Galatians 1, Part 2: The Call of God
GALATIANS 1:13-24
Application: The call of God should be obeyed. When God calls to salvation, ministry, or service, the wise will quickly surrender and obey the Master who always knows best.
WE CLOSED LAST WEEK'S LESSON WITH TWO VERY STRONG MESSAGES FROM PAUL.
FIRST HE DIRECTLY ATTACKED THE WORK OF THE JUDAIZERS WHO WERE WORKING AGAINST HIS TEACHING BY SAYING IF ANY MAN, OR EVEN IF AN ANGEL WERE TO PREACH ANOTHER GOSPEL TO YOU, THAT ONE SHOULD BE ACCURSED. (ANATHEMA – WITHOUT REDEMPTION)
SECOND HE ONCE MORE STRONGLY TOLD THE GALATIANS THAT HIS TEACHING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS WAS NOT GAINED FROM TRADITION OR FROM ANY MAN, BUT WAS BY DIRECT REVELATION FROM GOD.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE MOST POWERFUL WITNESS THAT CAN BE GIVEN FROM A BELIEVER IS PERSONAL TESTIMONY.
IN ALMOST ALL CASES, WHEN WE TELL THE STORY OF HOW JESUS CHRIST CHANGED OUR LIFE, PEOPLE LISTEN.
THE POWER OF THE PERSONAL TESTIMONY REMAINS THE STRONGEST WEAPON WE HAVE IN THE COMMAND WE ARE GIVEN TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL.
IT HAS BEEN SO FOR 2,000 YEARS. IT IS SO TODAY.
IN OUR STUDY TODAY, PAUL UNLEASHES HIS SWORD OF THE SPIRIT TO BRING BACK INTO BELIEF THESE WHO HAD COME TO DOUBT.
HE USES HIS OWN CONVERSION STORY TO ONCE AGAIN MOVE THEIR HEARTS BACK TOWARD THE LORD.
IT IS LIKELY THAT NO MAN EVER WAS CONVERTED MORE STRONGLY THAN PAUL AND HE USES THAT FACT TO HIS ADVANTAGE.
IN THESE FEW VERSES PAUL TEACHES THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE SAVED FROM SOMETHING BUT WE ALSO ARE SAVED FOR SOMETHING
THE CHANGE OF THE HUMAN HEART IN SALVATION HAS ITS OWN PURPOSE WHICH GOD WORKS OUT IN US BETWEEN THE MOMENT OF CONVERSION AND THE LAST BREATH.
FIRST PAUL REMINDS THE GALATIANS THAT HE HIMSELF HAS DEFENDED JEWISH TRADITION STRONGER THAN ANY OF THE FALSE TEACHERS AMONG THEM.
HE WAS SO ZEALOUS IN THAT DEFENSE THAT HE PERSECUTED BEYOND MEASURE THOSE WHO FOLLOWED JESUS AND HE HIMSELF WASTED THE CHURCH OF GOD.
IN PHILLIPIANS 3:6 HE MAKES THIS POINT EVEN STRONGER BY SAYING THAT AS A PHARISEE HE BELIEVED ONLY IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW, AND THAT IN THAT BELIEF HE HIMSELF WAS BLAMELESS.
PAUL IS SAYING THAT IF THERE WERE ANY REASON TO GLORY IN THE LAW, THEN HE HAS MORE REASON THAN ANY OTHER TO GLORY IN IT.
HE IS GIVING A MOST POWERFUL LESSON HERE.
KNOWLEDGE OF TRADITION IS NOT THE SAME AS GOD HIMSELF IN THE PERSON OF THE RISEN JESUS REVEALING HIMSELF TO ME ALONE AND APPOINTING ME TO COME TO YOU.
WHAT MAKES THE GOSPEL SO UNIQUE IS THAT IT COMES NOT ONLY IN WORD ALONE, BUT ALSO IN POWER AND IN THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH FULL CONVICTION.
CONVERSION IS A DIVINE POWER WHEREBY GOD CHANGES HEARTS AND LIVES. PAUL MAY BE THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF THIS POWER TO CHANGE.
