Grace Changes Things

Whereas the Book of Romans has been called the “Constitution of Christianity”, the Book of Galatians is called “The Declaration of Independence of Christ’s Kingdom”. The devil will do what he can to stop the Gospel. He tried to scare the disciples away from preaching the Gospel. Imprisoning by the High Priest, God’s people were imprisoned (Acts 5:18). But …

Acts 5:19-20 (KJV) … the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

The Gospel brings LIFE. It brings LIGHT. Jesus Christ is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 8:12; 9:5), and the devil wants the darkness to remain. He wants sin to rule the earth, and man to destroy himself. When the High Priest and his soldiers caught up with the disciples again, they said:

Acts 5:28-29 (KJV) Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Beaten, persecuted, killed for the faith, the children of God continued to share the Gospel of salvation. The High Priest called out the Big Guns – he called for Saul of Tarsus. Saul was trained by Gamaliel, the Chief Rabbi of the day. Saul sat on the Sanhedrin, the Council of Israel. The Sanhedrin hated Jesus and His disciples.

Preach! Self righteous people hijacked the Law of Moses, and turned it into Judaism. Judaism taught only Jews could be the children of God – that other nations were unworthy. Jesus taught that He came to save the “world”, whosoever will. Judaism ignored the clear teaching of Grace, and made salvation a thing you worked for. Jesus taught that all are unworthy, and that salvation comes by receiving Him. Judaism taught that ethnic Jews had a one way ticket to Heaven. Jesus taught that you must be born again of the Spirit to enter Heaven.

Called by the High Priest, Saul’s job was to destroy Christianity, and to restore Judaism as the only true faith. But our God is filled with Grace. He knocked Saul down on Damascus Road, and there Saul’s calling and name changed.

Saul Was Called By Judaism, But
Paul Was Called By Jesus!

Galatians 1:1-2 Paul, an APOSTLE, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the CHURCHES of Galatia:

As “Saul”, he was called by and sought to please a false religion. But Jesus, Who is rich in Grace, called and appointed “Paul” to be an “APOSTLE”. An “APOSTLE” {Greek apostolos}, is “one who is sent of God, sent with orders”. Every Apostle was hand picked by the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 10:2-4 Jesus chose the first twelve Apostles. He gave them an initial command, to carry His Gospel specifically to Israel:

Matthew 10:5-7 (KJV) Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The Messiah that Israel had long waited for had come. The message the Messiah gave was:

Mark 1:15 (KJV) The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.

The Apostles were called BY JESUS to spread the Gospel. Not their opinions, but the Gospel of Grace.

Not one Apostle chosen by Jesus was worthy to be called an Apostle. They were not called by Self, by Seminaries or Synagogues, nor were they voted into office as Peter tried to do with Matthias. They were specifically chosen by Jesus, just as our Lord specifically chose the Prophets of the Old Covenant. Listen Beloved, those whom God calls, He calls by GRACE. It is not called by WORTH.

Noah was saved by Grace. When he got off the Ark, he got DRUNK.
Abraham was saved by Grace. He lied, and said his wife was his sister.
Isaac was saved by Grace. He followed in his father’s footsteps in lying.
Samson was saved by Grace. He was a womanizer.
Gideon was hiding when Christ called out to him.
Elijah was saved by Grace. He panicked, and ran from Jezebel.
Jonah was saved by Grace. He ran away when God called him to preach.
David was saved by Grace. He was a murderer and an adulterer.
Moses was saved by Grace. He was a murderer.

Illustrate: A daddy was walking the beach with his little daughter, and as they walked they were collecting shells. Daddy was looking for shells that were whole, in good condition. But his daughter was picking up every shell she saw, even if they were broken. When her daddy asked her why she was picking up even the broken shells, she replied “Daddy, the broken ones are beautiful too”.

