Living in the Grace of God: Introduction to Galatians and God's Grace

February 22, 2015

Living in the Grace of God

Introduction to Galatians and God’s Grace

1 Cor. 15:3-4

(Advance Slide #1)

Introduction

Can it really be that simple?

(Advance Slide #2)

ILLUS - I’ve heard of people that have jumped out of a plane say this…

• All you have to do is stand in the door
• When it’s your time just jump out and let gravity do the rest.
• I find it hard to believe that it is that simple.
• Afterall there are winds you have to worry about.
• Parachute has to unfold properly
• Them you have to land without without breaking your legs!!

When you think about all those things, it’s really not that simple!

• There is the jumping and then there are all the other things that go along with it.

(Advance Slide #3)

I want to explain the backdrop for the Galatian letter we are going to be studying for the next two months.

• Paul is writing a group that has complicated the ‘good news.’
• Their idea was that the gospel was not enough...can’t be that simple!
• They undermined the gospel and the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

(Advance Slide #4)

• He will refer to this groups message as “another gospel.”
• They believed that salvation was not simple through Jesus but rather through becoming a ‘practical Jew.’
• Furthermore, they believed that converts must also maintain a ritual expression of the Jewish faith…”works of the law.”

However, for Paul is was much simpler!

(Advance Slide #5)

• For Paul the ‘good news’ was that God intervened to undo the damage to sin on humanity.
• Through the person, words, and work of Jesus.
• Through His death, burial, and resurrection!

(Advance Slide #6)

Text

“3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” 1 Cor. 15:3-4

(Advance Slide #7)

“of first importance.” - What is the most important message?

• The Gospel is the most important message that the church ever proclaims.
• While it is good to be involved in social action and the betterment of mankind, there is no reason why these ministries should preempt the Gospel.
• “Christ died … He was buried … He rose again … He was seen” are the basic historical facts on which the Gospel stands.
• “Christ died for our sins” is the theological explanation of the historical facts.
• Many people were crucified by the Romans, but only one “victim” ever died for the sins of the world.

(Advance Slide #8)

When Paul wrote “according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3).

• He was referring to the Old Testament Scriptures.
• Much of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament pointed to the sacrifice of Christ as our substitute and Saviour.
• The annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16) and prophecies like Isaiah 53 would also come to mind.
• But where does the Old Testament declare His resurrection on the third day?
• Jesus pointed to the experience of Jonah (Matt. 12:38–41).

Lesson

(Advance Slide #9)

In the text we have just looked at Paul gives us the Gospel in it’s simplicity.

• Salvation is so powerful...the Gospel is so powerful.
• It can convict you, save you, change you, comfort you, encourage you, correct you, mold you into the image of Christ.
• Living in the grace of God can happen, but it begins with the ‘good news.’

(Advance Slide #10)

So is the gospel that simple?

• The answer is YES!, but how can the ‘good new’ be this simple?
• It is simple because Jesus did all the work.

What did He do?

(Advance Slide #11)

1. He became poor so that we would be rich.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Cor. 8:0

• What type of king would give up his throne and give it to someone else?
• It is our King!
• Jesus, the Almighty Son of God, obeyed the Father’s wishes and became poor so that we can live a rich life of His blessings!

(Advance Slide #12)

2. He suffered so that we would have blessing.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isa. 53:12

• How did Jesus become poor?
• One manner is that He suffered for us!
• “Like a sheep on His way to the slaughter”
• Yet, Jesus did not fight back...He submitted
• Because of His sacrifices we share in the blessing filled life God desires for us.

(Advance Slide #13)

3. He became sin so that we could have righteousness.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5:21

• On the cross Jesus became, and took on, our sin.
• That’s a difficult things to digest...that our King became sin for us!
• There is a purpose for this...
• So that we can be justified and made morally right!

(Advance Slide #14)

4. He died so that we might live.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

• Because He died so that we can live!
• Eternal blessings, and eternal salvation can be ours when we ‘live in grace of God.’

(Advance Slide #15)

God’s grace is a simple thing...

• How can something so powerful be so simple?

• Because...JESUS DID THE HARD PART !!!

Conclusion

(Advance Slide #16)

I read of a minister that was invited to Cambridge University to preach.

• He wanted to use this opportunity to show his theological knowledge.
• He tried to make his preaching academic and enlightened, but with no effect.
• He finally realized that presenting the intellectual side of faith was not his gift, and began preaching the simple message of Jesus rescuing us from our problem with sin.
• The result was that several responded to the simple ‘good news.’