Sermon - Galatians Part 3

Sermon Given in Cardiff 15 June 2013

Good morning everyone.

My last two sermons have been exploring the book of Galatians.  Last time had a particular emphasis on the Holy Spirit as it was the Pentecost weekend. 

Today I'm going to continue with the end of Chapter 3 and go into Chapter 4.  There is so much packed into this letter that it's difficult to capture it all in one go so the challenge is finding a sensible place to start and stop.  But I'll try.

We've touched on the issue of old covenant verses new in the first sermon when we spoke of people saying you have to keep the old covenant law.  The next section goes into more detail as to which covenant we're under and whether it makes any difference if you are a Jew or Gentile.  It's about our identities.

In this room we have a mixture of three of the home countries with English Welsh and Scottish people present.  There are times we are proud of where we're from.  In the words of Cerys Matthews from Catatonia in a song a few yrs ago - "Every Day When I Wake Up, I Thank the Lord I'm Welsh".  Apart from when the six nations rugby is on, do we consciously walk around in a nationalistic patriotic bubble or are we happy being what we are and not really think about it?  Maybe you do, but I don't really think about it most of the time.  My identity is a lot of things, including being Welsh, but the reality is that our identities are constantly shifting depending on what's happening around us.  One minute I'm a husband, the next I'm a Dad, the next I'm a son, brother, planner, Scarlet, Ferrari fan, beach bum, kyacker, oh yes and sometimes even a preacher! But for all of us, we have a common identity and this should be seen in all of the above.  Have you guessed what it is? Yes, we are all cheering on the British Lions!  No - Just kidding - We are all Christians - followers of the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ, but not just that, we are sons and daughters of a loving heavenly father and as we saw last time we are in Christ and Christ is in us through His Spirit. 

Lets continue in Galatians - We see in v26 that we are all sons or I should say children of God. 

Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

 

How? through being very good people? No, by Faith in Christ Jesus.  We've seen previously from Eph that even the faith is a gift of God so no one can boast. 

 

 

The next verse is interesting. 

Gal 3:27 For as many as were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ.

This links baptism, which is the outward sign of an inner change, with putting on Christ.  Some of the translations say putting on Christ is like putting on clothes.  We are in Christ just as I am in my shirt.  When you put on clothes, what people see are the clothes rather than the person inside.  Not a bad thing in my case.  What people see when they look at us should be Christ.  I'm not talking outward appearance but what we say and do should reflect Christ's presence in and around us.  Notice baptism is full emersion in water, and we should be fully immersed in Christ.  Water of course is symbolic of the Holy Spirit which is God's presence living in us. 

 

v28 is a famous verse and we read it out of context in one of the earlier sermons. 

Gal 3:28 There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

It does not matter what our identity is in physical terms at any point in time as we are all one in Christ Jesus.  All are included in the love of God - he does not discriminate against anyone!

 

The next section straddles the clumsy chapter break.  Remember last time we saw in v16 we saw that Jesus was Abraham's seed

Gal 3:16 And to Abraham and to his Seed the promises were spoken. It does not say, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, "And to your Seed," which is Christ.

It says in v29 that if we belong to Jesus, if we are immersed in him, then we are Abraham's seed also. 

Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

Notice that we are therefore heirs to the promise and the next section refers to this inheritance.  

Gal 4:1 But I say, Over so long a time the heir is an infant, he does not differ from a slave, though being lord of all;
Gal 4:2 but he is under guardians and housemasters until the term appointed before by the father.
Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were infants, were in bondage under the elements of the world.

We're not dead yet but it's a bit like one of these child trust funds that the last government brought in.  The kids have money stowed away, but until they are 18, they can't get at it, so to them it does not exist.  They rely on our money and support until such time as they can access the money and they can do what they like with it. Like the child heir being no better off than a slave until the appointed time.

Lets continue in v4-7

Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, coming into being out of a woman, having come under Law,
Gal 4:5 that He might redeem those under Law, so that we might receive the adoption of sons.
 

So what he's saying is that Jesus came at the appointed time in order to free humanity from the slavery of the law so that humanity could become sons and heirs.  Notice, that we could have the full rights of sons.  Remember we started in Chapter 3v26 by seeing that through faith we are sons of God and through baptism we are clothed in Christ.  We are wrapped up in Christ who surrounds us.  But the next verses take it a step further.

Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7 So that you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ. 

Because we are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts.  It's not just having Jesus as our outer garment, we have Jesus in our heart.  Our core. Our Inner being.  This is personal.  No longer under the slavery of the law, we are free to love God as a son. No longer doing things because we have to, as a slave obeys the master, we are free to do things because we have God in our hearts.  God is love don't forget, so when Jesus said love God and love your neighbour, he also said his burden was light, so what he was saying is that with God's Spirit in our hearts, the love that comes from God's presence will flow to others as a natural consequence of being in step with God.  We'll see in a later sermon that it says in 5v25 that "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Notice it doesn't say IF we live, it says SINCE we live.  Anyhow, that's getting ahead of ourselves.  What Paul is doing in this passage is laying the foundations of the new reality that they found themselves in, once Jesus had redeemed them and set them free from the law, and free from sin. 

 

Notice that we again see Father, Son and Spirit at work here.  I know we keep referring to Trinitarian theology but this is a good example of the triune God at work as we see Paul laying this foundation.   We often see this in scripture and I'd like to quote Gary Deddo on this point. 

"As we study scripture we come to see that it has a center, which is not a What, a Why, or a How, but a Who, namely Jesus Christ. He is the central figure - person - message - truth of all scripture. If our view of scripture is eccentric (off centered) it “wobbles.” If everything organizes and emanates out of the true center, we get re-centered. True theology, which progresses in and out of this center, is necessarily trinitarian because Jesus is the Son of the Father, who sends the Spirit. Jesus' ministry is to take us to the Father and to send the Spirit. What he does, is who he is. When you deal with Jesus, you deal with the whole Triune God."

I thought I'd share that with you.  Lets read v6 again.  "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts , the Spirit who calls out Abba Father."  Can you get a foundation of truth stronger than that? I think not!

Anyhow - back in Galatia.  They had obviously strayed from this foundation under the influence of those who had gone there after Paul.  In the next section he cuts back to the problem that they were facing.  Remember we saw in the first sermon that there were people trying to lead the Galatians astray and that they were to be accursed because of it.  Paul now comes back and gives us some more details of what was going wrong.  

Gal 4:8 But then, indeed, not knowing God, you served as slaves to those not by nature being gods.
Gal 4:9 But now, knowing God, but rather are known by God, how do you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you again desire to slave anew?

This carries on the slavery analogy and was asking them why they would want to go back into bondage now they know God?? Weak and miserable principles.  Having to do the law as a slave rather than showing love as a son.  Unfortunately that's a choice people make even today.  So what was he talking about? v10.  Sound familiar? 

Gal 4:10 You observe days and months and times and years.

Paul's despair is evident.

Gal 4:11 I fear for you, lest somehow I have labored among you in vain.
Gal 4:12 Brothers, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as you. You have not injured me at all.
Gal 4:13 But you know that through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you before,
Gal 4:14 and you did not despise my temptation in my flesh, nor did you spurn it. But you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.

Paul had a problem, and they had helped and supported him.  It sounds like he had an eyesight issue by this passage, 2Cor 12v7 refers to his thorn in the flesh, so it must have been something serious.  Anyhow.  Despite the support and hospitality, they had basically started to fall away from his teaching in the face of pursuation from those who were trying to Judaise the fledgeling Christians.  Notice it says in v12 Paul had become like them - he became like the gentiles - so he pleaded with them to become like him - who had become like them - rather than the Jewishness he's left behind.  Strong words. 

 

Gal 4:15 What then was your blessedness? For I bear you record that, if you were able, plucking out your eyes, you would have given them to me.
Gal 4:16 So then did I become your enemy speaking to you the truth?

Again you can feel the despair coming through can't you.  They had been so close to Paul but had stabbed him in the back by turning away from his teaching.  To use a rugby analogy, imagine if you were Warren Gatland and you had coached the side so they were beating every one, and then, they all decided that it would be a good idea if they wore high healed shoes instead of the rugby boots.  He would be in despair - why would you throw away success for shoes that hurt and meant you could not run... instead of running powerfully with plenty of grip you would be stuck in the mud not able to go anywhere.

Gal 4:17 They are zealous for you, but not well. But they only desire to shut you out, that you be zealous to them.
Gal 4:18 But it is good to be zealous always in a good thing, and not only in my being present with you.