Isaiah 11:6 … and a little child shall lead them …

If Apostles were chosen by US, they would have to be near perfect. But Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, Deacons, and every child of God is chosen by God in Grace. Here is a perfect definition of GRACE:

Galatians 1:1 … not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, AND God the Father, who raised him from the dead

“NOT OF MEN”. Salvation is not based on what the world thinks, nor on what is popular opinion. There were some who refused to acknowledge Paul as an Apostle because he was not of the original Twelve. Yet others, remembering how Paul previously persecuted the Church, said “Paul isn’t worthy”. Paul acknowledged his past, saying:

Galatians 1:13-14 (KJV) For ye have heard of my CONVERSATION {anastrophē, conduct or behavior, how I used to live} in time past in the Jews’ religion {Judaism, the false perversion of Mosaic Law}, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the TRADITIONS {parádosis, man made religious activity} of my fathers.

When Paul was “Saul” he chased after and worshiped “THE JEWS RELIGION”. Not God’s religion, not what Christ directed, but human traditions and injected idolatry into what was the Law of Moses. Saul was “all in” on following “THE JEWS RELIGION”. If ANYONE was UNWORTHY to be an Apostle of Christ’s, it would be Saul.

WORTHY and GRACE do not walk hand in hand.
GRACE and MERCY do.

Paul told the believers at Corinth:

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (ESV) I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Galatians 1:1 … not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, AND God the Father, who raised him from the dead

“NEITHER BY MAN”. A person is saved from darkness and sin by the Grace of God. We are not saved because WE are worthy, but because HE is worthy. We are saved and called to salvation “by Jesus Christ, AND God the Father”. Of course, anything the Son does, both the Father and the Spirit are in agreement. But Paul is careful to explain that his salvation AND his authority – and Apostles had great authority – was not based on his will or his opinion or ability or worth. Jesus called him.

The Apostles were the FOUNDATION or bedrock of the Church (Ephesians 2:20), along with the Prophets. Paul was one of these foundational Apostles. The mystery of the Church Age and the Kingdom of God were “revealed to the holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit {of God}” (Ephesians 3:5).

Grace Should Free Us From People Pleasing,
And Make Us God Pleasers

When he was Saul, he sought to please the leaders of “THE JEWS RELIGION”, the Chief Priests and the powers that be. Things changed when Saul became Paul. We read:

Galatians 1:15-19 But when it PLEASED {eudokeō, to bring satisfaction to} GOD, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

The Old Saul was busy running around to please others. The New Paul was busy, but in PLEASING GOD.

Galatians 1:10 (NKJV) do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Those who are saved by Grace seek to please God first. Those who are born again seek to love God most. We are not to be “people pleasers, but servants of Christ, doing the will of God from our hearts” (Ephesians 6:6, ESV). The fruit of the life of the lost is self service, self promotion, self pleasure, self satisfaction. The fruit of the Child of God is to “produce heartily, as for the lord, and not for people” (Colossians 3:23, AP).

Jesus Christ called Paul to be His Apostle. Paul did not seek the approval of man, nor did he head to Jerusalem to get Peter’s blessing (for Peter was considered the Chief Apostle). Paul went out and began to share the Gospel of Christ, just as Jesus gave it to him. For three years he preached the Gospel before he went to see Peter in Jerusalem. While there, Paul also saw James, the Lord Jesus’ stepbrother.

As Paul writes about the Gospel to the “churches of Galatia”, he wants them to know that his letter on the Gospel is not Paul’s private or peculiar interpretation of the Gospel. He says:

Galatians 1:11-12 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

I believe that the reason so many “Christians” are scared to share their faith is because they have a skewed view of salvation. If you have not experienced salvation, you cannot explain Grace.

Saul was turned to Paul when he said “Yes” to Jesus. Paul was called to be an Apostle by Jesus. Paul was taught the Gospel by Jesus. I can tell you all about the Gospel, but until you experience the Grace of God by REPENTING and turning to the Lord Jesus as Savior, you will never understand the Gospel. It’s not like 2+2 = 4. It’s all about GRACE.

