Returning to the Truth of Justification by Faith

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I'm astonished that you're so quickly deserting him who called you to the grace so three texts chapter 3 verses 1 to 4 chapter 4:9 chapter 1: 6 all of them recount this running well and then hindrance so what does he mean when he says who hindered you does he mean give me a name I want names well it doesn't seem like it because he doesn't pause or Express himself like that this sounds like to me who hindered you from obeying the truth means who in the world could have such Authority or such status or have won your affection so fully that they Trump the truth indeed they Trump my authority. [00:03:08]

For I would have you know brothers that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel for I did not receive it from man nor was I taught it I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ and the entire first two chapters is a defense of that claim to divine revelation and not only that not only did I give you good evidences that speak on behalf of Christ you you loved me you embraced me as your Apostle here to Galatians 4 though my condition was a trial to you you did not scorn or despise me but received me as an angel of God as Jesus Christ. [00:05:01]

You saw so much truth in my word word you saw much so so much validity in my defense of my apostil ship that you were willing to count my words as the very words of the Risen Christ what then has become of your blessedness it was a blessed state that you were in for I testify to you that if possible you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me so when he says who hindered you he doesn't mean give me some names he mean surely there's no one who could have the authority the status the affection that I had. [00:05:55]

Don't follow myth follow truth don't follow false teaching follow truth and he said what that truth is back here in chapter 25 and 14 to them we did not yield to the apostles the pillars in Jerusalem we did not yield in submission even for a moment so that the truth of the Gospel of justification by faith apart from works of the law might be preserved verse 14 when I saw that their conduct namely Peter and Barnabas and these false teachers who had come and started influencing them when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the Gospel. [00:06:51]

The truth is the gospel the truth is the gospel and the gospel is the good news of justification by faith and they're turning you away from this truth and then he argues like this this persuasion of not obeying the truth that persuasion is not from him who calls you now why does he say it like that why draw attention to the Divine call of God and say that's not of the one who calls you he could have said that's not of Christ or that's not of God or that's not of the one who died for you or that's not of the one who was raised. [00:07:57]

God saved us and called us to a holy calling not so this call that rescued us and brought us to Christ was not because of our works but because of his own purpose and Grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began in other words when Paul hears I've been called you've been called he's thinking of an absolutely unconditional Sovereign work of God which had been planned and given to us in effect before we were even created and therefore it couldn't be based on on our works it's only based on his purpose and his grace. [00:09:14]

This persuasion to embrace justification by works is not from the one who called you because he called you on the basis of Grace which he gave you before you were even created and then finally he argued use like this A little leaven leavens the whole lump now where did that come from why why does he go there all all kinds of suggestions are made here the idea is that leaven or Yeast if you put just a tiny bit in a lump of dough before long the whole lump of dough will be leavened so it's an image of a small influence having a huge effect. [00:10:09]

I'm going to suggest that it's circumcision I mean wouldn't you think that the Galatians would respond perhaps in view of the influence of the false teachers Paul why are you getting so bent out of shape over something as small and insignificant as circumcision good grief Paul you you speak in such Global forces like this is destroying destroying the gospel it's just circumcision Paul well here we are chapter 5 remember what he said in 52 look I Paul say to you that if if you accept this little little leaven of circumcision Christ will be of no advantage to you it blows up everything it destroys everything. [00:11:19]

I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision this little little leav of circumcision that you think and they say is so small he's obligated to keep the whole l the whole law this little leaven that you are counting on for justification and salvation has now bound you to keep the whole law that's what I think he has in mind when he says a little leaven leavens the whole lump so to summarize the arguments I see four arguments to come back to to the way you were running to believe in justification by faith and not justification by works. [00:12:16]

These folks cannot attain the rank of the authority that I have they can't exceed my authority because I have a revelation from Christ and you loved me and second it's truth don't leave the truth and third the one who called you called you in Grace by Grace given to you before the foundation of the world it can't possibly be based on works because he called you out of Darkness into his salvation by a sovereign Act of Grace that's what call signifies and the fourth argument is you think it's a small thing to accept except circumcision it's not a small thing it binds you to keep the whole lump of the law. [00:13:06]

Let's hear the warnings let's hear the arguments and let's keep running well that is walking by the spirit believing in Christ for our justification. [00:14:12]

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