AFTER THE RESURRECTION, NO SINGLE EVENT AFFECTED THE COURSE OF CHURCH HISTORY MORE THAN PAUL'S CONVERSION.
IT WAS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE NEVER BEFORE SEEN OR NEVER AFTER DUPLICATED.
PAUL IS VERY CAREFUL IN HIS LETTERS NOT TO FOCUS MUCH AT ALL ON THE OUTWARD DETAILS OF THE EVENT SUCH AS THE LIGHT HE SAW, THE VOICE HE HEARD, OR HOW HIS COMPANIONS REACTED.
HE GIVES ALMOST NO FOCUS ON WHAT HE FELT AT THE MOMENT, SUCH AS HIS JOY, HIS FEAR, HIS RELIEF, OR HIS SECURITY.
INSTEAD HE WRITES CONSTANTLY ABOUT WHAT GOD WAS DOING IN HIS LIFE.
HE EVEN SEEMS TO SAY THAT GOD HAD HIS HAND UPON HIM EVEN WHEN HE WAS BORN, CHOOSING HIM THEN FOR THE TASK TO BE GIVEN MANY YEARS LATER.
IT WAS NOT HIS DECISION TO BECOME A PREACHER TO THE GENTILES. IT WAS GOD'S DECISION MADE IN GOD'S PERFECT TIME.
IT WAS GOD'S VOICE THAT CALLED HIM, GOD'S HAND WHICH TOOK HOLD OF HIM, AND GOD'S GRACE THAT CLOSED HIS EYES FOR PRAYER, AND THEN OPENED THEM AGAIN AS EYES OF FAITH FOR HIS MISSION.
HIS CONVERSION AND COMMISSION WERE ONE EVENT.
GOD SAVED HIM WHEN HE WAS SUFFICIENTLY MATURE AND A MASTER OF THE LAW AND THEN GOD ELECTED HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO SERVE JESUS.
THERE WERE CHANGES IN PAUL CREATED BY THE LORD.
IMMEDIATELY HE WENT THREE YEARS INTO ARABIA AND THERE WAS PREPARED BY GOD TO TAKE ON THE MISSION.
HE WAS GIVEN A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF CHRIST. PAUL CLEARLY SAYS THAT “GOD WAS PLEASED TO REVEAL HIS SON TO ME”.
UNTIL THAT HAPPENED PAUL SHARED THE COMMON JEWISH AVERSION TO JESUS WHICH WAS THAT NO MESSIAH SENT BY GOD WOULD EVER SUFFER THE CROSS, WHICH IS DESCRIBED AS A CURSE IN DEUT 21:33.
AND EVEN IF HE HAD, NO ONE SO CURSED WOULD BE RESURRECTED BY GOD TO NEW LIFE.
THE LORD OVERWHELMED BOTH OF THESE AVERSIONS BY REVEALING HIMSELF ALIVE TO PAUL.
SECOND, PAUL HAD THE ACCEPTED JEWISH ATTITUDE TOWARD THE GENTILE PEOPLES.
THEY WERE LESSER BEINGS, NEVER HONORED BY THE CHOOSING OF GOD.
THEY HAD NO PIOUS WORSHIP OF THE FATHER, MADE NO SACRIFICE EXCEPT TO IDOL FALSE GODS AND WERE TOTALLY CONTEMPTIBLE TO THE JEWS, AND ESPECIALLY THE PHARISEES.
THEY WERE OUTSIDE THE LAW AND WERE CONSIDERED UNCLEAN LIKE LEPERS, OR DOGS, OR PIGS.
THE LORD OVERWHELMED THESE ATTITUDES BY MAKING PAUL HIS CHOSEN VESSEL TO THESE VERY PEOPLE.
THE LORD CHOSE HIM AND TOLD HIM THAT HE CHOSE HIM PRIMARILY FOR THE MISSION TO THE GENTILES.
