The Law and Faith Cannot Be Mixed

Transcript

.GR 1163
11/21/1999
The Law and Faith Cannot Be Mixed
Galatians 5:1-6
Gil Rugh

We’re going to the book of Galatians, Chapter 5 together this morning, Galatians, Chapter 5. And with the 5th Chapter of Galatians, Paul moves into the third major section of the book of Galatians. Remember in Chapters 1 and 2 he gave a personal defense, defending his apostleship, his authority, the divine origin of the message that he preached. So those first two chapters we personal in character. Then in Chapters 3 and 4 we had a polemical section, Paul’s doctrinal challenge to the Judaizers, proving that the believer is not under the law and the works of the law have no part in the work of grace that God is doing through the finished work of his Son, Jesus Christ. Then with Chapters 5 and 6 we come to the practical section of the book, if I could call it that. Here Paul gives his practical exhortations. The doctrine of sanctification, if you will, is covered in Chapters 5 and 6. If we’re not under the law, how are we to live our lives as God’s people? What provision has He made for godly living? Some people believe if you are not under the Mosaic Law, you are promoting antinomianism, another word that simply means you are anti-law. Nomos is the Greek word for law, anti-nomos, anti-law. You believe you can be lawless without restraint, do as you please.

Paul makes clear that God has made provision for godly living for His people today. That provision is not the Mosaic Law. That provision is the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit, who produces the beauty of the character of God in the lives of those who are walking by faith.

In Chapter 3 of Galatians, verse 3, Paul addressed this with a question. “Are you so foolish, having begun by the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?” In other words, not only is keeping the law not necessary for justification, keeping the law is not necessary for sanctification. And any attempts to encourage people to submit themselves to the Mosaic Law is in direct conflict with the purposes of God for justification and for sanctification. You know this is a major issue today, as well as it was in Paul’s day, and I think reformed theology has created a very great deal of confusion in this area. Reformed theology is the theology that is connected to the reformers, the magisterial reformers like Calvin and others. And I was reading a book recently and I want to read you some quotes from the book, because of the prevalence of this thinking and the popularity of reformed theology and in many ways I have an appreciation for reformed theology. I would agree with many of the doctrines they teach. When it comes to the Mosaic Law, they are totally, completely confused, and I think you’ll agree.

Let me read you some quotes. This was a book published recently, and they’re taking you back to Calvin and showing right to today how the believer is under the authority of the Mosaic Law. These are quotes. “The believer continues to live under the law as a lifelong penitent. Calvin taught that the primary use of the law for the believer is as a rule of life. For Calvin, the believer needs the law to direct him in holy living in order to serve out God out of love. The Puritans carried on Calvin’s emphasis on the normativity of the law for the believer as a rule of life. Samuel Crook, a Puritan, put it this way. From the commandment as a rule of life, believers are not freed. So what he’s saying is, believers are freed from the Mosaic Law as a means of justification, but not as a means of sanctification. Antinomians misunderstand the nature of justification by faith, which though granted apart from works of the law, does not preclude the necessity of sanctification. And one of sanctifications most important constituted elements is the daily cultivation of grateful obedience to the law. Antinomianism fails to see that the abrogation of the law’s condemning power does not abrogate the laws commanding power.”

You see what they do in reformed theology. They begin to parcel out the law and believers are no longer under the condemnation of the Mosaic Law and all the judgments that it pronounced, but we continue to be under the commands of the Mosaic Law. Now if you’ve been with us in our study of Galatians, I hope you see there’s a real problem with that view. Then one final quote. “Under the influence of dispensationalism, a growing antinomianism developed in the most conservative circles of American Christians.” And from this reformed view, is a book edited and written by a variety of men, all but one from a reformed view. One of them is a well known dispensationalist, I’m not sure how he fits and his chapter is rather confusing. Dispensationalists are the problem. Since we see a distinction between Israel and the church, since we see the Mosaic Law as having been given to the nation Israel for a limited duration until Christ would come, according to Galatians, we are antinomian, because we don’t believe believers are under the Mosaic Law today. And we are the problem in the church because we are promoting ungodliness and ungodly living.

