Galatia is them being told they needed to be circumcised these Jewish legalists are proudly saying look at the marks on our bodies this is proof of my piety and Paul says don't bother me with that argument ever again if you want to talk about marks look at the marks I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ he's talking about the fact that he's been beaten stoned whipped imprisoned all because he preached across he literally carries physical scars on his body for standing firm in the gospel of grace and he says if you want to boast about any marks then book about about that you boast in marks of circumcision he's saying I actually bear the marks of

22:48persecution I have suffered for the cross the very cross you guys are by nature ashamed of okay Paul then brings this remark but letter to a close with these tender words brothers and sisters he says may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you in your spirit now if you flip through Paul's other letters you'll notice he ends every one of them with a benediction of grace and here and only here in this one do we see him add the words brothers and sisters at the start the point being is after all the sharp warnings all the rebukes all the doctrinal corrections he's had to made the passionate appeals he's made at the end he softens his tone and draws everything to a close it's as if he's saying I've spoken firmly in this letter to you but ultimately I've done it because I love you you are my brethren my brothers and sisters and what I want most for you is that you know the grace of God

23:52and notice the lovely final tree of blessings he leaves them with peace mercy and grace you see if you're glorifying in the cross and that is the center of your life if you're walking by that rule and that way of thinking not religious rules and systems then peace and mercy and grace are years and are promised to be yours in abundance these guys wanted to boast in their converts in their religious rituals in their achievements they wanted to say look at what we've done but Paul says here there's only one legitimate spiritual boast in all of the universe and that is to glory in the cross of Christ and God forbid I should do anything except that that's it that's the whole Christian life and one sentence it's not about your accomplishments it's not about your performance religious or otherwise it's not about any resume spiritual or otherwise you might have it's not your religion

24:53your disciplines your sacrifices or indeed your personal successes the only proper boast and measure is the cross of Christ because Christianity is not what you do for God it is ultimately about what God has done for you and done for you in Christ our only confidence in life and death should be the finished work of Jesus Christ so that means don't get puffed up even when you do something for the Lord yes we should serve him yes we should labor and work hard for him yes we should give him our best but remember what Paul says I am what I am only by the grace of God if we understand that where then is boasting Paul tells us it is excluded and Paul ends this latter as I do also today by simply saying brothers and sisters in the light of all we've learned

25:54may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you in spirit thanks for being with me today Amen you Okay, we're closing our season today, working through the vocalizations. I want to thank you for traveling this road of grace with me. We've watched Paul defend the gospel with fire in his belly, haven't we? We've seen him plead with believers that they not return to a life of slavery, and we've

26:56heard him call us to walk in the Spirit, to love one another, and to serve one another, and to boast only in the cross. Galatians has reminded us again and again that the Christian life begins with grace, continues in grace, and ends in grace. And if this letter has done its work in you and I, then we should leave it with lighter, hard, freer consciences, and a deeper gratitude for the one who loved us and gave himself for us. But our journey isn't over. After a couple of days off of preparation, when I'll post some bonus episodes, we'll return in a few days and start our next season, and we're going to step into a very different landscape. We're going back into the Old Testament, and the books of one and two kings. Now, if Galatians showed us the freedom of the gospel, kings will show us the consequences of forgetting it. We will see leaders rise and fall, nations flourish and crumble, and through it all the faithfulness

27:58of God will shine like a steady flame in the darkness. So I invite you friends to return for the next episode, and for the next season, as we continue learning how to work with God in a world constantly, and pulls us away from that. Until then, my friends, when the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, Spirit. Until then, friends, may I reiterate what Paul said, being that may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you in your Spirit. Thanks for being with me today. Bye-bye for now.