These people were clearly zealous but in a bad way that was seeking to alienate the Galatians from him.  We see this all the time when people are sincere but wrong and are zealously spreading the wrong message on a variety of subjects - evolutionists for example.  Unfortunately there are also people with the wrong emphasis spreading their messages in the Christian world then and today.  They may think the same of us, but there we are, we should be faithful to what we believe most accurately reflects what it says in the bible.  In the Christian context, it doesn't matter if we agree 100% as long as we all get along with respect and without judgement.  There are core issues and peripheral issues so we need to make sure the core is correct.  What Paul is saying here is that these people were both fundamentally wrong and were being divisive - leading people away from Christ and towards themselves. 

 

Verse 19 shows how painful Paul found this situation - describing it as being in pains of childbirth.

Gal 4:19 My children, for whom I again travail until Christ should be formed in you,
Gal 4:20 even now I desired to be present with you, and to change my voice; for I am in doubt as to you.

Notice he wished he could be with them to sort it out. 

 

Verses 21 - 31 are a discrete section which goes into the old and new covenants likening them to Sarah and Hagar.  This appears to be out of context, however what Paul is saying through this book is beware of false teaching and being enslaved in the law when there is something new and better.  There is freedom in Christ which is the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham.  This would be a sermon in itself, so what I'm going to do is read through it so we get continuity for the next one but expand it some other time as a separate sermon outside the series.  Galatians used to be ignored in our church as it was full of difficult scriptures - but the message is clear.  As I said I'm not going to unpack it all today, that's a sermon for another time, but it sets the scene for Chapter 5 which I'll do next time.    

Gal 4:21 Tell me, those desiring to be under Law, do you not hear the Law?
Gal 4:22 For it is written: Abraham had two sons, the one out of the slave-woman, and one out of the free woman.
Gal 4:23 But, indeed, he out of the slave-woman has been born according to flesh, and he out of the free woman through the promise;
Gal 4:24 which things are being allegorized; for these are the two covenants, one indeed from Mount Sinai bringing forth to slavery, which is Hagar.
Gal 4:25 For Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in slavery with her children.
Gal 4:26 But the Jerusalem from above is free, who is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27 For it is written, "Rejoice, barren one not bearing; break forth and shout, you not travailing; for more are the children of the desolate than she having the husband."
Gal 4:28 But brothers, we, like Isaac, are children of promise.
Gal 4:29 But then even as he born according to flesh persecuted him born according to the Spirit, so it is also now.
Gal 4:30 But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave-woman and her son; for in no way shall the son of the slave-woman inherit with the son of the free woman."
Gal 4:31 Then, brothers, we are not children of a slave-woman, but of the free woman.

 

 

To conclude, what have we learned today?

The first point is that our identity is in Christ.  I started off showing that we are identified by our nationality, job, hobby, family status etc but in reality, we are all one in Christ.  In this country especially we have banter and tease people from the other nations  especially at times of rugby, however our real identity in whatever we do should be as a Christian - a follower of Christ, but more than that, as His children and heirs.

The second point is that through baptism, we are clothed in Christ - and through faith we have His Spirit in our hearts.  We are immersed in him totally so what people should see in all we do is Christ living through us and his love radiating from us.  Easier said than done as we are, unfortunately, human, however we see glimpses of it in our lives and the lives of others.   

The third point is that the implication of being children of God is that we are also heirs of the promise.  As Christ was the seed of Abraham, and we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we are also Abraham's seed.

The fourth point was that people were trying to divide the church and lead the Galatians back into the slavery of the law from the freedom of Christ and we see Paul in despair over  the situation.  We can almost sense God greiving for His people through Paul.  He had set humanity free through the sacrifice of his son and they were willingly going back into bondage.

We then concluded Chapter 4 by just reading through the analogy of the two covenants being like Sarah and Hagar.  God had a covenant with Abraham that he promised and Isaac was born out of promise rather than Ishmael who was born out of Abraham's own works.  One is described as free and the other bondage.  Anyhow that's a sermon for another day.

So next time I will go into Chapter 5 which sets out the reality of our freedom in Christ and the responsibility that it holds.  Today has been a little doom and gloom but next time we see the good news.  The gospel of freedom and hope. 

 

All scriptures are Modern King James courtesy of ESword.