I think the book of Galatians is absolutely clear. You were either under the Mosaic Law completely or not at all. You cannot be partly under the Mosaic Law or under part of the Mosaic Law. I bring this to your attention because in the section we’re going to look at in Galatians 5 today, the first six verses Paul is really reviewing material that he’s already said. And as you move through Galatians, you can begin to think I’ve gotten the point, you have said it again and again and again. But here we are 2,000 years after the Spirit directed Paul to write the letter to the Galatians and we still have confusion of people saying we are not under the condemnation of the law, but we are under the commandments of the law. And of course then you have to begin to parcel out the law, because we’re not under all the commandments of the law, not under the ceremonial commandments, not under the civil commandments, but under the moral commandments. But we’re not under all the moral commandments. And it fails to appreciate he who breaks one portion of the law, breaks the whole law. You cannot pick and chose. You never could, and that’s not a possibility today.

So let’s look at Galatians, Chapter 5. This is important groundwork for Paul, as he’ll move in to what we call the practical aspects of how you do live a life of godliness. Verse 1 is taken by many as the key verse of the book of Galatians, and it says concisely what Paul says in the whole letter. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” “It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” Christ secured freedom from the bondage to sin to Satan, to the law, for all who believe in Him. “It was for freedom Christ set us free” In the early chapters of Galatians, Paul has talked about how the law enslaved people, but in Christ freedom was given to those who had been in the bondage of slavery to the law. Now Christ did not set us free from slavery to sin, to the law, to Satan, so that we could turn around and go back into slavery again. It was for freedom He set us free. He set us free so that we would live in freedom. This is important when we talk about the doctrine of sanctification. He did not set us free from slavery to the law so we could go back under the law for sanctification. He set us free for freedom.

Therefore, “keep standing firm,” present imperative, could be translated simply stand firm. We translated it as participle to give you the present idea. “Keep standing firm,” ongoing activity, but it is a command given in the present tense, stand firm. They are not to be shaken, they are not to be moved. And sometimes accuse people who are standing firm of being abstinent, stubborn. But there is a time to be abstinent, to be stubborn, to be immovable, and that is a time when doctrine is at stake, that is a time when unity is at stake, that is a time when our testimony for the Lord is at stake. Paul gives this command on at least three other occasions. Let me just note them for you, we won’t turn there for time. In I Corinthians, Chapter 16, verse 13 he commands the Corinthians, “stand firm in the faith,” I Corinthians 13. Then in Philippians, Chapter 1, verse 27 he commands, “stand firm in one Spirit.” We don’t just stand firm as individuals, we stand firm together, as the church of Jesus Christ. In Philippians, Chapter 4, verse 1, “stand firm in the Lord,” “stand firm in the Lord.” In Galatians, Chapter 5, verse 1 “stand firm in freedom.” Don’t give any ground to the Judaizers. Don’t yield to any of their teaching. The church needs to hear this command today. We live in a day where we’re looking for points of agreement, where we can agree, rather than standing firm for the truth that God has entrusted to us.

You know, turn over a couple of pages, Galatians, to Ephesians, Chapter 4. It is a characteristic of mature Christians that they stand firm. Ephesians, Chapter 4, verse 14, as a result of growing to maturity in Christ, “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” The contrast is between a mature person in Christ and a child. The characteristic of children is they’re easily swayed, but we are to stand firm and immovable as God’s people. And that’s the command of God through Paul to the Galatians.

Back in Galatians, Chapter 5, verse 1, he gives that command in a negative way in the last part of verse 1. “Do not,” and it is another command in the present tense, “do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Don’t go back to the law, don’t go back to slavery.
Peter spoke in similar language at the Jerusalem counsel in Acts, Chapter 15. You might want to turn there or listen to me as I read it to you, Acts, Chapter 15. At the Jerusalem counsel where Paul was present, you’ve seen the result of that in Galatians, Chapter 2. After much discussion, the conflict at the Jerusalem counsel, the Judaizers were advancing the position. Verse 1, “Some men came down from Judea, began teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’” Verse 5, “some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, ‘It’s necessary to circumcise them, to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.’” You must believe in Christ and you must also be circumcised and keep the law. Peter stands up in verse 7 and said, “Brethren, you know that in the early days, God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.” That was at the house of Cornelius, you remember, in Acts, Chapter 10. “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke, which neither our fathers nor we have been, able to bear?” Paul tells the Galatians don’t go back to the yoke of slavery.

