Galatians 2:11-21, A Call To Live A Consistently Crucified Life
1. I Was Crucified With Christ So I Never Try To Be Right With God By Works (v15-16)
2. I Was Crucified With Christ So I Never Build Up My Sinful Nature Again (v17-19)
3. I Was Crucified With Christ So I Dedicate Every Moment To Jesus (v20)
4. I Was Crucified With Christ So I Always Rest In God’s Grace (v21)
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:00:00]:
As we look at Galicia's chapter 2 this evening, we're gonna focus in on verses 11 through 21. And I've titled the message, a call to live a consistently crucified life. It's a little bit of a mouthful I know. But here, we get to see the apostle Paul make this call to the Galatians. And he's going to use as a backdrop to this call the example of what took place when him and Peter had a little bit of a confrontation there in Antioch. And so this call to live a consistently crucified life is a call that is stemmed out of and rooted out of the reality and truth of what Christ has done for us and how that ought to impact everything that we do. Now, to kinda get up to speed on this, I think we need to back up a little bit and understand the book of Galatians is written to a region, not a specific location, not a specific city, but you could think of it like a county. And so there was many churches here, several different cities were involved. And in this region, Paul had done some ministry previously, but after he left, then people came in on the heels of Paul and started to preach a different gospel. And so he begins to address that in chapter 1. And And really what the gospel that the other people were presenting was, these false teachers are presenting a gospel of combination of Judaism and Christianity, a combination of works and Greece, a combination of the legal law, the old testament law and faith in Jesus. And so, this is bad doctrine. It is heresy. It is not the actual gospel. It cannot save And so Paul writes very clearly and strongly to refute this false doctrine and to remind the people of the original call. Paul says, if anybody else teaches a different message, let them be a curse, that is not the gospel and that cannot save. Well, Paul goes on from there in chapter 1 to talk about the authentication of the gospel. He's essentially saying, here's how I know that this gospel that I preach to you is the 1 and only He says, I didn't receive it from anybody else, but I went with the Lord. The Lord revealed to me and taught me this gospel message And then later on, years later, when I ran into the apostles in Jerusalem and Peter and James and those guys, then the gospel message was confirmed because we both preach the same message. They gave me the right hand of fellowship. They recognized God called me to bring the gospel to the gentiles just as God had called Peter to take the gospel to the Jewish people. So so he's establishing the fact that the gospel can be trusted. That is the original message authenticated from 2 sources that when they met together agreed and understood this was the the message of the lord, the way of salvation in the gospel of grace by faith in Jesus Christ. But now he goes on in verse 11 of chapter 2 to bring up a situation that happened with Peter. And there's some conflict here. Now why bring this up? Well, it's important to understand the people who came in after Poland are preaching bad doctrine to the region of Galicia, they're lying about the apostles in Jerusalem. They're pretending to be messengers from Jerusalem. They're pretending to have Jerusalem's authority and to speak on behalf of Peter and James and these guys. And so Paul is linking the the the truth of the gospel to these guys and his encounters with them to refute and to show that these guys who are claiming to have the authority of Jerusalem are lying about it. let's read verses 11 through 14 to just set the stage for where we're going to be tonight versus 11. Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed. For before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles. But when they came, He withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who are of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all. If you being a Jew live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews. This passage is such an interesting passage. And there's of course many things that we could talk about and really be fascinated over this confrontation between Peter and Paul. I don't wanna dive into the depths of these verses. It's merely here to set the stage for this call to a consistently crucified life that God wants us to live. But here is Peter comes to Antioch. We find that he has some struggles. He was the one that the Lord used to open the door of salvation to the gentiles and He defended his entering into the household of Cornelius before the gathering of the elders in Jerusalem back in Acts Chapter 11. But here, He's in Antioch. He's hanging out with all the gentiles. He's experiencing, you know, and and enjoying the freedom that he has in Christ to be free from the ceremonial law and religiosity of the levitical system, but When Jews come from James, James was the brother of Jesus. and seemed to be the leader of the church back in Jerusalem. And so when they show up, now Peter is very self conscious about his eating with the Gentiles. Now he's starting to think, oh, no. What's this gonna look like? And and he's wrestling within himself. And so he separates says he withdrew and he separated and his example influenced the rest of the Jews. They're in Antioch. And so many of the Jews would step back as well, and they wouldn't associate with the gentiles to eat any longer even though the day before they all were in and it impacted even Barnabas. And and Paul calls this hypocrisy. even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. The rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite. Here, Paul is laying the case. Peter was practicing hypocrisy. And the word hypocrisy, it means to play the part. Peter is putting on a show He knows the truth of the gospel. He believes the truth of the gospel. He believes in the freedom that he has in Christ and he was exercising it moments before. But now, when other people