NO LONGER WAS SALVATION THROUGH THE SACRIFICE IN THE HOLY TEMPLE OF BULLS & GOATS, BECAUSE A NEW AND MUCH BETTER SACRIFICE WAS EVIDENT AND SALVATION WAS NOW NOT BECAUSE A PEOPLE WERE CHOSEN, BUT WAS NOW BECAUSE EACH INDIVIDUAL HEART WAS CHOSEN.
THE CHOOSING WAS NOT BY THE LAW NOT BY TRADITION NOR WAS IT LIMITED TO ONE PEOPLE.
IT WAS NOW ONLY BY GRACE TO ALL PEOPLE.
JOHN CALLS THESE ELECT THE WHOSOEVER IN JOHN 3:16.
PAUL ALLOWS THAT AFTER HIS TIME IN ARABIA, HE WENT UP TO JERUSALEM TO SEE PETER AND HE STAYED WITH HIM 15 DAYS.
PAUL'S CHOICE OF WORDS HERE IS AS CAREFUL AS EVER.
WE SHOULD NOTE HE SAYS HE WENT TO JERUSALEM TO “SEE PETER”
HE DID NOT GO TO BE INSTRUCTED BY PETER.
HE IS SAYING HERE THAT PETER, WHILE HOLY HIMSELF, IS NOT MY MASTER SPIRITUALLY.
HE SAYS HE SAW NONE OF THE OTHER APOSTLES AT THAT TIME.
HERE IS ANOTHER PORTION OF THE WALL OF DEFENSE THAT PAUL IS BUILDING TOWARD THOSE HE ADRESSES, HERE THE GALATIANS.
HIS PURPOSE IS TO PERSUADE THE CHURCHES IN GALATIA, WHICH WERE BEING LED AWAY BY FALSE APOSTLES THAT THESE FALSE ONES WERE CORRUPT.
HE WISHES TO EASE ALL DOUBTS THAT THE GOSPEL HE HAD TAUGHT THEM WAS THE TRUE WORD OF GOD.
HE WANTS TO RETAIN THESE BELIEVERS ON THE PROPER PATH AND SOUND DOCTRINE, AND HIS MOST CONVINCING ARGUMENT IS THAT HE WAS GIVEN THIS DOCTRINE OF GRACE BY NO MAN, EVEN AN ORIGINAL APOSTLE, BUT BY GOD ALONE.
IN HIS YEARS OF STUDY AND GAINING WISDOM IN ARABIA, BEING INSTRUCTED BY GOD, HE HAD SEEN NO APOSTLE.
WE SEE THAT PAUL, THE ELECT VESSEL OF GOD, WAS DOUBTED AMONG HIS OWN CONVERTS IN GALATIA, TO WHOM HE HAD PREACHED CHRIST.
NOW HE TAKES A MOST SERIOUS OATH IN VERSE 20 WHICH HE SUMMARIZES ALL HIS TEACHING BY SAYING THAT BEFORE GOD, I DO NOT LIE.
HE SAYS HE TAUGHT IN THE PROVINCES OF SYRIA AND CILICIA THIS SAME GOSPEL.
AND WHILE HE HAD NOT TAUGHT THE CHURCHES IN JUDEA, THEY HAD HEARD OF HIM AS THE ONE WHO HAD PERSECUTED IN THE PAST AND NOW WAS PREACHING THE FAITH WHICH HE HAD TRIED TO DESTROY.
MORE THAN THAT THESE CHURCHES WHO HAD NOT KNOWN PAUL IN THE FACE, GLORIFIED GOD IN HIM BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT CONVERSION AND HIS NEW GOD GIVEN MISSION.
THE JEWS WERE VIOLENTLY OPPOSED TO PAUL, AND TRIED AS BEST THEY COULD TO DISTORT AND DEGRADE HIS MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL OF GRACE.
THEY HATED PAUL AS MUCH AS THEY HATED STEPHEN WHO THEY STONED TO DEATH FOR PREACHING THE LORD'S GOSPEL MESSAGE.
ACTS 9:23-25 SHOWS US THIS HATRED FOR THE TRUE MESSAGE.