Illustrate: How many of you have read your Bibles from cover to cover? Don’t raise your hands, but I doubt few have. It’s a big Book! Now, how many have read the first TWO chapters of the Bible in Genesis? I’ll bet most of you have, maybe all of you have. If you take these first chapters, a little sliver, is everything God intended for us. But we fell from His Grace. Everything that comes after those FIRST TWO chapters is humanity messing up, but God in Grace kept reaching out to us. The Bible is God’s testimony of how patient and merciful He is. If it were me or you, the Bible would be only TWO chapters long! Everything would end at Genesis 3! But God is longsuffering. God is gracious. God is good! The last TWO CHAPTERS of the Bible tell us where God wants to take us … if we’ll heed Him, and His Grace.

The Intent Of Grace Is Peace And Deliverance

Galatians 1:3 GRACE be to you and PEACE FROM God the Father, and from our LORD Jesus Christ …

The Grace of God always brings PEACE with God. We are told in:

Romans 5:1 (KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ:

We are “JUSTIFIED” or made right with God “BY FAITH”, not by works. We believe on what Jesus did for us at Calvary. But once saved, JESUS BECOMES OUR LORD. He is LORD of our lives. We live according to His Word, not our word or human traditions. The Bible teaches that “PEACE WITH GOD” does not come from us, but it is “PEACE FROM GOD”. Salvation is entirely by GRACE. But once saved, God changes us. We are moved from one state to another.

The world is, at best, ignorant of God. It tunes God out. It refuses to acknowledge the God of Scripture, but creates idols to worship, idols that it controls. In the world system of religion “god” is controlled and appeased by what you do. “God” is satisfied if you count beads, or pray at certain times, or sacrifice something, or kneel at a human idolatrous altar. Christianity says NO to human works that appease God. God is satisfied in Christ. The Scripture says:

1 John 2:1-3 MY LITTLE CHILDREN, I am writing these things to you so that you MAY NOT SIN. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the PROPITIATION for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

The Christian has PEACE WITH God and FROM God because we have been “born again”. We are God’s “LITTLE CHILDREN”. We do not belong to the world anymore. God’s standard is that we “MAY NOT SIN”. But if the Christian does sin, we have a representative who knows us, “JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS”. We are at peace with God, children of God, because Jesus Who is righteous took our punishment on the Cross. Jesus is the “PROPITIATION” {hilasmos}, that is, the One Who appeased the wrath of God against sin. How does one know that we are saved? Because “we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments”.

We do not chase after sin. We strive to live to glorify our Savior!

Galatians 1:4-5 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Our Lord Jesus Christ died for us, for our sins, to “deliver us from this present evil world”. Grace does not save us so that we can chase after sin. Grace frees us so that we can serve the God Who loved us, and gave Himself for us. You cannot be saved, and live as if you are a lost person. Those who are saved are DELIVERED. We are not like the darkness. We are the Children of God.

Illustrate & Close: I heard Adrian Rogers tell this once in a sermon: “A godly Pastor was doing a good job, but two men in the Church didn’t like him. They came to him and said, ‘Pastor, we think you should be the pastor no longer in this Church. We’re going to ask you to step aside and resign’. The Pastor said ‘Thank you for coming to see me. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I will take it to the Lord, and pray over it, and I’ll get back with you’. They said, ‘All right, we’ll meet next week.’ Next week came, and they met, and the men said, ‘Well, what did God say to you?’ The Pastor said, ‘God said He’d never heard of you two guys.’” Adrian went on to say, “There are always people who’ll be used of the devil to defame the good”.

That is so very true. Both you and I have heard of people who are supposed Christians, even supposed Pastors, who get involved in godless activities and bring shame to the Church of Christ. These are not true believers, but wolves in sheep clothing.

Those who love the Lord love His Bible, His commandments.
Those who love the Lord cherish His Grace!

May God touch your hearts with His Word!