are watching that he's a little bit more intimidated by Now, he begins to play the part. And this is where we get this idea of consistency. Peter is not living a consistently crucified life. He is now becoming inconsistent. what he believes and how he acts are now out of sync. He's withdrawn himself from the gentiles because of the presence of the Jews, and it's played a part in him practicing hypocrisy. When our doctrine and our action does not line up, there is hypocrisy. There is inconsistency And what God calls us to is to live according to the truth that he has revealed and the truth that we know. In verse 14, Paul refers to it this way. He says, I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel. Notice the wording here. They're playing the hypocrite. They're not straightforward about the truth of the gospel. There's inconsistency here. Their doctrine and their practice don't line up, don't match up, And so Paul now is going to use this occasion to call Peter and all of us to match up our doctrine and our action to live a consistently crucified life. And so we're gonna work our way versus 15 through 21 as we dive into four points this evening to hear this call and to help us live out a consistently crucified life. Here's point number 1. I was crucified with Christ, So I never tried to be right with God by works. I was crucified with Christ. verse 20 here of Galatians chapter 2 kind of stands apart as the highlight of the chapter, the featured verse of the chapter Paul says, I've been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me. This is the marriage of doctrine and action. The doctrine of crucifixion, identification, salvation by faith, the grace of god impacts, Paul says, my life. I was crucified with Christ. So therefore, here's the doctrine of crucifixion of identification of justification And that means in my life, I never try to be right with God by works. Let's read verse 1516. It says, We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. as we go on here in verse 15 16, it seems to be a continuation of Paul's address to Peter in front of The church that has gathered there as he's addressing the situation. Some people believe that it the address to Peter ended in verse 14. And now, Paul is just continuing on with his letter to the Galatians. Either way, it's the same subject. And Paul here is saying, There is a difference previously between Jews and gentiles. But salvation by faith in Jesus Christ has united us. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the gentiles we know that man is not justified by the works of the law. If there was ever a people who could be right with God by works, it would have been the people of Israel. They had the best of the best as far as laws were concerned. They had laws written by God himself, the 10 commandments as well as the rest of the levitical system, and that was insufficient It was foreshadowing a temporary placeholder until the fulfillment could come, which was Jesus being that final and ultimate sacrifice. And so Paul says, look, we're Jews. Paul is a Jew. He's talking to Peter who is a jew who has kind of gathered the Jews and separated them from the gentiles, you feel separated And so you're you're separating yourselves. We're not sinners of the gentiles, but here's what we know. Man is not justified by the works of the law. Paul talks a lot about justification here in the book of Galatians. One way to look at what the word means, justified. It means that it's justified, never sinned. Another way to put it to be justified is to be right before God. God sees you righteous. He sees you right, you have right relationship to God. You have access to God. Paul says, look, this doesn't happen by the works of the law. We, Jewish people, he says, of all people, we know this more than anybody else. Justification does not happen by the works of the law. Nobody becomes right with God by keeping the law. The only possibility, the only way he says in verse 16, He says, but by faith in Jesus Christ. The only way to be right with God, there's no other option. There's no other path. There's no efforts. There's no discipline. There's no amount of self punishment or discipline that can bring a person into a right standing before god. Paul says, we know. This is our domain. come from a Jewish background. We know the levitical system. We know the law. And the thing that the law has taught us is it doesn't make us right before god. And the only hope, the only possibility of having that opportunity of having right standing before god is faith in Jesus. Pastor Warren Wiersby says, before the Sinner Trust Christ, He stands guilty before God. But the moment he trusts Christ, he has declared not guilty. and he could never be called guilty
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:15:49]:
again. Never called guilty again. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:15:59]:
We're never guilty again were right before God by faith in Jesus Christ, that cannot happen, that does not happen, that has never once happened by the keeping of the law. Peter knows this, the Jewish believers that Peter's influencing time, they know it, but they're starting to behave inconsistent with what they know. They're starting to behave as if they need to follow the works of the law in order to be right before God. And so in their separating from the gentiles, in the way that they've modified their behavior, their their actions now are inconsistent with their doctrine. Peter Paul says to Peter, we know this. We're not justified by the works of the law, but by faith. in Jesus only. So he says in verse 16, even we have believed in Christ Jesus. Peter, you've believed in Jesus. You know this and you believe this. But again, the thing he's pointing to is, but you're not behaving this way. You've changed your behavior, and now it's inconsistent with what you know and with what you believe.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:17:25]:
We're justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, he says again in verse 16. For by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. Nobody can be right with God by works. I like what Martin Luther says about this. He says, what awful presumption?
