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Galloping Through Galatians - Part 3/6
Have you ever felt trapped by religious rules that left you feeling perpetually inadequate? That's exactly the trap Paul confronts in his letter to the Galatians—a trap that's still ensnaring believers today.
This powerful exploration of Galatians reveals why Paul became so passionate about protecting the Galatian Christians from those who insisted they needed to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law to be truly righteous. It wasn't just about theological correctness—it was about preserving the very joy and freedom that Christ died to give them.
Through careful examination of Paul's arguments, we discover the beautiful truth that righteousness comes through faith, not works. Abraham, the father of faith, was declared righteous centuries before the law was given—not because he followed rules, but because he believed God's promise. This chronology matters profoundly. The law, which came 430 years after God's covenant with Abraham, cannot nullify or add conditions to a promise already established.
Perhaps most striking is Paul's revelation about the curse of the law. Anyone attempting to live under the law places themselves under an impossible standard: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Perfect obedience or nothing. This is precisely why Christ's redemptive work is so essential—by becoming a curse for us on the cross, Jesus freed us from the law's impossible demands.
The legalistic mindset creates a perpetual state of inadequacy where you can never do enough, you're always falling short, and you'll never measure up. As noted during our discussion, "Legalists are the greatest joy-robbers in the history of religion." When your standing before God depends on your performance, anxiety and despair become your constant companions.
Understanding that we are part of God's family not because of what we do but because of who our Father is transforms everything. We're family through faith in Christ, regardless of our ethnicity, social status, or gender. This identity transcends all human categories and unites us as brothers and sisters under one Father.
Whether it's circumcision for the Galatians or our modern equivalents of religious rule-keeping, adding fine print to the gospel always leads to the same place—away from grace and into bondage. Embrace the freedom Christ purchased for you and discover the joy that comes not from following rules but from resting in His finished work.
Alright, welcome everybody, we are. Uh, good morning, Hi, jake. We are galloping along through Galatians. I'm going to have to get on my horse here, because last week I got behind Never Finish my Outline, and which made it easier to prepare for this one, because half of what I wrote last week I got behind Never Finish my Outline, which made it easier to prepare for this one, because half of what I wrote last week I just recycled for this one because I never got to it. So we're on lesson four. I have three more left. After today, knock on plastic wood. We'll have three more chapters to go. It's like a haunted house. All right now.
Speaker 1:I went home last week and I thought, you know I got a bit more animated than I intended to be last week. I do get passionate about this stuff. I do get passionate about this stuff. Let me say this also the folks who taught me growing up and the folks who put these ideas in my head originally about what it means to be righteous and what you have to do and whatnot, were good people who were doing the best they could and thought they were doing the right they could and thought they were doing the right thing and maybe they were doing the right thing. I have a lot of respect for the people that taught me growing up, all right, so I just want to say that right off the bat, they were good people and certainly well-intentioned. I have broken with them on some things and made my own ideas based on what I have taught, what I have read and learned, and the reason that I'm so passionate about this particular subject is that I have seen the joy-robbing results of a legalist background. I have seen the way it will rob the joy from your life, and that makes me very sad to see. I've learned the hard way over time that you cannot law yourself into joy. It is not possible. As a lawyer, I'm telling you that All right, enough said, let's move on.
Speaker 1:Title for today's lesson is Read the Fine Print. As a lawyer, this just warms my heart. Okay, if it wasn't for the fine print, there would be lots and lots of attorneys who are holding up signs saying we'll work for food. Anything helps, god bless. Those are required by the pain handlers union. You have to have those on your sign, and it's always good to have a dog with you too. That increases sales, all right.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about the fine print a little bit, because that's what this lesson is going to be about. Is the fine print fine print a little bit, because that's what this lesson is going to be about. Is the fine print? I found this. I thought this was a pretty good definition.
