Grace Plus... -- Phil. 3:1-2

Sunday, April 18, 2010

GRACE PLUS…

Phil. 3:1

A little over a year ago a few of us went to a meeting that was titled “The True Church Conference.” So what does such a title convey? I could give a long answer, but part of the answer is that a true church preaches the true gospel. But why use such a term as “the true gospel.” It’s either the gospel, or it’s not, right? It should be that way, but it’s not quite that simple. Anyone who knows what’s going on is well aware that everyone who claims to preach the gospel is not preaching the true gospel. By that I do not mean to say that everyone who proclaims the gospel must make sure he dots every “i” and crosses every “t”. No, I’m talking about major things. If the proclaimer doesn’t believe that biblical repentance is necessary for salvation, I would question whether or not he is preaching the true gospel.

Stick with that theme for a moment. In the last three or four years I and others in this church have put a great deal of emphasis on the fact there is no biblical salvation without true repentance. By repentance, I’m not talking about just a change of mind about Jesus, as one well-known author defines repentance. I can’t change my mind about Jesus without also changing my mind about self, and that change of mind about self means a turning from sin. No, it will not look exactly the same in every person, but there will be a turning from sin. Put another way, everyone who is justified is also regenerated. There is no salvation without a new birth that results in a changed life. You have heard that emphasis a great deal. Why? Because anything less will steer people toward hell. I make no apology for that focus. It is a necessary correction to the easy believism so common in our day.

Having said that, now I must say something else. There is another great threat to the true gospel and we must pay attention to that threat. Paul was constantly battling against this danger. What is it? It is the tendency to add requirements to what the Bible says is necessary for salvation. During the next couple of weeks we are going to be looking at this twisting of the gospel. This morning we are going to lay a background, identifying those who were doing that very thing. Then next week we are going to take a close look at the very strong words Paul used to warn against these false teachers.

Let’s begin this morning by reading Phil. 3:1-3…

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. 2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. 3. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

I. Why the Warning?

Let’s read verse 1 again, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” At first, you might get the idea from the word “finally” that Paul is getting ready to wrap up his book, but that is not the case. The phrase used here marks a transition (see A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, by Joseph Henry Thayer). It carries the idea, “Now moving on to other things.” We find the exact same phrase in 4:8, “Finally, brethren…”

When Paul tells them to rejoice, he is picking up a very familiar theme of this letter, but this time he adds the little phrase “in the Lord.” We won’t take time to cover the ground again, but just remember that true joy is always in the Lord. This is not the same as being happy. Happiness depends on “what happens,” upon the circumstances. This joy depends upon a relationship with the Lord which goes beyond the circumstances. Heb. 12:2, “…who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross.” Those of us who know the Jesus who had joy even when facing the cross can rejoice in the Lord, regardless of our own circumstances.

What does Paul mean when he speaks of writing “the same things to you.” It is hard to know exactly. Maybe this has to do with something he has said earlier in the letter. It is more likely that he is referring to a previous communication he had with the Philippians, whether in person or through a letter. The “same things” he is writing seems to refer to what he is about to say, rather than to what he has just said, because he refers to it as a safeguard. He doesn’t consider it a bother to take the time to go over this warning again. The ESV translates it this way: “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me, and it is safe for you.” Then he launches directly into his warning in verse 2.

So we see why Paul is giving this warning. It is a safeguard for his brothers and sisters in Philippi. They need the warning. Without it, they are in great danger. As we will see, it is a warning against false teachers. This is a theme that runs throughout the New Testament. Jesus Himself had plenty to say on this subject. He said, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (Matt. 16:6). Then we read in verse 12 that they finally understood what Jesus meant by the leaven of these religious leaders: "Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." In Matthew 7 Jesus gives some rather extensive teaching concerning false teachers. He begins by saying, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits…” (Matt. 7:15-16). When Paul was giving his farewell to the elders at Ephesus, he spoke these words of warning: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears" (Acts 16:29-31). So it is here that Paul is going to warn his beloved brothers and sisters to watch out for false teachers.

Do we still have false teachers today? I think we are all aware that false teachers abound today. We must continue to mature in our faith in Christ, “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" (Eph. 4:14-15). Paul told Timothy to understand that the time would come would people would not stand for healthy teaching, but would indulge their own lusts and itching ears by heaping up teachers who will say what they want to hear (II Tim. 4:3). So we must guard against the false teachings and the false teachers who spread them.

II. Background: The Gospel and the Judaizers

Paul said in Rom. 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” When dangers lay ahead of him, Paul said, "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). 1 Cor. 9:16, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" We could go on and on. Paul was a preacher of the gospel.

