Laying Hold of the Wonderful Truth of God’s Gospel

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

In God’s gospel there is truth and there is life. Will you heed His word?

Introduction

A wonderful truth has been made known to us, and if you choose to live by it, it will set you free.  In this week’s Sunday School commentary, we will take a look at Paul’s letter to the Galatian church.  From Galatians 2:15-3:15, Paul revealed a great truth when he spoke of the difference between living under grace and living under the law.

The Great Truth About God’s Law

In Galatians 2:15-16, Paul stated that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.  This is a statement that is very similar to Romans 8:1-5.  In that scripture, Paul spoke of what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh.      

Paul, we should understand, was not calling the law weak.  Paul, we should understand, was not speaking of the law as being terrible.  As a student of the law, Paul knew very well that the law of Moses, the law of God, was both holy and righteous.  The law being weak through the flesh speaks of man’s inability to keep the law because of man’s weakness.

The work of the law is not to make someone righteous.  Consider our laws and how our laws are in place to point out when someone has broken the law and should be punished.  The works of the law are to point out when one has sinned, or disobeyed God’s instructions.  As Paul said in Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Why can no flesh be justified in God’s sight by the law?  Well, there is no justification process in the Mosaic Law.  Sure, the law provided instructions for burning of peace offerings and making the atonement offering on the day of Atonement, but there was no justification.  Hebrews 10:1-4 speaks of how such acts were merely a shadow of the good things to come, as the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins.

This may cause one to wonder why God gave the children of Israel the law if He knew it was impossible for one to keep the law.  Exodus 19 shows us that God gave the children of Israel His law because He loved them, and He was keeping His promise to Abraham.  At the same time, God’s law also reveals mankind’s need for help so that we may be redeemed from our great sin.

Genesis 3:15 shows us that Christ was always a part of God’s plan for mankind’s redemption story.  Jesus came to the world to save the sick – those dead in trespasses and sin (Luke 5:31-32; Eph. 2:1-3).  Jesus gave His life to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law in us (Rom. 8:4).  So, while the law will point out all of our sins, we have justification because Christ has made atonement for us.

Requirement of Christ

Now, it must be made clear that faith in Christ is also required for one to be justified and saved.  Why do I make mention of this?  Many grew up thinking that because their grandparents or their parents were saved, that meant they were saved as well.  Justification nor salvation works in such a manner.

Jesus told Nicodemus that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16 is what God’s gospel rests on!  You see, God’s gospel rests on His love for mankind so that man would be redeemed from the great sin of disobedience, which we still commit today.

Choosing to disobey is a sin that can’t simply be forgiven with the blood of bulls.  Choosing to disobey is a sin that can’t simply be forgiven because we say, ‘God forgive me. ’  No, our disobedience is so great a sin that God had to give His only begotten Son to wash that sin away!

Justified by Faith

Jesus gave His life so that the world might be saved, but let’s be clear that those who have no faith are not saved.  John 3:18 tells us, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  The sincere believer is a sinner who has been justified of their sins by their faith in Christ.  

So, why is faith needed for us to be justified of our sins?  We must consider the implications of what we believe in for us to understand why faith is needed.  

In Galatians 2:20, Paul spoke of how the sincere believer is a partaker of the crucifixion of Christ.  Now, this does not mean that the sincere believer physically died on the cross with Jesus.  Yet, the believer is to make a very important sacrifice in their life.  What is that sacrifice?

In Romans 6:6, Paul wrote, “Our old man was crucified with Him (Christ), that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”  In Romans 6:7, Paul followed up by stating, “For he who has died has been freed from sin.”  Paul was speaking of a spiritual sacrifice where the believer gives up their old nature to live in the way of Christ.  

Without faith, one has not made such a sacrifice.  Faith is putting forth the effort of carrying out what you believe in.  So, rather than choosing to live sinfully, the sincere believer ought to be putting forth the effort not to live a sinful manner.  As Paul said in Galatians 2:18, “For if I build again those things which I destroyed (gave up), I make myself a transgressor (a sinner).

Does this mean that the Lord expects us to live perfectly after we have sacrificed our old nature?  The fact of the matter is that the Lord knows we are going to inevitably do wrong because of sin.  However, God’s gospel – His saving grace – lifts us up from our sin.

God has no desire to throw such a heavy weight on you.  No, the Lord desires to take away what weighs you down in your soul (Matt. 11:28).  Therefore, as John taught, when we are in the wrong, we ought to make our confession known to the Lord about our sin.  God is both faithful and just to cleanse us form our unrighteousness.

Now, should we continue to sin because we know that the Lord will show us mercy?  That would not be the choice of putting forth the effort of faith.  Faith, as that of Abel and Enoch, will put forth its best effort in living in devotion to the way of the Lord.

Faith Requires Effort

The letter to the church of Galatia implies that the Galatian church began to do what many believers do today – they began to abide by another law.  In Galatians 1:6, Paul wrote that he marveled at how those believers were turning away from Christ for a different gospel.

What’s very interesting about them trying to live by the Mosaic Law is that the Mosaic Law was given only to the Jews.  I know that there are many people around the world today who convert to Judaism, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Mosaic Law was only given to Israel (Rom. 2:12-24).

In Galatians 3:1-5, Paul is asking those believers what they expect to receive by turning away from the gospel.  From believing in Christ, they had received the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit certainly wasn’t leading them to turn back to the law, as the Holy Spirit’s role is to lead and guide us into the full truth of God’s gospel.  So, were they expecting to receive better than the Holy Spirit by turning to the Mosaic Law?

Paul desired to know whether or not the law was going to make them holy and righteous.  Keep in mind, Paul asked these questions following his teaching of how the law would only point them out as a sinner.  The Mosaic Law would have told them they needed to turn back around to Christ because salvation wasn’t with it!

Paul asked them if they believed that miracles, blessings, would come to them through the law.  I repeat, Paul was not speaking negatively of the law, but with an understanding that the law points mankind in the direction of Christ.  

Something that many believers fail to understand is that faith requires one to put forth the effort to live by the gospel.  We are to live with discipline and obedience, putting our full trust in God’s word!  There is no other law for the believer to abide by, spiritually, that will pour out God’s grace and blessings upon us.

Many today are given to a system that, in no manner, honors them with grace and mercy, and with rewards.  Man’s system is a system that offers more pain and suffering than it does a good reward.  Why so many of us devote ourselves to a system that doesn’t benefit us will continue to be a mystery to me.

I encourage you to lay hold of God’s gospel.  The reason why I encourage you to lay hold of God’s gospel is because with His gospel comes a great reward.  God’s Holy Spirit will abide with you, leading and guiding you into all truth.  God will lift you up in His grace and mercy rather than let sin weigh you down.  When you abide by God’s gospel, His peace of mind will rest with you.

These rewards are merely the beginning of the excellent riches of the Lord.  Through trials and tribulations, the Lord will deliver you.  Ultimately, you will be delivered from sin, the wicked, and the evil.  Again, whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life.