Peter says why would you Jews want to tell the Gentiles to put on the yoke of slavery to the law? We Jews weren’t able to bear that yoke. But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way as they are also. The law was a yoke of slavery and we couldn’t fulfill its demands. We Jews had to be saved, not by law, but by the grace of God through faith in Christ. Now why in the world would you tell Gentiles to submit to the law? It’s a yoke of slavery. Back in Galatians, Chapter 5, verse 1, Paul says, “Do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Let me just make a comment on that word again. Paul is writing to Gentiles in Galatians. In a moment we’re going to see they were uncircumcised people. The Jewish men would have been circumcised in infancy. Why does he say do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery? You understand keeping the law was just another form of bondage and slavery. So these Gentiles who had come out of their pagan backgrounds, trying to please God through one of the pagan religions of the day or whatever, would be just exchanging one form of slavery to another. They couldn’t be saved by their works, no matter what kind of works they did, whether they were the works involved in a pagan religious system or the works of the Mosaic Law. So don’t go back to the slavery of a works system, which is what you would be doing if you submitted yourself to the law for righteousness. The law never was a way of salvation, not even for the Jews in the Old Testament. We’ve seen that in the book of Galatians already and will be dealt with again as Paul moves along.

He continues, verse 2, “Behold I, Paul, say to you.” There’s stress here. “Behold I, Paul, say to you.” That word behold, an attention word, listen, pay attention. I, Paul, say to you. He’s established his apostolic authority in the divine origin of his message in the first two chapters. So when he says, I, Paul, say to you, the one called of God, the one entrusted by God with the message of the gospel, I say to you. There’s a seriousness to the issue, and really verses 2-12 of Galatians 5 are the most severe section of the letter, since Chapter 1, verses 6-10, where Paul says you’re deserting Christ and if you believe this other gospel, you’re condemned to hell. This section in verses 2-12 is on that level of seriousness, as he drives home the point again of the issues that are in view. “I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision Christ will be of no benefit to you.” Strong statements here. Basically what he’s saying, you cannot mix law and grace as means of righteousness before God. So if you opt for circumcision, and he’s talking about two ways of righteousness, two ways of salvation, with all that salvation includes justification and sanctification. If you chose to submit to circumcision, which is a commitment to keeping the law, then Christ is no benefit for you. Because the provision that God made in Christ is by grace through faith, and when you commit yourself to righteousness by works, you have rejected righteousness by grace through faith. So you have no part in Christ. What Christ accomplished by His death and resurrection, benefits you nothing.
You have to understand that there is an inseparable barrier established here between a way of works and a way of grace. If you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.

Now, Paul is obviously addressing Gentiles, since the Jews would have already been circumcised. Paul himself had been circumcised the 8th day he tells us in Philippians. Jewish males would have been circumcised in infancy. He’s not saying Jews can’t be saved because they were circumcised, because here is a circumcised Jew who has been saved. But those who think that circumcision is necessary for salvation and thus are placing their faith in Christ plus circumcision don't receive any benefit from Christ. He profits them nothing. The conditional here, way it’s expressed, if you receive circumcision, would indicate that the Galatians had not yet crossed that line. Back in Chapter 4, verse 10, you observe days and months and seasons and years. They had begun to dabble in the law, begun to make adjustments in their life to keep the law. But circumcision would be the line that’s crossed. That identified you as a convert to Judaism and what the Judaizers were really saying is you cannot be saved without converting to Judaism. Now the Judaizers had a twist, you must believe in Christ and also convert to Judaism, and thus submit yourself to the law of the Jews, the Mosaic Law.
And that identifying sign or mark is circumcision.