And exactly what was this gospel that Paul preached? He describes its basic content in I Cor. 15:1-4…

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

No one has a problem with that; the gospel is centered in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But how do we get the benefits of what Christ did? How does His work at the cross become “good news” for us? Paul used a key word that characterized his gospel, and that word was “grace.” We know well the words of Paul in Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast." We are saved by grace, not by works. As he wrote in Gal. 2:16, “…for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Speaking of the Israelites, Paul said in Rom. 11:5-6, "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." We could read many other passages, because this is the bedrock of Paul’s theology. He proclaimed the gospel of grace. There is absolutely nothing we can do to add to what Jesus did at the cross.

So let me just lay Paul’s gospel out clearly and concisely. He taught that because we are the descendants of Adam, we are all sinners (Rom. 5:12ff). We have rebelled against the holy God who created us. That sinful rebellion earns us a wage, and that wage is death (Rom. 6:23). This death is not only physical, but eternal separation from God. No matter what we try to do, we cannot remedy our dilemma. We have no solution for the sin that separates us from God. No amount of good works or religious activity can make us right with God. But God did something; He sent His only Son Jesus into this world. “But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). That’s grace. Jesus did on the cross what we could never do. He paid the punishment for sins. He took upon Him the wrath of God. There is nothing we can do to add to that. There is nothing we need to do to add to that. When we see this truth of God clearly and understand what Jesus has done, we simply give up on all our attempts to get good enough for God (repent) and throw ourselves on Him as our only hope (believe). That is the gospel that Paul preached.

As you know, Paul was a missionary, first sent out along with Barnabas from the church in Antioch (see Acts 13). He proclaimed the gospel and he established believers in local churches. So what happened after Paul established a church? It was very common for teachers to come into the town and give the people in the church further instructions. Those instructions went something like this: “It’s great that you have become followers of Jesus, but now you need to be circumcised and keep all the law of Moses.” In short, they taught that it is necessary to follow Christ, but it is also necessary to keep the law of Moses, which was symbolized and centralized in the rite of circumcision. These teachers are often referred to as Judaizers, because they taught that a person must submit to the Jewish rite of circumcision and follow the Jewish law. In other words, no one could become a true Christian until he first became a Jew. The Judaizers wanted to make Jews out of the Gentile Christians. These are the false teachers against whom Paul was warning the Philippians.

I think it wise that we take just a little bit of time this morning to make sure we are all clear on this whole concept of circumcision and what it meant in Paul’s day. This understanding will be important as we go through this passage. The roots of circumcision go back to Genesis 17. Let’s read Gen. 17:9-14…

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

The word “circumcision” comes from a Latin word that means “to cut around.” It is a medical procedure in which a cutting around removes the foreskin from the male organ. As we see in this passage, the norm was for this to take place when a baby boy was eight days old. However, if a male had not been circumcised at the age of eight days old, he could not become a part of God’s people Israel until he was circumcised, even if he was an adult. Abraham himself was circumcised at the age of 99, as we read down in verse 24.

So we understand first of all that circumcision was instituted directly by God Himself. In later times, and even today, circumcision is often performed on baby boys for hygienic benefits. However, that was not the primary reason for circumcision originally. Rather, it was to be a sign, a mark, which distinguished the people of God.

We might ask, “But why did God have them do that? Why didn’t he use a tattoo on the arm or something like that?” Please allow me to read you an explanation from Pastor John MacArthur…

God ordained it [circumcision] as a symbol, as a sign, a very important one. Not just for physical benefit but as a spiritual reminder. And the reminder is simply this… Nowhere or at no point is a man's depravity more manifest than in the procreative act… We know man is a sinner by what he says. We know man is a sinner by what he does. We know man is a sinner by the attitude, the bearing that he carries. We can see on the outside sinful deeds. But how do we know man is a sinner at the base of his character? How do we know man is a sinner at the root of his existence? The answer, by what he creates. Whatever comes from the loins of man is wicked because man is wicked. So I say to you, nowhere then in the anatomy of a man or in the activity of a man is depravity more manifest than in the procreative act because it is at precisely that point which he demonstrates the depth of his sinfulness because he produces a sinner. And I would remind you that Jesus Christ had no human father because there was no human father who could produce a perfect person. The Spirit of God had to plant a perfect seed in Mary and bypass a human father.

The male organ then is the point at which human depravity is most demonstrated. You see not the deeds of sin but the nature of sin passed on to the next generation.