Speaker 1:Fine print is a term that refers to contract terms and conditions or disclosures placed in footnotes or at the end of a manuscript, where it's easily overlooked by the reader. Isn't that true Fine print? How many of you would you, if you bought a house, if you own a house and went to closing, did you read any of the stuff they put in front of you? Oh, I'd still be there. Who did? I'm glad I was not at your closing. You what? You work for lawyers. I am a lawyer. I didn't read any of it. Sign here, sign here. Initial here. Sign here. Sign here. Initial here. Now this one means this Sign here, sign here, sign here, sign here. I've got those papers down in the basement collecting dust. I've never looked at them. I mean I could have agreed to lots of stuff. I have no idea who I agreed to, those darn lawyers.
Speaker 1:Okay, so here's some examples of fine print. Okay, this is the instruction manual for a combination, ever-ready, three-in-one. Now get this. Somebody is a genius A three-in-one rechargeable lantern and bug zapper. Now think about this If you're camping and you've got the lantern, what's going to be attracted to the lantern Bugs? Why not have a built-in bug zapper? Why didn't I think of this? I could be retired Now if you bought this fantastic product.
Speaker 1:How many of you would? Now? I know the answer. For the guys, the answer is zero.
Speaker 1:How many of you ladies would bother to read this? Some of it I don't. I pick it up and set it aside. I've got to. I don't throw them away, I hang on to them, but I don't read them generally, unless something goes wrong, and then I'll read what it is. This is all. Lawyers told them to do this. I'm telling you. I know the inside story. Lawyers told them to do this.
Speaker 1:Each one of these instruction manuals you see, or each warning label you see, tells a story. You know when your hair dryer says do not use in the shower, right, somebody did it. Yes, somebody did it and therefore it's yes, somebody did it and therefore it's foreseeable somebody will do it again. So you have to warn the idiots not to do that, right? I mean, if I dry my hair in the shower. I could save some time, right, you could save eternity, right? Here's an example of fine print.
Speaker 1:How many of you read the back of the medicine box that you're Dave? Does you read it? You know what I read. How many do I have to take to feel better, right? How many do I have to take? What's that? You don't understand it. You just read the pictures. Oh, the side effect. I get too scared to take the medicine if I read the side effect. Right, look at this. Drug facts, usages, warnings, directions, other information. Store at 20 to 25 degrees, that's 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm glad they didn't live. This was not true when I was a kid, because my dad kept our house at. You know, meat chilling temperature in the winter. You know, put a sweater on Active ingredients, questions or comments. I don't read any of that stuff. How many do I have to take to feel better?
Speaker 1:And then I saw this as I was looking for something to put on my slides. I found this pillbox Monday, sunday through Saturday. And look at the instructions. If I could remember that stuff, I wouldn't need the pill box. If I could read and understand those instructions, I don't need the pill box to tell me when to take the pills. Oh, I busted up laughing. I was laughing out loud yesterday when I saw that.
Speaker 1:How about this one? Ultra Omega, not just Omega-3, ultra Omega-3. Cardiovascular support molecularly distilled, enteric-coated supports. Brain health Look at all that stuff None, I have the most unhealthy brain you've ever seen.
Speaker 1:And then on the left, there among other things, there's an FDA disclaimer. Can you read that? No, you can't. I'll put it up there for you. This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Speaker 1:This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Then why are you taking it, right, if it ain't going to help you? Basically, this is saying this isn't going to help you. We say it does, but we don't really know. And so for $25.99, you can buy this bottle of stuff that we don't guarantee is going to help at all.
Speaker 1:Where do I pay? All right, that's fine print, right? Well, what is going on in Galatia? Some people have come in and said you need to do what? If you are a Gentile believer, what do you have to do? You have to be circumcised, at least. But there's other stuff you probably got to do too, right. And so what Paul is doing here is telling them you need to read the fine print, and I'm going to tell you what the fine print is, because the people that are telling you this stuff have not told you about the fine print. So I'm going to do it. Are you ready? Here we go.
Speaker 1:Now, this was what I didn't get to last week, except very briefly. Now, this was what I didn't get to last week, except very briefly, so we're going to finish this up. I got something in my chest. I don't know what it is. I thought it was a heart, but I'm a lawyer. We don't have those. Better take some medicine. Eh, I don't know. You know, I spent yesterday with my two-year-old granddaughter, my three-month-old granddaughter and my three-month-old grandson, and you couldn't think that a two-year-old, a three-month-old, a three-month-old could wear you out like that. Right? I told Dale, there's a reason why God said after a certain age, no more kids, no more, you're not going to have any more kids. And then the grandkids show up, right?