There’s no mixing of law and grace. Paul has driven this home. Look back in Chapter 2 before we move on, verse 16. Paul spoke of this as a Jew when he rebuked Peter, a fellow Jew, for inconsistency on this. Verse 16 of Galatians 2, “Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the Law.” You see it’s either or. Even we Jews had to abandon the law and turn to Christ to be justified by faith, since by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified. Not a Jew, not a Gentile will be justified by keeping the Law. It’s by faith.
Down in verse 2l of Chapter of 2, “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” You see how clear the division is. It’s not both and, it’s either or.

All right, back in Chapter 5. He continues in verse 3, “And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.” Why would you submit to circumcision? Because it’s required in the Law. It marks you as committed to the Law, to Judaism. Well, in doing that you are committing yourself to a law way of righteousness. I testify to every man who receives circumcision he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. That’s important in light of what we said earlier about those today who were saying, well, we are not under the condemnation of the Law, but we are under the commands of the Law. We’re not under the civil or ceremonial aspects of the Law, we’re under the moral aspects of the Law. I want to tell you when you are under any part of the Law, you are under all the Law. He is under obligation to keep the whole Law. Where anywhere in scripture does any one get the idea that you can decide to keep part of the Law?

Back up to Chapter 3, verse 10. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, and he quotes from Deuteronomy, Chapter 27, verse 26, a portion of the Mosaic Law, cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law to perform them. You have to do it all. Some dear people, you say how have you become acceptable to God, how are you going to be saved? Oh, I keep the Ten Commandments. Pardon me, according to Jewish reckoning, there are 613 commandments in the Mosaic Law. If you’re going to keep 10, what about the other, let me think here a minute, 603. In fact maybe in Sunday School as a child you learned the Ten Commandments, that’s very good. Why don’t you recite them? Some people can do that. All right, now why don’t you recite the other 603? You know most people can’t even pick up an 11th. By the time they get to the 12th or 13th, they’re lost and yet they think they’re going to be saved by keeping the commandments. Do you understand cursed is the person who doesn’t keep every single one of the commandments? Where do people get off today saying we are not under the commandments that would condemn? We are not under the civil commandments. We are not under the ceremonial commandments. We are under the moral commandments. And if you don’t believe that you are antinomian. Is it not clear? “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by,” do you have that word “all” circled, highlighted, underlined, starred, asterisk, exclamation point.
“All things written in the book of the Law to do them,” 3:11, “that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for the righteous man shall live by faith.” The law was never a way of salvation. It was never a way of sanctification. It has always been by faith.

However, the law is not of faith. On the contrary, so note you can’t mix law and faith. The Law is not of faith. It does not say parts of the law are not of faith. The law is not of faith, because he who practices them shall live by them, Leviticus 18:5. You can’t mix faith and law, because if you’re under part of the law, circumcision, you’re under the whole thing, all 613 Commandments, all three divisions of the law, as we have come to divide it, moral, ceremonial, civil. The penalties as well as the blessings, you are obligated to everything. James dealt with this error in Chapter 2, verse 10 of his letter, when he said he who breaks one point of the law, breaks the whole law. The multitudes are confused on this issue, men that I respect. The Puritans were confused on this issue. Charles Spurgeon, who I love and respect, is confused on the law. Many other men that I appreciate their writings, but you read them on the law, they’re all over the place. You understand, you can’t be under part of the law.