You say, "Well then..still what is the connection with that and circumcision?" When God demanded that they circumcise the male, He was giving them a symbol that the outward part of man's procreative organ was cleansed to remind them that man needed to be cleansed of sin at the deepest root of his being. That was the idea. Man needed to be cleansed of his sin through a spiritual surgery, at the very root of his nature. And that very graphic symbol was chosen because that is the procreative point at which man produces sinful man. So man in his natural condition is a sinner and he produces sinners, sinners, sinners, sinners and nothing but sinners. At the very point of his nature then he needs cleansing. And every time they circumcised a person and every time they circumcised a little eight-day-old male child, they were reminding themselves of the fact that man at his very base nature was a wicked sinner and desperately in need of a cleansing. It was an illustration of the sinfulness of man. And even the bloodshed that occurred in circumcision could symbolize the need for sacrifice to accomplish that cleansing. So there was even a picture of the pain and the sacrifice in the circumcision as well. (From sermon on Phil. 3:1-3)

Now here is the point that I want to make very clear. Though circumcision was a very physical sign, it was never intended to be just physical. It had a much deeper meaning. Do we know that for sure, or is it just speculation? We know it from the Word of God. To discover that truth, we don’t even have to move beyond the Old Testament. Listen to the words of Moses way back in Deut. 10:14-16, "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. 15. Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. 16. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked." We find the same idea in Jer. 4:3-4, "For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings." Paul confirms this same idea in Romans 2, summarizing his teaching in Rom. 2:28-29, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

Here was the problem. In New Testament times, the Jews as a whole had disregarded the spiritual meaning of circumcision and had limited it to a physical mark only. Make no mistake about it, they were zealous for that physical mark of identification, but it was obvious that their great need was for a circumcision of the heart. Gal. 6:13, "For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh." These Judaizers boasted in having more people circumcised, in bringing them under the Jewish laws. Paul says in the very next verse, “But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (6:14).

So what was Paul’s position? Wasn’t he also a Jew? Yes, he certainly was. He describes himself later in this chapter as a Hebrew of the Hebrews (3:5). Likewise, the other apostles were also Jews. So because they believed Jesus to be the Messiah, it was no problem for them to come to Him. He was their Messiah. The problem was that Gentiles were claiming to be saved, even though they had never been circumcised and did not submit to all the Jewish laws. How could that be? Had God not said that if a man wasn’t circumcised, he was cut off from God’s people? This was the crucial issue in the early church and in the early chapters of Acts. That is precisely why they had the big meeting in Acts 15, what has been called “the Jerusalem Council.” The position of many Jews is stated concisely in the first verse of that chapter, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren and said, ‘Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.’” Their position was simple enough, “No circumcision, no salvation.” But Paul and Barnabas had apparently seen many Gentiles saved, even though they had not been circumcised and brought into submission to the Jewish law. Listen to what Peter said to those who had gathered for this meeting in Jerusalem… (Acts 15:7-11)

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9. And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Here was the solution. Since God had given those Gentiles (Cornelius, family, and friends) the same Holy Spirit He had given the apostles and other Jews, it was clearly evident that they had been saved, even though they hadn’t been circumcised. Peter then referred to circumcision and the Jewish law it represented as a yoke too heavy to be borne. The church then agreed that Gentiles could be saved apart from circumcision and that they should not be compelled to be circumcised. But that did not stop the Judaizers. There were those who refused to abide by the decision of the Jerusalem Council. They continued to dog the steps of Paul and try to convince the new believers that they needed to be circumcised and submit to the Jewish law. These were the false teachers Paul opposed so vigorously.

III. The Judaizers and the Galatians

Rather than go on to verse 2 here in Philippians 3, where we actually come to the warnings, I think we should lay a little more background by looking at a few passages from Galatians. Here in Philippians 3:2 we have this brief warning, but in the case of Galatians, the entire letter was written to deal with the false teaching of the Judaizers. My primary purpose in turning to Galatians is to underscore the seriousness with which Paul regarded these false teachings.

Before we go there, let me remind you of the context here in Philippians. We have just finished looking at chapter 2, where the focus was on the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (2:5).

In other words, have the same attitude that Jesus had. That attitude is the secret of the first four verses of chapter 2, which emphasize the unity among believers in the local church. Ultimately, the only way we will be likeminded is by demonstrating the mind of Christ. When it comes to thinking the same thing, we are to think as Jesus thinks. The goal does not begin with all of us trying to think the same thing. Rather, as we think like Jesus thinks, as we conform our attitude to His, we will find that we are indeed thinking the same thing. What we must understand is that there is a standard for this thinking the same thing, and the standard is the mind of Christ. It is only as we are conformed to His way of thinking that we will be able to esteem others better than self and look on the things of others.

The verses that follow verse 5 bless us with the details of Jesus’ attitude. Though He was equal with God, He humbled Himself, being made in the likeness of men. He not only came into this world as a man, but He made Himself a servant of all. But even that was not low enough. Jesus obeyed His Father even to the point of death. It was not any death, but death on the cross. It was there that He became the propitiation for sin, taking upon Himself the wrath of God. What humility; what sacrifice; what unswerving obedience.