Speaker 1:This is Paul, chapter 2, verses 15 through 21. Again, this is the English Standard Version. We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, know that man is not justified by works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we too have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not.
Speaker 1:If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker, for through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, christ died for nothing. Listen, you Gentiles, if you could be justified through your obedience to Moses' law, then there's no reason for Christ to even show up. Get busy following the law If you could be justified through the law. But he says that's not true. And I'm a Jew and I'm telling you this I believe I'm justified through faith in Jesus Christ, and that's how you're justified as well. So basically, what he's telling them is this the animating feature, the thing that drives you as a Christian, the thing that makes you live for God, is God's grace, through our faith in Christ. That's it, not through obeying the law, but through our faith in Christ, because if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. So if you think you're going to get some advantage to obeying the law whether it's circumcision or dietary laws or whatever it is you're not going to get an advantage through that. Then he goes on in chapter 3. Does that make sense to you? That was finishing up from last week. Okay, then he gets into some real, practical arguments here.
Speaker 1:Paul is an excellent debater and he's very good at laying out reasons why the Galatians should listen to what he has to say. First of all, he says listen, I'm a Jew and I'm telling you right now, following the law is not going to give you any advantage. That's what he just got done telling them. And then he says this oh foolish Galatians, wouldn't you like a letter being written to you? Like that? When I was in college, julie would write me letters. I remember what letters were like, you know, put a stamp on them, right, you know? Kiss it and send it out. What if she sent her letter to me and said oh foolish Gary. First of all, she would not be Mrs Frame today. Now she thinks this a lot, okay, but she doesn't generally verbalize it. Oh, foolish Galatians.
Speaker 1:Who has bewitched you? Who has put you under their spell? Before your very eyes, jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. Who did that for them? Paul himself, when he preached. I would like to learn just one thing. Tell me this you ever ask your kid something like that? Tell me this.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you think that you have to follow part of the law. Let me ask you this Did you receive the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Is the Holy Spirit working in Galatia, among the churches that are there? Yes, they have received that gift. And he says did you receive that gift by following the law or by believing in the promise that God made through Christ? Which was it? Of course, they know the answer to that right, because they were not following the Mosaic law when Paul was there.
Speaker 1:You want the gift of the Holy Spirit. It doesn't come by following the law. Are you so foolish? You want the gift of the Holy Spirit. It doesn't come by following the law. Are you so foolish?
Speaker 1:Mrs Frame usually terms this how could you be so dumb? She's shaking her head. I'm going to get it later, if you want to put it in American 2025, how could you be so dumb After starting in the Spirit? How could you be so dumb After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh? Have you suffered so much for nothing? If it really was for nothing, does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law or because you hear and believe?
Speaker 1:Again, what's the answer? It's because we heard the word and we believed it. We believed the gospel that Paul preached. What was the gospel that Paul preached? I'll say it again, because every time I ask this question, I get a lot of blank looks or people looking at the floor. They don't call on me. Don't call on me. What was the gospel that he preached? That Jesus Christ fulfilled the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, died, buried and arose again and sits at the right hand of God. There's the gospel. God lavishes spirit on you and apparently he's working miracles, among them, paul worked miracles. We know that. Did he work those miracles? Because you practiced the law. Was that why? Of course not, because you heard and believed the word. So also, we'll continue on here.
Speaker 1:So also, abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham. Now remember circumcision was given as a sign of being part of God's promise to Abraham. Right, that's how they knew you were a Jew, because you were circumcised. You are a son of Abraham. Paul says you want to be a son of Abraham. Not anything to do with circumcision, physical circumcision. It has to do with having faith. The Scriptures foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith that's you guys and foretold the gospel to Abraham. All nations will be blessed through you. Not just Jews would be blessed. All nations will be blessed through you. Not just Jews would be blessed. All nations will be blessed through you. So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. You want to be like Abraham. You want to have access to the promise that God made to Abraham. You want to be part of God's family. Have faith.