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:17:50]:
To imagine that there is any work good enough to pacify God. When to pacify god required the invaluable price of the death and blood of his own and only son.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:18:05]:
What awful presumption
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:18:09]:
to think I can do something good that is so valuable that is more valuable than what Christ has done already upon the cross. What a slander against Christ in his work upon the cross. What a huge, you know, amount of pride to think that something that we can do or a collection of things that we can do can be of greater value than that.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:18:39]:
salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ. That is the only way to be right with God. But here, Peter, he's changed his behavior,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:18:52]:
He knows better. It's hypocrisy. He's pretending in front of these other people
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:19:02]:
And it's inconsistent with the truth and the reality that he knows, and he believes. You ever do that? Are you consistent in your life?
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:19:16]:
What you believe and how you live Are they lined up? Are they meshed together? Has the fact that you have been crucified with Christ changed and impacted your life. And that's what I would ask you to consider. Again, it's a call to live a consistently crucified life. When it comes to our spiritual life, we must hear out what the Apostle Paul is saying here and never That means never like, not once, not even a little bit, not even sometimes, never try to be right with God by works. Never try to impress God with your efforts. Never try to earn God's favor by works. Never try to make up for. Choosing a path of sin, choosing a lifestyle of sin, but compensating it compensating for it with some type of good works. That is not consistent
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:20:32]:
You are crucified with Christ. Never
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:20:36]:
try to approach God, never try to have access with God. Never tried to be righteous before God by evaluating your efforts, your works, you're doing this or not doing that. Are you consistent? What you believe? Does it match the way that you live in your spiritual life? But I would also ask you to consider this in light of the situation that Paul is addressing here because He's addressing this publicly because, Peter, the way that he's living is not just affecting himself. But the Jews around him are being influenced by him as well, and they're practicing the hypocrisy that Peter is practicing. even Barnabas gets carried away in this. And that's surprising because Barnabas was such a solid believer and and the one who reached out to Paul to bring him to Antioch to minister to the gentiles. And so, wow, for Barnabas to be carried away. This was a powerful deception that was going on. It's why it's so important for us. that we are consistent,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:21:53]:
our doctrine, and our action, because we
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:21:57]:
have an impact And so, it's not just in your personal spiritual life, in your private life, Do you make sure to never be right with God by works? But but also, do you give the impression to others that they need to be made right with God by works. Do you tell other people that you're making up for sin by doing these good things? Do you tell other people that God accepts you? Do you put on the impression and the show that when people are around, you're doing things that you know you don't need to or you don't want to or God hasn't called you to. Are are you trying to be right with god by works in show? Are you giving other people the impression that they need to do good works in order to be right with Are you leading them to believe that this is the way that it works? You have to go to church and read your bible, and then you can be right with God. Is that the gospel that you preach? Is that the message that you are delivering? Is that the way that you are calling people to repentance? Does your family know
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:23:10]:
that no amount of good works will ever bring them into you right standing before God? They know that by looking at your life, by hearing your conversations, by understanding your tone,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:23:26]:
How about your work life? Do they understand that Being right with God is not a matter of being very religious and very disciplined and practicing certain things. And, well, I don't do those things because I wanna be right with god. Is it a legal system that you portray in front of? your family in front of your workplace or within the church? This it takes place so easy. if it can happen to Peter and Barnabas, recognize that it can happen to us All it takes many times as one person like Peter to start playing the part of the hypocrite and and and We will often jump on board with the hypocrisy.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:24:22]:
And so we're standing around and we're talking and Josh says, you know, I'm really holy, so I don't watch TV. And suddenly, Richard's really conscious about, oh, no. I was watching the price is right, and boy, they're gonna judge me.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:24:40]:
And we can begin to play the part. We can begin to put on a show. We can
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:24:48]:
begin to follow down the same path. But when you grab hold, the truth is, I was crucified with Christ
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:25:03]:
