This
week, we continued in the “Eviction Notice” series. We dug into Galatians 3. At
the beginning of the chapter Paul calls the Galatian believers “foolish” because
they had received the Gospel but then were convinced to still rely on law for
righteousness. Why call them foolish?
Paul was not insulting their intellect or mental capacity. Foolishness is when
you do something when you know better. In our parenting, classes we teach about
the need for us to discern the differences between childishness and foolishness
in our children’s behavior. Childishness is when they do the wrong things
because they just don’t know any better. Foolishness is when they know what is
right, but choose to do something different.
Paul
was telling them that they HAD the truth of righteousness by grace, but allowed
themselves to be talked into foolishly believing that observing the law was
still required to be right before God. When
I looked up the word, “foolishness” I found that Jesus had used the same Greek word
in Luke 24. It was right after the resurrection, and Jesus had appeared to two
strangers walking to Emmaus. They do not recognize Him, and He uses the
opportunity to ask some questions. He asks why they are so downcast. They tell
Him of what had happened with the one they thought was going to be the Messiah.
Their response shows that they had missed the big picture. They thought
everything was over because Jesus hadn’t overthrown Rome
and freed Israel
He
goes on to call them “foolish” for not seeing how the words of the prophets
were fulfilled in the life of Jesus (to whom they did not know they were
speaking). Then He proceeds to outline for them how Jesus (He) had fulfilled
every prophecy. What an amazing message that should have been. Before the cross
and His completed work, there were many things Jesus could not yet share, but
now He could reveal everything. What an amazing message that would have been!
We
looked at the story where Peter tells Jesus He is the Christ. Jesus changes Peter’s name from Simon to
Peter. Simon means reed (tossed about
and always bending. Peter was known for
having a bit of a temper (volatile like the Sea of Galilee ),
but Peter meant rock. When we follow the
law, we are like a reed, but when we understand grace, we become a rock, not
moved by the storms of life. Then just after that, Jesus rebukes Peter for
telling Him He shouldn’t follow His purpose.
Just like us, Simon doesn’t become what he’s meant to be all at
once.
Back
in Galatians 3, Paul reminds us that we are of the lineage of Abraham and heirs
of His blessing if we receive righteousness by faith apart from our works.
Finally, he tells us that the reason for all of this is that the “promise of
the Spirit” would be available to us. What is that promise? John 14:15-21 tells
us all about it. The promise of the Spirit is peace, counsel, wisdom and much
more. We cannot access that promise by relying on law, but only by grace.
Observing the law is good, but relying on it for righteousness leads to death
and will keep us from obtaining the promise.
To listen to the entire sermon go to http://ahwatukeechurch.com/media.php. To learn more about Living Word Ahwatukee,
visit http://ahwatukeechurch.com/.