Back to Galatians 5, verse 4, Paul’s continuing. That’s why I say this is the most severe section in the letter to the Galatians since Chapter 1, verse 6 and following, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law. You have fallen from grace.” You see, the emphasis through this. The end of verse 2, “Christ will be of no benefit to you.” “You’ve been severed from Christ,” verse 4, “you’ve fallen from grace.” Now some have said, well see, verse 4 means you could lose your salvation. No, not in the context of what Paul is talking about. What’s he talking about? Two ways of salvation, two ways of righteousness, law and works, and grace and faith. “You have been severed from Christ,” you’re cut off from Christ. What he said at the end of verse 2, “Christ will be of no benefit to you.” Here he says it in a little different way, “you who are seeking to be justified by law.” I mean can you be justified by Christ plus your works? No! Then you’ve been severed from Christ. In other words, you were either committed to salvation by grace through faith, or you’re committed to salvation by works. That’s the only alternative. “If you’re seeking to be justified by law,” verse 4, “you have fallen from grace.” You are no longer in a grace system of justification. You are in a works system of justification. A grace system of justification includes works, as Paul wrote to the Romans, otherwise grace is no longer grace. Grace is unmerited or undeserved favor. If you do some work, you come over and cut my lawn and clean the leaves, and I say, “Boy, I appreciate that, here’s a check for $500.” You say, “Wow, I didn’t work that hard, only took me three hours, that wasn’t worth that much an hour.” “Sorry, I don’t want to give it to you, because that was pure grace.” You say, “Wait a minute, wait a minute, you overpaid me, but it wasn’t pure grace. I worked pretty hard for three hours. You may have overpaid me, but you didn’t give me pure grace. Pure grace would have been if you gave me the $500 check and I didn’t do any work, right?” That’s why you can’t mix works and grace, because you corrupt the grace of God.

Well, my salvation was 98 percent grace and 2 percent works. You’ve corrupted grace, right? Now you no longer have the pure grace of God. That’s what Paul is saying. You’ve fallen from grace, you no longer on a grace way of salvation and righteousness.
You’re on a works way of salvation and righteousness. You can’t mix the two. You know, if we paid attention to this teaching on the book of Galatians, I’ve noted before and I’m going to note again, you would not have Christians running around and confused, thinking we can sign agreements with Roman Catholics, for example, that we agree, and we make adjustments. What’s the adjustment? Well, we made an agreement that both Catholics and Protestants could sign. Salvation is by faith in Christ alone. You know the Judaizers could sign that, salvation is by faith in Christ alone. The Roman Catholics can sign that. You know the problem, the Judaizers and the Roman Catholics alike did not believe that salvation was by faith alone in Christ alone. They believe it’s by faith plus works in Christ alone. You say, well boy, it sounds like now we’re, you know, bickering about words. We are because the words reflect the theology. The Judaizers would say yes, we believe in Christ, but no, we do not believe that faith in Christ alone will save you. Faith in Christ will save you, but that faith in Christ must also be accompanied by obedience to the Law. We say, wait a minute, then we’re not talking about the same thing at all. That’s the ridiculousness of it, and that’s why we have to understand the book of Galatians today, because there are people who claim to be evangelical Christians going around saying our differences are minor. We all agree that salvation is by faith in Christ alone. But you understand, that’s not new. The Judaizers believed that. They just didn’t believe it was by faith alone, in Christ alone, and that makes a huge difference. That makes an eternal difference, because Paul says those who don’t believe it’s by faith alone, in Christ alone are condemned to hell. That’s a big difference. So you’ve fallen from grace, you’ve been severed from Christ.

Back up to Chapter 2, verse 21 again. “I do not nullify the grace of God.” In Chapter 5 he says “you’ve fallen from grace.” Chapter 21 he refers to nullifying the grace of God, canceling the effectiveness of God’s grace. “For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly.” If righteousness is through the law, then grace is not necessary, the death of Christ is not necessary. You say, “Well, wait a minute, I’m not talking about doing totally away with Christ totally. I’m just saying we don’t have to be so narrow. And we all agree we have to believe in Christ. I just happen to believe that’s not enough. And you can’t think it’s bad to keep the law, do you? Isn’t the law perfect and righteous and good according to Paul in Romans 7? Why would you say it’s not a good thing for me to keep that which is good and righteous and holy.” You say, “That makes sense to me, yea, maybe our differences aren’t so great.” Then Paul would say, “Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you,” as he said earlier in the letter. It is a major difference, works verses grace.