Speaker 1:Paul asked some interesting questions here. How did they receive the Holy Spirit Through works of the law. Is that how they did it? No, no. Does God perform miracles among them? Because they obey the law? No, no. Very simple, this is very simple questions he's asking, but the answers are profound and they're answering them themselves. They know the answers to these questions. I was going to stop and ask a question. Maybe I'll move on. Are they sons of Abraham? Because they obey the law? No, or because they believe God's promises to Abraham and hence his promises to them? Of course it's the latter correct. And then he moves on.
Speaker 1:He says those who are under the law are under a curse. I don't know if Marie LeBeau put them under a curse. You'd have to be of a certain age to remember, right? Bobby Baird did the Marie LeBeau song. For those of you who are younger, google it.
Speaker 1:He says all who rely on works of the law are under a curse. Now he's telling them listen, you're going to listen to these guys who are coming from Jerusalem and telling you you've got to be circumcised and you have to obey all these other things in the law. You understand you're putting yourself under a curse. Is that what you want? Is that a good thing? Now remember back at this time. That was big stuff. Okay, they had a much more spiritually. They believed in a much bigger spiritual realm than we believe in today. Lots and lots of curses going on. Lots of we would consider it to be superstition that sort of stuff. Tons of that stuff going on. All who rely on works of the law are under a curse, for it is written. Now. This is where the curse comes from. This is Bible.
Speaker 1:Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law. You're under a curse. Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do some of the things written in the law. Is that what it says? Part of the things written in the law, a few of the things, a few of the more important things written in the law, cursed are those who do not continue to be circumcised. Is that what it says? By the way, you do that once you're circumcised forever. Okay, there's no repeating that one. Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by the law. It doesn't say that. What does it say? Faith, so rule following doesn't make you righteous. What's that it can help you? Does rule following make you righteous. I'm just asking the question. I get a lot of hesitant looks out here. It's a trick question. It's a lawyer. It's a trick question. I told you the story. This is a true story. Most of my stories are at least embellished to a degree. Some are absolutely false. This one is a true one. Okay, that was. I was in a hearing one time and there was a court reporter there which we don't usually have. We don't usually have a record hearing the court reporter there, which we don't usually have. We don't usually have a record hearing. But the court reporter was there and the witness was sworn in and the attorney is asking and this guy is deadpan, he has a great sense of humor, but he doesn't show it a whole lot. He's asked this lady questions what's your name, where do you live, how long have you been working for this employer? And she's kind of hemming and hawing around this is simple stuff, you know. And she's like he finally stops and he says ma'am, I'm not trying to trick you. Okay, I'm not trying to trick you, that'll come later. Okay, I'm not trying to trick you right now. I just want to get some simple stuff, all right. So I'm not asking you a trick question. I don't think, but we have trouble answering that question because I bet, like you, I was raised to believe that righteousness equals doing. You have to do to be righteous. Look what Paul says. Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith. The law, however, is not based on faith. On the contrary, the man who does these things will live by them. You've got to do them. You don't just have to have faith in it. You have to do it under the law, and if you don't do it, you're under a curse. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law becoming a curse for us. For it is written cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. He redeemed us in order that the blessings promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by the law no, by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Now here's where those quotations come from Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law. That's Deuteronomy 27, 26. The righteous will live by faith. That's in Habakkuk or tobacco, 2, 4. The man who does these things will live by them, leviticus 18, 5. It's also, you can look in Ezekiel 20, 11, 13, and 21. Cursed is everyone who has hung on a tree. That's Deuteronomy 21, 23.
Speaker 1:So Paul takes these various verses and puts them together to make a cohesive argument for faith as opposed to works of the law justifying you. Here's the point. The curse that was placed on people if they didn't follow the law was removed by Jesus. How so? He fulfilled the law. He fulfilled the law through his sacrifice on the cross. Christ was resurrected. The law was not resurrected and Paul is telling them you don't have to follow it, gentiles. He removed the curse of the law. Don't go back under the law. Don't do this to yourself. The result is this Attempting to be righteous through observing the law is useless. Useless. You can't do it. You cannot be righteous through observing the law. If you could, christ died for what? Nothing. If I could be made righteous by obeying the law, I don't need Jesus Christ, I can do it myself. Paul says no, no, you've got it backwards. Some of us could follow the law better than others. Probably right, some of you are better law followers than I was.