“AND AFTER THAT MANY DAYS WERE FULFILLED, THE JEWS TOOK COUNSEL TO KILL HIM: BUT THEIR LAYING AWAIT WAS KNOWN OF SAUL. AND THEY WATCHED THE GATES DAY AND NIGHT TO KILL HIM. THEN THE DISCIPLES TOOK HIM BY NIGHT , AND LET HIM DOWN BY THE WALL IN A BASKET.”
IT DID NOT MATTER TO THE JEWS WHO BROUGHT THE MESSAGE OF JESUS. THEIR ANGER OVER THIS PURE GOSPEL OF GRACE LED THEM TO MURDER THE MESSENGER IN EVERY OPPORTUNITY THEY FOUND.
THEY HATED JESUS AND ALL WHO BROUGHT HIS MESSAGE.
SO WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED IN THESE 24 VERSES OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GALATIANS WHICH MANY CALL THE “DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE & FREEDOM OF ALL CHRISTIANS”?
WE LEARNED THAT PAUL WAS THE CHOSEN MESSENGER OF THE GRACE OF GOD.
HE WAS CALLED OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF UNBELIEF INTO THE DIVINE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL AND WAS GIVEN THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY TO PREACH IT.
VERSES 1-2 TEACH US HE IS A MAN WITH ONLY ONE MASTER.
VERSES 3-4 TEACH US HE IS A MAN WITH ONE MESSAGE.
VERSE 5 TEACHES US HE IS A MAN WITH ONLY ONE MOTIVE.
FOR THE CHURCHES HE PLANTED, THERE IS DISAPPROVAL OF THEIR WILLINGNESS TO FORSAKE HIS MESSAGE.
FOR THE ONE WHO CALLED HIM, THERE IS PROFOUND REVERENCE AND HUMBLE GRATITUDE.
PAUL'S CALL WAS:
PERSONAL & PARTICULAR & POWERFUL (ACTS 9:4-11 SO TEACHES)
PAUL'S COMMISSION:
WAS NOT FROM ANY GROUP OF MEN OR FROM ANY ONE MAN.
WAS GIVEN BY JESUS CHRIST PERSONALLY.
WAS A CALL TO BE AN APOSTLE (ONE WHO IS SENT) TO THE GENTILES.
WAS EQUAL TO THOSE ORIGINAL 12 CALLED BY JESUS.
PAUL'S STRONG DOCTRINE:
WAS THE EQUALITY OF JESUS CHRIST WITH THE HEAVENLY FATHER.
WAS FOCUSED UPON THE HOPE THE RESURRECTION GAVE ALL MEN.
PAULS' MESSAGE WAS ONE OF GRACE & PEACE THROUGH CHRIST MUCH LIKE THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE OF THE ANGELS TO THE SHEPHERDS, GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY.
HE BROUGHT THE MESSAGE OF GRACE MORE FULLY THAN ANY OTHER TEACHER EVER GIVEN BY GOD.
WHAT DOES HE TEACH US ABOUT GOD'S GRACE IN HIS LETTERS?
IT IS GOD'S UNMERITED FAVOR IN ACTION.
IT IS FREELY BESTOWED IN LOVING KINDNESS & MERCY.
IT IS SELECTIVE.
IT IS GIVEN TO EACH BELIEVER WHO GOES IN HIS OR HER HEART IN HUMBLE REPENTANCE TO JESUS.
WHEN IT IS GRANTED, IT RESCUES US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL AGE AND KEEPS US ETERNALLY FOR THE AGE TO COME.
THIS WE BELIEVE.
WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT ONCE CALLED & SAVED NOTHING CAN REMOVE US FROM HIS GRACE.
LET'S CLOSE TODAY WITH ONE OF MY TWO FAVORITE VERSES WHICH GIVES US THE BLESSED ASSURANCE OF THAT ETERNAL SALVATION.
ROMANS 11:29:
“FOR THE GIFTS AND CALLING OF GOD ARE WITHOUT REPENTANCE”.
THE NIV TRANSLATION SAYS THE GIFTS AND CALLING ARE IRREVOCABLE.
HE WILL NOT CAST OUT THOSE WHO ARE HIS.
ONCE SAVED – ALWAYS SAVED.