All right, back in Chapter 5. In verses 5 and 6 which is as far as we’re going in our study at this time, Paul turns to the positive side. He’s driven home like nails driven in. What is wrong and what you lose, what you cannot have. Now turn around, what do we who have believed in Christ have? How do we live? You note the change, verse 5, “For we, through the Spirit.” That “we” is in the emphatic position in the text, the emphasis is on it. “For we,” now Paul turns from talking about you. Verse 2 he said, “I say to you, Christ will be of no benefit to you.” “I say,” in verse 3, “to everyone who receives circumcision, he is obligated.” Verse 4, “you have been severed,” “you have fallen from grace.” Verse 5, “For we,” and Paul steps up and identifies himself now with the believers at Galatia, we who are not trusting the law, we who have not turned to circumcision and the Mosaic Law, we who are trusting grace and grace alone. “We, through the Spirit, by faith are waiting for the hope of righteousness.” And there is a summary of Christianity, through faith, through the Spirit, by faith, for hope. “Through the Spirit by faith,” “for the hope.” Summarizes salvation, summarizes sanctification, summarizes glorification. “We, through the Spirit,” there’s he contrasting what the Holy Spirit does in a life versus what is accomplished through human effort and works. And the Spirit works in the life through faith.

So rather than being human effort by works of the law, we have divine influence by faith.
Look back in Chapter 3, verse 2, “This is the only thing I want to find out from you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?” How did you get the Holy Spirit, by keeping the law or by believing? Well, Peter referred to that we saw in Acts 15, you go back to Acts, Chapter 10 while he’s preaching, the Spirit fell on those who believed. The Galatians received it the same way. “Are you so foolish, having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” You note the contrast here, at the end of verse 2, did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or hearing with faith. You receive the Spirit by hearing with faith. That contrast with works of the law. The Spirit and faith, the law and works, can’t mix them. How did you get the Spirit? By keeping the Mosaic Law, by the works you did and obedience to the Mosaic Law or by believing in Christ? That’s the contrast he’s drawing in Chapter 5 of Galatians. “We, through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness,” “are waiting for the hope of righteousness.” So our justification is by faith, our sanctification is by faith. This present time while we are awaiting the final aspect of our salvation, it’s through the Spirit by faith we’re waiting.

So during this time of awaiting our hope, we don’t resort to keeping the Law again. No, we through the Spirit by faith are waiting the hope of righteousness. The hope of righteousness is the hope that our righteousness has given us. When we believed in Christ we were declared righteous by God and in that justification, we were given a hope of the ultimate glorification of this body, of the ultimate transformation of this person in completeness, to bring it to conformity with the righteousness of Christ.

Turn back to Romans 8, verse 23, “Not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved.” That’s what Paul is saying. We are awaiting the hope of our righteousness. We were justified by faith in Christ. We were saved in hope, the hope of our righteousness. Same thing that John wrote in I John 3, verses 2 and 3, when we see Him “we shall be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself even as He is pure.” This is the hope, we’ll be like Him, for we’ll see Him as He is. Our righteousness will be brought to completion and perfection in our glorified, redeemed body.

Back in Galatians, Chapter 5. You note, it’s all through the Spirit by faith. Through the Spirit by faith we are waiting for the hope of righteousness. So we’re justified by faith, we are awaiting the time of our sanctification, it’s a time through the Spirit by faith, and ultimately the realization of the completion of the process, through the Spirit by faith.
While we’re waiting that hope, we do it through the Spirit by faith. Nothing changes, nothing changes. Once you’ve committed to salvation by grace through faith, you’ve got the pattern. It’s salvation by grace through faith and salvation includes justification, sanctification, and glorification. There’s no going back to slavery of the law.