But praise God that isn’t the end of the story. “Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (2:9-11). Jesus came into this world and took the lowest place, that He might effectively deal with sin by becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God, but when He comes again, every eye will see Him and every knee will bow before Him. He will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And those of us who have suffered with Him will also reign with Him (II Tim. 2:12).

Then in verses 12-16 we see the results of the mind of Christ. Because that same Jesus lives in us who have been reconciled to God by Him, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We are to live out day by day what God has put in us. We are to faithfully bring to completion that which He has begun. But how can we do such a thing? It is because God works in us, to give us both the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. No, it won’t be easy. There will be plenty of opposition, but even in the midst of that opposition, we are to do all things without grumbling and questioning, so that we will be blameless and pure and without blemish. That is the picture of God’s children. No we aren’t there yet, but that is where God is taking us, as He conforms us to the image of His Son. This working out of our own salvation without murmurings and disputings doesn’t take place in heaven, but right here in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. In that dark setting, we shine forth as lights, like the stars in the universe. As we shine in the way we live, we hold out to people the Word of life, the truth about our Lord Jesus. Then in the last half of the chapter we had three shining examples of men who demonstrated the mind of Christ -- Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. Praise God for those individuals who encourage us by showing us that living out the attitude of Christ is not some heavenly dream, but it can be a present reality.

It is against that background that we encounter the warnings here in the first part of chapter 3. Brothers and sisters, don’t get tired of such warnings. They are a vital part of God’s Word. It is a blessing to preach through books of the Bible, because in doing so we let God choose the subject matter. Yes, there is great encouragement, especially in the last half of chapter 2, but then we have the stern and bold warning here at the beginning of chapter 3. Paul wanted his Philippian brothers and sisters to follow his own example and the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus in living out the mind of Christ, but he was well aware that there were false teachers whose insidious work would undermine them at every turn. Paul can’t ignore that danger; he must deal with it head on.

Nowhere does he deal with it more thoroughly and bluntly than in his letter to the Galatians. So I call your attention to these passages to emphasize how seriously Paul took these false teachings. We will talk more about the nature of these teachings and try to make application from them next week. For now, let’s turn to Galatians and hear the great concerns of the apostle Paul. Let’s begin with the classic passage from Gal. 1:6-9 (ESV)…

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

That word “accursed” (anaqema) is very strong. It speaks of destruction. In Acts 23:14 those who were trying to kill Paul said, “We have cursed ourselves with a curse (Anaqemati aneqematisamen) if we taste any food until we have killed Paul.” Here in Galatians 1 Paul is saying that anyone who preaches such a “gospel” should be doomed to destruction. And what “gospel” is he talking about? Any gospel that differs from what he taught. In this context, any gospel but the gospel of grace, any gospel that adds anything to what Jesus did through His death and resurrection. Paul opens the letter by pronouncing this strong curse on anyone who promotes this false teaching.

But how was Paul so sure that his gospel was the truth and nothing but the truth? 1:11-12, “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Paul maintained that he got his gospel straight from Jesus Himself. How could the false teachers possibly argue with a claim like that? By questioning the credentials of Paul. “So just who is this Paul? Isn’t he the one who defected from Judaism, the true religion?” Paul spends the rest of chapter 1 and most of chapter 2 explaining and defending his apostleship. He wasn’t defending himself as much as he was defending the true gospel by going back to his calling and his faithfulness as an apostle.

In chapters 3-5 Paul gives a powerful explanation of how justification through faith delivers from condemnation by the law, but even in this section he shares some pointed words about his opponents. Let me read to you from chapter 4, where we see both Paul’s love for the Galatians and how much he despised those who were hindering them. 4:12-19 ESV…

Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of the blessing you felt? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Notice in verse 17 how Paul suddenly introduces the false teachers by abruptly saying, “They…” At first, we want to say, “Who?” Understand that these Judaizing opponents are never far from his mind.

We need little explanation when we come to this passage in chapter 5, because Paul makes himself quite clear. 5:7-12 ESV…

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

And finally let’s read from 6:11-15 ESV…

See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

When it came to dealing with these false teachers who were threatening to destroy God’s little lambs, Paul was tenacious.

Conclusion

I realize we spent a lot of time laying a background this morning, but I believe we will find it very helpful when we launch into the threefold warning of verse 2. Lord willing, that is where we will be next Sunday.

I would encourage you to read Galatians this week. It doesn’t take long, as there are less than 150 verses in the entire letter. As you begin to read, keep in mind this background we have laid down. Then be chewing on Phil. 3:2, “Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the concision.” That’s where we will spend most of our time next week.

May God give us grace to meditate on the gospel of grace.