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Galatians 6:14
Finally, we draw the curtains on Galatians today. Pastor is happy, congregation is happy. Let’s prepare ourselves for another book next week. Now to be sure I have not laboured in vain and the message of Galatians has been well understood, let’s recap. I have two questions to ask and I want answers from you.
(i) What is the main message of Galatians?
(ii) Does anyone remember any of the titles we have treated?
If you look at the portions we read, that is vv.11-18, Paul concludes, summarises and reiterates everything he has been saying. And he does this with an emphasis that reveals the importance of the letter. He says he wrote with his own hands v.11. The standard practice in biblical days was that the apostles had secretaries or amanuensis. The apostles dictated their letters and the amanuensis wrote them. Then the apostles will sign off their name towards the closing of the letter to ensure that the recipients know the authenticity of the letter (Romans 16:22;, 1 Corinthians 16:21, Colossians 4:18, 2 Thessalonians 3:17).
However, Paul departs from this practice in Galatians and writes the letter by himself. The verse 11 then tells us the importance with which Paul attached this letter. It was something that cut to the heart of the gospel and Paul wrote himself.
Now in his conclusion, Paul says nothing new, but rather reiterates and emphasises on what he has said already. Look at verses 12-13. Here we see Paul addressing the selfish motives of false teachers, a subject he has addressed previously in 4:17; 5:11. Then in verse 14, we see Paul again touching on something he has already addressed in 2:20. The verse 15 was also also addressed earlier in 2:3 and 2:15. In fact, the verse 15 is really the summary of the whole of Galatians.
This morning, I want us to close the series with a title from v14: Boasting In The Cross Of Christ. My aim then will be to attempt an explanation of what Paul meant in that verse. Before we continue, let’s first attempt to get an understanding of what The Cross of Christ is. I believe we all know what the cross is. Let me share a quote from A.W. Tozer
The cross of Christ is the most revolutionary thing ever to appear among men.
The cross of the Roman times knew no compromise; it never made concessions. It won all its arguments by killing its opponents…It spared not Christ, but slew Him the same as the rest. He was alive when they hung Him on that cross and completely dead when they took him down six hours later. That was the cross the first time it appeared in Christian history. After Christ was risen from the dead the apostles went out to preach His message, and what they preached was the cross. And wherever they went into the wide world they carried the cross, and the same revolutionary power went with them. The radical message of the cross transformed Saul of Tarsus and changed him from a persecutor of Christians to a tender believer and an apostle of the faith. (A. W. Tozer, The Radical Cross).
From this quote, the cross reminds us of the death and suffering of Christ. He died. He was crucified. But why the cross? In his death he paid for sins so that whosoever will believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life. The cross then is the gospel. It is the good news that Christ gave himself for our sins to deliver us from evil (Galatians 1:4). Christ died in the place of the sinner. “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 Corinthians 5:21). And this is the message we preach. Paul calls the cross the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16-17).
Any other thing apart from the message of the cross or the gospel is what Paul calls another gospel or a different gospel. That out of the way, let’s now attend to what it means to “Boast In The Cross Of Christ”
Reading from vv.12-14, you will notice there is a contrast between verse 14 with vv.12-13. You see that clearly with the word “But” at the beginning of v.14. Paul contrasts himself with the false teachers of Galatia. The false teachers we see in the vv.12-13 are selfish, self-serving, self-righteous and self-preserving. They don’t have the interest of the Galatians at heart.
“It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh…” (12a).
“In other that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ (12c).
“For even those who are circumcised themselves do not keep the law…” (13a)
“But they desire to have you circumcised
Have Faith In Christ Alone For Salvation
In these short verses, Paul lays out clearly the motive and motivation behind false teachers. Everything they do is about themselves. They are self-righteous, hypocrites, seeking their own interest and seeking also to build righteousness by what they do. It is these characteristics Paul distances himself from. So he says “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus…”
With this contrast in mind, Paul tells us he will boast in the cross of Christ. This means that his trust and faith will not be in himself but will be only in Christ and the gospel. In many places in the Bible, we are called away from ourselves to trust in the Lord.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7).
Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:31)
The Jews in Galatia we see are those who want to make a good showing in the flesh. They outwardly put forward a form of godliness without power (2 Timothy 3:5). Their religion involves outward rituals like circumcision, but they have not truly encountered Christ. They put their trust in their works to be saved. To insist that the Galatians are circumcised to be saved is to be self-righteous and not trust in Christ. And throughout this series, we have come to learn that we are not saved by what we do. There are people who trust in themselves, their wisdom, their riches and their abilities to be right before God. But dear friends, I will not tire from telling you this. Nobody can be saved by their good works or even the absence of it. Look at v.15
For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Here Paul makes it clear that nothing else matters apart from a new creation. And this is simply talking about regeneration or what is popularly called Born Again. Dear friends, the keeping of the law is not what will save you. What will save you is that you have been born again ( John 3:3;5). Let me close off this first point with a series of questions: Where is your trust? Are you trusting in yourself or you are trusting in Christ alone for your salvation.
Be Crucified To The World
The cross of Jesus Christ defines our relationship with the world. How must a Christian conduct themselves in the world? Paul has already given us hints in previous chapters about our relationship with the world (5:16-17; 24). This gives us a perfect picture of what Paul means by “by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” We are saved, but still has a battle to deal with the residues of the desires of the flesh. These desires Paul mentions in 5:19. Paul says he is dead to the world—that is its passion and sinful desires. The Christian is called to holiness. The Christian is called to keep themselves spotless from the world. The Christian is called not to love the world and everything in it. The Christian is constantly called away from darkness and into light. To boast in the cross of Christ will then mean we do not find pleasure in the sins of the flesh and constantly bringing our desires in check by the Spirit
If truly you are a Christian, you will not live your life in sin. You will be doing something about your sin. This doesn’t mean as a Christian, you will never sin. But this means you will not make sinning a practise. In fact you should be worried if you are a Christian and living in sin. Sin should not be the habit of a believer. Why? Because you have been born of God and the Holy Spirit has changed your heart and planted new desires in you. God has infused in your soul holy desires and those holy desires must shape your every life.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:15)
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24)
Christians do not live to fulfil the desires of the flesh and in that sense, they have been crucified to the world and the world to them
Walk By The TruthÂ
The matter addressed in Galatians is a core Christian doctrine, justification by faith. And this doctrine is the only means by which you and I will have peace with God (Romans 5:1). Paul therefore declares this peace on anyone who walks by the rule. That is anyone who boasts only in the cross, that is the one whose confidence is in Christ alone. The word rule is the same word from which we get the word canon. A canon is a standard or doctrine by which we live. We can profess merely with our mouths justification by faith alone, but when it comes to truly live it out, we may be found wanting. Paul pronounces peace and mercy on anyone who walks by this doctrine of justification by faith.
Truly, there is no greater joy in life than to walk by the truth of God’s word. And I invite you, if you haven’t tasted this joy to come and taste and see that the Lord is good.
Suffering For Christ
Look at v.17. Here Paul paints a picture of persecution and suffering. The message of the cross was not and is not a message that is embraced by all. It is a message that attracts persecution. The apostles were beaten for this message and eventually they all died for it. The gospel has always been met with persecution (5:11).. And we see that the main reason the Jews in Galatia will not preach the gospel is that they want to avoid the persecution that comes with the preaching of the gospel (6:12b). Many have had to exchange their lives for the gospel. Many have and are making great sacrifices for the sake of the gospel.
Not all of us may face intense persecution for the sake of the cross. But it is certain that everyone who names the name of Christ will suffer one persecution or the other. We may be called upon to make some sacrifices for the sake of the gospel. And when that time comes, we must be ready. Jesus himself said if anyone will come after him, let him take up his cross and follow him. Today, many tell us that Christians are not to suffer. But dear friends, that’s not the truth of the gospel. Even as Christians, we may come to a point of making certain choices that may deny us certain pleasures and comforts of life. And we may all have to be ready when called upon to suffer for the sake of Christ (Philippians 1:29).
Now I close where Paul closes. He invokes blessings upon the people: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Hear one commentator on Galatians, Todd Wilson, Galatians: Gospel-Rooted Living
Galatians exists for grace. It begins with grace (1:3), and it ends with grace (6:18). But the grace of Galatians is costly, not cheap. For it propels us toward gospel-rooted living, which means boasting in the cross of Christ alone. Is your life rooted in God’s grace as found in Christ’s cross? Are you looking there for every good thing in life and for eternity? If you are, then you can bank on this: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [will] be with your spirit, brothers”
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