One more verse, verse 6 of Chapter 5, “For we, through the Spirit, are by faith waiting for the hope of righteousness, for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.” Paul will repeat this statement at the end of the letter in Chapter 6, verse 15. “In Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything.” You note, we’re talking about in Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means. . . wait a minute, Paul. What’s this whole letter been about? You just said in verse 2, if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Now in verse 6 you say circumcision nor uncircumcision, it doesn’t matter. What he says in verse 6 is, “in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything.” Our spiritual blessings in Christ are not related to circumcision. Our spiritual blessings in Christ are not related to physical rights. Our spiritual blessings in Christ are not related to keeping aspects or all of the Mosaic Law. So the issue in circumcision comes to be when a person makes it an issue for salvation and righteousness before God. Paul referred to this in Chapter 2 of Galatians, when he said, regarding Titus who went with him to the Jerusalem counsel in Acts 15, Paul said he refused to have Titus, a Gentile, circumcised, even though the Judaizers were demanding it. He said I wouldn’t yield an inch.

But you know what Paul does in Acts, Chapter 16, verse 3? He picks up Timothy to travel with him, and Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Gentile father. You know what the first thing Paul does? He has Timothy circumcised, so they can travel together in giving out the decrees which are a result of the Jerusalem counsel in Acts, Chapter 15 to determine circumcision was not necessary for salvation. Why would he have Timothy circumcised? Well, Paul said, we’re told what Paul’s thinking in Acts 16 was Timothy has a Jewish mother and a Gentile father. The issue here is not how is Timothy saved. The issue here is will the Jews look at him as having rejected his Jewish heritage, as having rejected his Jewishness, since he had a Jewish mother, but had not been circumcised. Having a Gentile father would limit his effectiveness among the Jews. There it’s not an issue of salvation, fine, circumcise him. But Titus is an issue of salvation, refused to do it. A parallel example, I believe that a person ought to be baptized as a believer in Jesus Christ, but I would refuse to be baptized in a church that taught baptism is necessary for salvation. Why, that would be blurring the distinction. I want to be baptized, but I refuse to be baptized in a context where it’s declaring I’m trusting my baptism plus Christ for salvation. That’s the way Paul did with circumcision.

It’s a nonissue. Paul is a circumcised man, he’s a Jew. It’s a nothing, doesn’t make him more acceptable to God, doesn’t make him less acceptable to God. In Christ circumcision and uncircumcision is nothing. I’m not more blessed because I’m a circumcised man, you’re not more blessed because you’re uncircumcised. It’s a non-issue. Spiritual blessings are not related to physical rights is what Paul is saying.
How does it work? But faith working through love. That’s what matters. You see we’re back to faith, the faith we talked about in verse 5. The Spirit works by faith in our lives and by faith, working through love. In other words, our faith works itself out in love. So yes, we have responsibilities, we have obligations, we are submissive to the word, submissive to the authority of Christ. We obey the law of Christ, which is not the same thing as the Law of Moses.

And how is this freedom in Christ directed and controlled. Now I’m free in Christ, I can do whatever I want. No! I have the indwelling Spirit who produces in my life the character of God, conforms me to Christ. So through the Spirit by faith, working in love, awaiting the hope of our righteousness. And we’ll talk about the fruit of the Spirit as we move on into Chapter 5 as what, the fruit the Spirit produces in the life, the first of which is love. So conduct is impacted by righteousness in Christ. Life is changed in Christ. We live new lives in Christ. We manifest the beauty of God’s character in Christ, but we don’t do it by keeping the Mosaic Law. We do it by faith in Christ and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to produce the character of Christ in our lives, and that will be the doctrine of sanctification that’s developed. We don’t go back to the slavery of the law for sanctification. We continue by faith and experience the working of the Spirit in our lives to produce what God requires and desires in the lives of his children. Love, joy, peace, and on we go with the fruit of the Spirit.

Well, I won’t take the time to walk through what we’ve covered here. Just remind you Paul began by declaring we have been set free in Christ. We are to stand firm in that freedom. We are to be a people who are living through the Spirit, by faith, working in love, awaiting the hope of our righteousness. It’s a beautiful salvation, given in its fullness as a free gift to all who believe in Christ. Let’s pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for the richness of your salvation. Thank you that it is glorious, that it does not take our efforts to complete it, but it is entirely by grace, bestowed as a free gift upon all who believe in Christ alone as their Savior. For all who believe only in Christ alone, and thus recognize it is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that we receive the glorious and eternal gift of salvation, and we praise you in Christ’s name. Amen.