Worship the Giver of Gifts | Galatians 6:11-18

“You know that when you were pagans, you were being led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.  Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.”

--1 Corinthians 12:2-5

 

We live in world full of information.  We operate in a church with many denominations, protestant, catholic, orthodox, Baptist, Pentecostal, at this point you can search any version of Christianity and find any teaching that will support your personal views, personal politics etc.  We have all different kinds of gospels rampantly spreading through ‘The Church.’  God knew this would be the case, even in the ancient church, which is why He sent Paul to instruct the church in how to determine what is the True Gospel of Christ versus another gospel. 

 

“See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand!”

--Galatians 6:11

 

Paul is writing with love, with conviction, you can feel the love he has for this church in Galatia.   You can sense his urgency in this sentence.  “See with what LARGE letters I am writing to you with my own hand!”

“Large Letters”

πηλίκος pēlíkos, a quantitative form (the feminine) of the base of G4225; how much (as an indefinite), i.e. in size or (figuratively) dignity:—how great (large).

 

The word LARGE here is a word of prominence, of importance, Paul is say “Look at this great and important message I bring to you.”   This is almost like pleading, begging, urging the reader to focus on this important idea.  Paul’s letter to the Galatians ends with one final plea—I plea to seek the giver of gifts, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the author of creation and the giver of salvation.   Seek Christ’s truth and not the false teachings of those who wish to take you from Christ—don’t worship men but worship the God/Man, Jesus Christ.

 

1. Worship Christ! Don’t worship a church, a movement, a pastor, an evangelist—just because someone is gifted doesn’t always mean they are preaching Christ. 

 

“As many as are wanting to make a good showing in the flesh, these are trying to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they ‘will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.  For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they want to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.  But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

--Galatians 6:11-14

 

Some will boast in the work they do for God, in their abilities, in their gifts or even in their false teachings—how do we know someone is preaching the truth of Christ?  Look at the fruit, look at the teaching, are they boasting in their ability, in gifts?  Or are they boasting in the gospel of Christ? The work only Christ can do?

 

This is the entire theme of Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia:

 

“I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel we have proclaimed to you, let him be accursed!”

--Galatians 1:6-8

 

“When Paul addressed his letter to the Galatians, he wrote “to the churches in Galatia,” rather than to a single church as he usually did with other letters (Galatians 1:1–2). Scholars believe that Galatians was most likely the first book of the New Testament to be written, around AD 49. Paul had founded this church and was concerned because the new Galatian believers were being influenced by the Judaizers, Jews who taught that salvation required keeping the Mosaic Law (specifically circumcision), as well as believing in Jesus (Galatians 2:14)…Paul was dismayed at the way the Galatian believers were so easily influenced away from the truth of the gospel, and he was adamant that salvation is not dependent on human works.”

--GotQuestions.org

 

Paul will continue to write and point out the false doctrine being taught to this church from the jews who are teaching salvation through the Jewish law, Paul will even call out Peter for teaching this doctrine in Galatians 2:11-12,

 

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.  For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he began to shrink back and separate himself, fearing the party of the circumcision.  And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.”

--Galatians 2:11-13

 

Listen, humans are born into sin, we are born imperfect, inheriting Adam’s sin this makes us prone to mistakes.  Humans are prone to group think, to believing what everyone else believes because we feel pressure, we feel stress.  We are creatures that seek comfort, that seek an easier way at all times, that is why we have invented technologies and tools to help us with our work.   We have advertisements, government messages, social media influencing us every single day and hour of every day.  Mob rule rules our relative society, truth is only found in what is popular, what is agreed upon and what is consensus. 

 

Paul writes this letter to remind the church to stand up for God’s truth and to stand against false teachings of God and how there will be those who teach another gospel because they are pressured or afraid to be persecuted for preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

“Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.” –Galatians 6:12

 

Paul continues to reiterate how these people who do not worship Christ; rather they fumble, they worship their work, their flesh and they are actors, hypocrites.

 

“For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.  But may it never be that I would boast, in except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” –Galatians 6:13-14

 

“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.  For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’”

--1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (Paul is quoting Isaiah 29:14)

 

 

“Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be hidden.”  Woe to those who deeply hide their counsel from Yahweh, And whose deeds are done in a dark place,

And they say, ‘Who sees us?’ or ‘Who knows us?’ You turn things around!”

--Isaiah 29:14-16

 

2. We are free in Christ. Worship Christ, who is the Saviour of the World, Follow Christ’s Rule.

 

“For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.  And those who will walk in step with this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.  From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”

--Galatians 6:15-17

 

“Rule”

κανών kanṓn, from κάνη kánē a rod or straight piece of rounded wood to which any thing is fastened to keep it straight, a carpenter's line or measuring tape.

 

About Jesus:

 

“Is this man not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?’ And they were taking offense at Him.”—Mark 6:3

 

Jesus is the builder of the church.  Jesus is truly God, truly man.  This means God is the builder of the church, of His church.  Jesus’ word is the rule.   Paul is reminding the church is Galatia they are free from the law of circumcision.  It doesn’t matter if you are circumcised or uncircumcised—what matters if you walk in the rule of Christ.  If you have faith in Christ alone—it is your faith in Christ that saves you, not the law of circumcision.

 

“upon the Israel of God…”(Vs. 16).  There are jews who reject Christ, who hate Christ, who teach another gospel, who infect God’s church preaching a false gospel of the antichrist.   But there are Jews who believe in God, who believe in Christ, who are saved by Christ—that is the true Israel of God who sit in the freedom of the good news of Jesus.

 

“Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’  Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and bear witness of what we have seen, and you do not accept our witness.  If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.”

--John 3:9-15

 

Worship the giver of gifts.  Worship the giver of the ultimate gift of salvation, the miracle worker, the author of everything good in this world and beyond this world.  Worship Christ, our Lord and Savior.  We are born again through Christ, through His perfect life, His horrific death and the amazing resurrection.  Christ is given us new life, freedom from the Jewish law, freedom from performance by giving us relationship.  We must lift Christ up.  We must live by His rule.  Does our life measure up to the life of Christ?  Does our ministry at this church measure up to the life/ commands of Christ?

 

It is time to Stand up for the rule of Christ in a rule that rules itself.

 

“We are raised in Christ, with Christ, by Christ, to be like Christ.”

--Sinclair Ferguson

 

“…For I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” (Vs. 17)  Paul has suffered for Christ because many have hated him for preaching the truth of Christ.  Imagine suffering for Christ then learning there are churches who are accepting false teaching that you have suffered to preach against.