Speaker 1:I would bet the whole bacon thing would get to me after a while. I mean, I like bacon. Bacon double cheeseburger sounds pretty good, by the way, I don't know how you like your bacon. My wife's family likes it. They would say fried out, meaning hard, stiff as a board. Okay, just look at it and it fractures into a million pieces. I like floppy bacon. Okay, say yeah, Amen, right, preach, I like floppy bacon. Okay, say yeah, amen, right, preach, brother, preach, I like floppy bacon. First time there's a lot of first times with Joyce's, with Julie's family in mind, right, the confusion about the omelet versus scrambled eggs, that was a good one. It's another story. She said how do you like your bacon? And Julie says Julie pipes up, he doesn't like it fried, he likes it floppy. And my mother-in-law, in the most loving voice, said I'm not doing that, it would make you sick, it's hardly even cooked, it's good, it's really good. Julie's like ugh, it's horrible.
Speaker 1:Tempting to be righteous by following the law is useless. You can't do it, no matter how good you do it, you can't do it perfectly. And if you don't do it perfectly, you're under a curse. The only one who did it perfectly was Jesus Christ, and by doing it that way, he removed the curse from us on the cross. Does that make sense? Listen, I don't know from us on the cross. Does that make sense? Listen, I don't know how athletic you guys are. I was at least moderately athletic as a young man, many, many years ago. I don't know how fast you could run. I could run, okay, andrew could run pretty fast. None of us can run fast enough to outrun a tiger, right, and the law is the tiger and it's going to catch you at some point, no matter how fast you run and that's what Paul's telling them no matter how well you do it, you can never keep it perfectly and you'll be under a curse if you try. And then he continues on.
Speaker 1:Now, this is a very long reading, so bear with me here. In fact, let me get a drink of coffee. Ah, it tastes even sweeter because I bought it on closeout when Big Lots was going out of business. That bag of coffee probably cost like 49 cents, you know. So sweet, all right, hey, I'm a cheapskate, I admit it. That's the first process in healing, right? Okay, I'm a cheapskate.
Speaker 1:Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended. The promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed. The scriptures not say into seeds, meaning many, but into your seed, meaning one, who is Christ. What I mean is this? The law that came 430 years later? 430 years after what? After the promise that God made to Abraham? All the law aside, the promise remains, for if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise. In other words, if it's up to you to keep the law, to get the promise, then it's not a promise anymore, it's all you, but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise. If it's not through God's promise, then it's through my law keeping, and I can't keep the law.
Speaker 1:Why, then, was the law given? Why did God even bother giving the law? It was added because of transgressions until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred, that was Christ. It was administered through angels by a mediator. A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party, but God is one.
Speaker 1:Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not, for if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law. He's just repeating the same thing and saying it in different terms. If you could be righteous through the law, then who needs the promise from God? If you could be righteous through the law, then who needs the promise from God?
Speaker 1:But the scripture pronounces all things confined by sin so that by faith in Jesus Christ, the promise might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by keeping the law right, justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. Jesus Christ has come. He has fulfilled the law. We are redeemed. We are justified through faith in him. We no longer need the guardian. We no longer need the law, need the guardian. We no longer need the law For you, you all. I can't even speak right. My kids, my grandkids, wore me out.
Speaker 1:Everly doesn't say Grampy, get down on the ground. She just goes up. She goes up Up, grampy's got goes up Up, grampy's got to get up. And then she goes. You've got to sit down on the floor and then you've got to try to get up again. Anyways, sorry, they're fun, they're lots of fun. Sometimes it's more fun just to hold the one that spits up rather than have to get up and down off the floor.
Speaker 1:You are all sons of God through what. You are sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ, not because you keep the law. You are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who are now, we know this one right. This was quoted a million times to me as a kid For all of you who are baptized into Christ, have clothed yourself with Christ.
Speaker 1:Now here's a phrase that has been misused over the years, but nonetheless, there is neither Jew nor Greek slave, nor free male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus and if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. How about that? So here's some points that Paul tries to make here. He says both God's promise and Abraham's righteousness through faith in God's promise came long before God gave the law to Moses, long before. Why did God say that Abraham was righteous? He counted his belief. God had. Abraham had faith in God's promise, and it says God counted that as righteousness. I want you to believe in my promise. I want you to believe in my promise Before there was ever a law of Moses to follow, before Moses had been born. Hundreds of years later, god's promise was to Abraham and his seed, jesus Christ. But it also includes us, by adoption, who are sons of Abraham, by faith in the same promise, by faith in the same promise, faith in the same promise. And all people, regardless of category now you go back here Jew, nor Greek slave, nor free male nor female. All people, regardless of category, become part of God's family through faith and the fulfillment of God's promise. Through Jesus Christ, you're part of my family.
Speaker 1:Do you know that? You may not want me? I may be the weird uncle with tinfoil hat, I don't know. I'm not sure how you view me. I'm not sure how I feel about Randy Launder being my brother. It'd be a lot of fun on the infield at Churchill Downs. We're a family. You know we're a family. You know we're a family. I don't know how that makes you feel. How does that make you feel? Randy says good. Then how come you threw me under the bus a minute ago when I was talking to you? Randy was needling me about some stuff earlier. We're part of a family, not a family. Let me ask you this. Let me get myself in trouble. Wouldn't be the first time.
Speaker 1:Do you have brothers and sisters? Do you have brothers and sisters? Do you have brothers and sisters? I have one brother and one sister. Okay, why are they my brother? Is my brother Matt my brother because he does certain things he roots for the Steelers, by the way which I just cannot fathom. Of course, after the draft yesterday, maybe I'm understanding a little more. Why would you draft two quarterbacks? There's a reason why the Browns never win. Anyways, I'm getting off subject here. Is my brother my brother because he does certain things? Why is he my brother? We have the same dad and mom and my sister's my sister because we have the same dad and mom. You're my brother not because we do the same things, but because we have the same father. But because we have the same father, we are part of the same family. We are sons by adoption through faith in Jesus Christ. Does that make sense? So, if these things are so, how am I doing here Ten minutes? Of course, if you're listening to this on Spotify, you can shut it off anytime you want. Okay, if these things are so I think it's recording. I pushed a button. I hope it was the right one. If these things are.
Speaker 1:So why are the Gentiles tempted to think that observing the law or certain parts of it are necessary to be righteous or to obtain access to God's family? Why did they think that? And why would those brothers who came to Antioch from James in Jerusalem tell the Gentile believers that they had to observe at least some parts of the law? Why would they do that? A tradition on whose part? On the part of the guys who came to Antioch from James? That's all they've known all their life. I think that's at least part of the answer. I can't hear you Lack of knowledge on whose part? Okay, okay. So maybe on the part of the fellows who came from Jerusalem, they don't understand the whole thing? Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:For those of you who could not hear that on Spotify, I, gene, said that observance of the law gave them a standard by which. How did you finish that? Okay, okay. So I can look at you and know whether you're righteous, and I can look at myself and say I'm righteous because I'm doing certain things. I think if you take both those answers and put them together, you're pretty much on the right track.
Speaker 1:I've told you how I was raised and, again, as I said before, I'm not throwing these people under the bus. They're good people. I can see their faces, I can hear their voices. They meant well and did the best they could with what they had, what they understood, and maybe they're more right than I believe they are. That's how they were raised too. You got to do, you got to do. You got to do, you got to do. Here's the list of rules. You got to follow them. You got to follow them. You got to follow.
Speaker 1:You know how I was told that somebody was a faithful Christian. Now, they didn't say it in these words always, but sometimes you know how you knew someone was a faithful Christian. Now, they didn't say it in these words always, but sometimes you know how you knew someone was a faithful Christian. They showed up Sunday morning, sunday night, wednesday night and came to VBS and came to the spring and fall meetings. That's how you knew they were faithful Christian. I have no idea what they're doing during the week. I have no idea what's in their heart. They could be doing all sorts of terrible things, but they showed up all the time doing all sorts of terrible things, but they showed up all the time.
Speaker 1:Faithful Christian. That's very similar to this. Right, let me see Are you circumcised? All right, you're in. You're in. Are you observing the dietary laws? Are you not eating bacon? You're in, pal. You're in. You're in the group. No, it's harder for me to figure out whether you're in or whether you're out if I'm not following a rule book. Right? Is Doug Bruner righteous or not righteous? Well, let me get my checklist out and let's go through and see how he's doing Now.
Speaker 1:Am I saying you can do anything you want to do anytime? I didn't say that. I didn't say that at all. I didn't say that. But I will say this. When I see someone who says I believe God's promise through Jesus Christ and I understand that I have been set free from the law, the curse, and I am free, that gives me joy and now I can serve God with joy, and somebody else comes along and says well, you're not doing it right, you're not doing it right. I have learned that legalists are the greatest joy robbers in the history of religion. If you see an unhappy Christian, I will guarantee you they are a rule follower. I have my rules that I will follow and you must follow my rules too. And if you don't, you're going to H-E. Double toothpicks. Now, am I saying that there's bad stuff you shouldn't do? Absolutely there's bad stuff you shouldn't do, but to think that you are justified in the eyes of God by following a list of rules? Paul says no, that's not it, because if I love God and believe the promise that he made to me through Jesus Christ, I am not going to want to do bad stuff. And when I do bad stuff, guess what? I'm forgiven. That's a whole nother.
Speaker 1:I got a book I read that I'm debating whether I should teach on. It's called Three Free Sins. Oh, you people would go through the roof. Three Free Sins oh, my goodness, this guy. It's a great book. This guy's a Presbyterian minister and he says he's gotten to the point where he says when he finishes his sermon 50% of what I told you is totally wrong. And I'm not sure about the other 50% either. Anyway, it's a fun book.
Speaker 1:There's something very alluring, there's something very tempting about somebody telling you if you'll just do these things, I can guarantee you you'll be right. If you'll just be circumcised, I guarantee you you'll be on the right side of God. Oh well, okay, who doesn't want to be on God's right side? Right? I want to be righteous, so I'll do it, painful though it is. Okay, I did it. Oh, but there's more, there's more. You can't eat certain things either. Really, yeah, yeah, can't do that either. Oh, okay, oh. And then there's the Sabbath thing. Yeah, but I like college football. Sorry, no more tailgating, it just adds up. It just adds up.
Speaker 1:And here's the thing. This is the trap I see Christians fall into, and it robs them of their joy. You can never do enough. You can never do enough. You're always falling short. You are always falling short. You'll never measure up. Boy, that's a miserable way to live. Robs the joy from you.
Speaker 1:Are we tempted the same way, either by observing or telling others how to observe our particular law? Guarantee it, guarantee it Happens all the time. We don't even and here's the dangerous thing, and this is why it's so painful to even talk about this stuff we do it and don't even know we're doing it Because this is the way I was raised and this is the way it's always been. Subject came up in our elders meeting. We were talking about something and a couple guys said I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I sure feel uncomfortable about it. Why is that? Because that's not the way I was raised. That's not the law that I follow. And when I get power over you and I can make you follow my law, that makes you miserable and it makes me self-righteous and that's dangerous. You're so pathetic, I wouldn't let you be Bat Boy for my son's Little League baseball team. Okay, so there's Arlie Ermey telling Batman you're so pathetic. I was just flipping through pictures yesterday trying to find something. I found that and I said I have got to put this up there. You know who I'm talking about. Okay, anyways, all right now.
Speaker 1:Next week we're going to go through chapter four and Paul's going to continue on with this idea and he hammers this home with the Galatians. Why? Because they are being sorely tempted to abandon the grace that they have through Christ and get it back into, or get into something they were never part of, which is the law of Moses, and he sees great dangers there and he's telling them don't do it. Does that make sense? All right, read chapter four. Next week We'll pick it up from there. You've been a very good class.