I'm never made right with god by what I do or what I don't do. I made right with God by faith in what Christ has done for me. I was crucified with Christ. past tense, it has happened. I've been justified. So I don't have to perform in order to approach God. I don't have to reach this level before I can come before him and seek him and know him and walk with him. I can come right now just as I am with all my failures and deficiencies and with all my hypocrisy. And, it's a result of being crucified with Christ. See, there's There's an identification here. There's a representation here, just as Adam represented you in the garden. When he partook of the fruits and sinned against the Lord, him representing us affected all of us and we inherit from him that sinful nature. And we don't like that idea so much, but it enables and gives the opportunity that now Christ, our representative, when he goes to a perfect and flawless life and death on our behalf, he is authorized to represent us so that by faith in him,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:26:37]:
we are crucified with Christ.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:26:40]:
We are identified with Christ. To the degree that the Lord looks up my name, he's all summoned, simmons, simmons. Oh, there he is. Gerald Simmons.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:26:48]:
who I just revealed my real name. Gerald Simmons. Oh, yeah. He was there with Jesus on the cross. No more condemnation left. Fully paid for there at cavalry. He stands right before me, not guilty. I will never be pronounced guilty. Again, I was crucified with Christ.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:27:15]:
And that means in my life, I never attempt to be right with god by works. Moving on to verses 17 through 19, we get point number 2 this evening and that is, I was crucified with Christ. So I never build up my sinful nature again. This is the impact that this doctrine has. Because I was crucified with Christ, it changes the way that I approach things so that I will never build up my sinful nature. Again, let's read verses 17 through 19. But if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners Is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not. For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I, through the law, died to the law that I might live to God. Paul here as he goes on, he's saying, we know this. Here's what we believe nobody is justified by the works of the law. We're only justified. We only have right relationship with God by faith in Jesus. But if while we are looking to be justified
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:28:45]:
by our faith in Christ If we're found to be sinners,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:28:52]:
does that mean it's not effective? Does that mean that Christ is a minister of sin? He says, certainly not. Absolutely not. Now, verse 1718 are a little bit challenging to work through. the way that Paul is wording it here, the the threat of thought that he's working through can be a little bit hard to discern. But the new living translation puts it away that maybe will help you process it a little bit easier. Verse 1718, And the new living translation says, but suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean that Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not. Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of the law,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:29:53]:
I already tore down.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:29:57]:
In Christ, the law is torn down. In Christ, there is no legal system like that any longer. We're not under the law of Moses. And so we cannot
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:30:24]:
allow ourselves to go back to what once was. And of course, that's what the Galatians were doing.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:30:34]:
They were First of all, they had received the gospel. They had received faith or grace by faith in Jesus Christ. They'd been forgiven. They'd been given access to God and had right standing before God. But now they were seeking to perfect their righteousness to improve upon they're standing before god by their efforts and by their works. And so in doing so, they went back to the law. But here's what happens when you go back to the law. You don't keep it. Even as a believer in Jesus Christ, even as one who is justified, even as one who is a new creature, Yield things have passed. We hold all things become new. When you attempt to approach God on the basis of works, you will always find yourself in a position of failure.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:31:35]:
And so that's why in verse 17, he says, we ourselves are also found sinners.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:31:41]:
That's what the law does. It reveals our sin. when you go back to try to prove yourself by the law, what you end up proving is that you are sinful. The lord never leads you into a works based system. Never. legalism is sin. Trying to be right with God any other way then faith in Jesus and his finished work for us upon the cross is sinful. And so any attempts that we try to approach God to draw near to God, to be right with God, to impress God, to please God, anything that we do to that end
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:32:27]:
apart
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:32:30]:
From a complete reliance upon Jesus and what he has done for us, it's sinful. It's kind of weird for us to think about that. But legalism is sinful. God's not happy with it. He's never excited about it. He never gets impressed with it. It might sound impressive to us. People might celebrate it, but God never does. The law was a temporary placeholder to point to Jesus. and to reject Jesus to grab hold of the law
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:33:16]:
is an offense to god.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:33:22]:
The law and legalism as believers in Jesus is bound up in the old life. It's our sinful nature that is drawn to legalism. It's our sinful nature that is drawn to works based relationship with God. It's our sinful nature. that celebrates those things and works towards those things. That's sin. It's our sinful nature that's desiring those things. That is not the move of the Holy Spirit. That is not the leading of Jesus. I was crucified with Christ. So I never go back and build up my sinful nature and invest myself in that legal system or in that workspace system or any workspace system. Those things were torn down by faith in Christ. And to go and rebuild those things, of my old life of my sinful nature, that's inconsistent
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:34:31]:
with the reality of who I am in Christ. because I was crucified with Christ.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:34:37]:
Again, this is what Paul is challenging Peter with. there is he begins to separate. And again, kind of attempt or at least put on a show of him doing these outward things to be right with god. I think Warren Wearsbee breaks it down pretty well for us. He says, Paul's argument goes like this. You have preached the gospel of God's Greece to Jews and Gentiles. and have told them they are saved by faith and not by keeping the law. By going back into legalism, you are building up what you tore down. This means that you sinned
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:35:21]:
by tearing it down to begin with.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:35:26]:
If What you're doing right now is correct. Then originally, when you preached salvation by faith, justification by faith, then that was wrong. It's inconsistent. If salvation is by faith, if you are have right standing before God because of what Christ has done. It's by grace through faith, then the way that you're living now is inconsistent with that. And if the way that you're living now is consistent with the truth, then what you taught before and what you've preached before, it's inconsistent with what you're doing right now. Either way, inconsistency. You're not being straightforward with the gospel. You're not being honest with the truth. You're putting on a show, playing the hypocrite. I was crucified with Christ, so I never build up my sinful nature. Again, for the Jewish people, This was a common battle and struggle. It was where they came out of, their culture, their their history. to go back into legalism was a strong pull for them. Now we also have a strong pull towards legalism today, but it's not necessarily of the Jewish variety. We have our own forms of legalism, our own forms of works and performance based approach to God. But I think you could extend this to also say any of your past life, whatever you were before Christ. Because you were crucified with Christ, That means I never am gonna go and build up that old life, that old man again. He says in verse 19, for I, through the law, died through the law that I might live to god. I died to those things because I was crucified with Christ. I died to those things Not so that I would stay dead, but that I might live. It's a new life. This is what Paul's referring to in Romans
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:37:44]:
That's not the verse I was thinking.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:37:48]:
Romans chapter 6, when he talks about in newness of life, we We're included with Christ. The baptism represents the going under the burial with Christ and being resurrected to live a new life that That is what that represents. I died through the law. Sorry. I threw the law, died through the law that I might live coming up to have new life for God, not to go back and rebuild the old things, not to go back and rebuild something different. This verse from Romans 13. This is the I intend to share this one right now. Romans 13 verse 13, Paul calls us to walk properly as in the day. Walk properly. Right? I died so that I might live. What does that mean? It's talking about life. It's talking about walking. And so walk properly as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness. Don't go back and rebuild those things. You were redeemed and delivered out of those things, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. Make no provision for the flesh. Don't build up that part of your life. Don't build up roads and bridges back to the old life. Make no provision for the flesh because I was crucified with Christ, delivered from those things died to those things. so that I could move on from them, not so that I could harbor them and welcome that them back into my life. And whether that be a very religious system that I came out of or some other things that God has delivered me from, that old life, that sinful nature We've been crucified with Christ and delivered from those things. Now, that doesn't mean we're perfect and flawless and never have issues with those things. But when the sinful nature visits, it's a visitor. It's not at home. And it's an unwelcome visitor. So you experience it. And sometimes we experience that. Right? You get an unwelcome visitor and you really want them to leave, and you're trying to figure out the best way to get them out of there. right? That's how it ought to be when our sinful nature visits. It's going to happen. But Let it be an unwelcome visitor. Get out of here, and don't come back. Remember when Nehemiah was away in Nehemiah chapter 13. 1 of the enemies, Tobias, somehow had some connections with other people in Jerusalem. And when Nehemiah returned, he found Tobias living In the courts of the House of God, nehemiah chapter 13 verses 7 through 9, I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobias in preparing a room for him in the courts of the House of God. and it grieved me bitterly. Therefore, I threw all the household goods of Dubai out of the room, then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms and I brought back into them the articles of the House of God with the grain offering and the frankincense. Nehemiah had to come back and set things right because what did they do? They built up a place, a position.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:41:20]:
for this enemy to buy it.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:41:24]:
They welcomed the enemy. gave him safe harbor, gave him a place to stay, cleared out things that belonged in there so that he could take up residence and and make himself at home.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:41:39]:
This is a very clear picture of what we are not to do when it comes to the sinful nature. Legalism should find no empty room that it can just settle into.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:41:56]:
In your life, in your heart, in your mind, workspace relationship, performance based relationship, and approach to God, You're gonna be tempted in that way. You're gonna have those kinds of ideas and feelings. Let them be unwelcome guests. Here's the door.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:42:16]:
Don't come back.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:42:20]:
Don't harbor those thoughts. Faster them. Don't lean into them. Don't find ways to meditate on them more, remove those things. Turn away those things. You've been crucified with Christ. So don't build up the sinful nature. Whether that be legalism, or as Paul mentioned in Romans Chapter 13, revolary or drunkenness or lewdness or lust or strife or envy make no provision for the flesh. Don't allow those things. Don't leave those rooms available. Don't foster those things in your life. You've been crucified with Christ. And when I've been crucified with Christ, but I allow for sin, and I carve out in my life, in my home, in my workplace, If I carve out a space where okay. This is the sin zone here. I mean, all these other areas, I I'm gonna do pretty good in, but know, in this area, I know it's not quite right, but we're building up that sinful nature. harboring it, giving it a place in our life. That's inconsistent.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:43:38]:
I was crucified with Christ.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:43:42]:
That means in action, I don't build up. I don't take deliberate action. I don't follow a course and a path that builds up my sinful nature.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:43:56]:
I leave it crucified with Christ at the cross.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:44:01]:
Well, verse 20 gives us point number 3, and that is I was crucified with Christ, so I dedicate every moment to Jesus. Verse 20 says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me. I have been crucified with Christ. its representation, its identification, that is who I am. This has so much depth to it. Adam represented me in the garden. Jesus represented me on the cross. So when the father looks me up in the book, he says, oh, yeah. you were crucified with Christ. sin is completely paid for because you have believed in Jesus Christ. because you have received the completed work that he accomplished for you upon the cross. Not guilty, and can never be pronounced guilty again.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:45:12]:
You are included with Christ in his death, in his burial, and his resurrection.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:45:21]:
And so verse 20, he says it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. this was the verse I was trying to share earlier Romans chapter 6 verse 4. Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the other, even so we also should walk in newness of life. You see, the doctrine must impact our action. The doctrine of the crucifixion and burial and resurrection of Jesus and our identification in him and his representation on our behalf means that we die to the sinful nature. We die to the old things. We die to the law. And now, we are raised up just as Christ was resurrected. Paul says, here in verse 20, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God. Now, Peter, as he is suddenly very self conscious about his fellowshiping with Gentiles when the people from Jerusalem come, He's not living life by faith in the son of God. He's changing his behavior. because of who's watching. He's not being consistent. with what he knows and what he believes.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:46:53]:
If it could happen to Peter, after all, he's the pope. Right? If it can happen to Peter, it can happen to us.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:47:04]:
We need to be careful. Paul says, look, I'm not gonna live that way.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:47:09]:
I was crucified with Christ.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:47:12]:
And so that means that the life that I live, I live by faith in the son of god. What does that mean? Well, I I worded the point this way to help us think about it. I I think this is one aspect of that we need to consider, it means that I live. I dedicate every moment to Jesus. Every moment, I dedicate my life to Jesus. I live by faith in the son of God that every aspect of my life is not an effort to be right with God, effort to be earning God's approval, Every aspect of my life is in response to what he has done for me.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:48:04]:
Commentators David Platt and Tony Marita puts it this way.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:48:07]:
We live by faith when we believe Christ every moment of every day. We believe him to be our sustenance and our strength. We believe him to be our love, and joy, and peace.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:48:21]:
We believe him to be our satisfaction, more than money and houses and cars and stuff, this is Christianity, believing Christ to be everything you need for every moment you live. Christ is everything that I need for every moment that I live. I live by faith in the son of god.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:48:46]:
And I like how Paul adds on at the end who loved me and gave himself for me. As a good reminder, here's Why we do this? Here's why we respond. Here's why it's to this degree that we live moment by moment dedicated to Jesus because he loved me. and he gave himself for me. He wants what's best for me. He knows what's best for me. He's already done what's best for me. We owe him the debt. a living sacrifice. It's the only reasonable response to what he has done for us. Not to earn forgiveness. Not to earn salvation or to have right standing with God. We already have that by faith in Christ and the gift that he provides to us in that free gift is so valuable, the reality and the truth that it presents to us that the doctrine that we understand of who we are and the the right standing we have by faith in Jesus Christ. The only thing that is consistent With that truth, with those realities,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:50:01]:
it's for me to then turn around and change my life. and dedicate every moment to Jesus. And again, I would encourage you to think about your spiritual life.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:50:17]:
dedicate every moment to Jesus. In all of your efforts and endeavors in spiritual things,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:50:27]:
Let it be for Jesus.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:50:29]:
Let it be dedicated to Jesus. Let it be by faith in Jesus. Let it be focused on Jesus. But, again, I would encourage you also to extend this beyond. As Peter influenced so many others around him, what kind of influence are you having when your life is inconsistent? Are you consistent with what you believe being demonstrated in how you live? Does your life, your actions and the impression that you're giving to everyone around you Does it convey this reality I have been crucified with Christ? So Every moment is dedicated to Jesus. Does your does your family have that impression? Have that understanding that Yes. We can do fun things, and family is important, but also family can be idolatry. I dedicate every moment to Jesus because I've been crucified with Christ. I have a new life that is to be lived out in faith. Does your workplace recognize you are dedicated every moment to Jesus? That it's not so much that you have to declare these things necessarily. Perhaps you'll have opportunity and take those chances and opportunities that God provides. But it's demonstrated by the actions that you take. If I'm in the workplace for myself dedicated to my goals dedicated to what I want to accomplish. I can be dedicated to a lot of things that Maybe you could even be classified as quite noble,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:52:28]:
but is it dedicated to Jesus? Do I work on a faith in Jesus?
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:52:42]:
Can you go to work every day with the confidence? I'm going to work today. because I believe in Jesus. Because I know him. He's changed my life. I've been crucified with Christ, and the life that I live. I live by faith in him. It's his life that I'm living. I'm a steward of this life. I'm not it's not my own anymore. I've been bought with a price. And this is what Jesus wants me to do today. He wants me to go to work. This is why I relate to my family the way that I relate to them because I'm living out Jesus' life. This is what he's called me to. It's not really that important if it's in line with what I always hoped for and dreamed and wanted. In church life? Do you attend the church that you attend? Because that's what Jesus wants, because you're living out his life. Do you serve in the way that you serve? Because you're living out the life of Christ. Because you are crucified with him. And so, you live by faith in Jesus.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:53:50]:
Trusting in him,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:53:53]:
dedicating every moment to him, your spiritual life, your personal life, your family life, your work life, your church is it consistent
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:54:02]:
and crucified with Christ? So, it's no longer I who live. but Christ lives in me. I have spiritual life by faith in Christ. And that impacts every aspect of every moment of my life.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:54:21]:
Well, finally, Point number 4 brings us to verse 21, I was crucified with Christ, so I always rest in God's grace.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:54:33]:
verse 21 says, I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:54:44]:
Paul here as he finishes up his address to Peter, he says, look, to embrace the law, to go back and rebuild the old things, the sinful nature, It's always gonna be an exchange. You're trading that for the grace of God. And if you want to trade in works,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:55:13]:
well, you have grace, but you're trading giving away the grace to obtain the works. That's a choice you can make. It's not consistent. with the reality that you have been crucified with Christ. It's a once and for all work that Christ has accomplished for us. So Paul says, I do not set aside the grace of God.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:55:39]:
Here's the reality. If there was another way to be righteous, there was no reason for Christ to die. And so if separating yourself from gentiles and only eating with fellow Jewish believers was the way to be righteous, then Jesus didn't have to die. They could have just did that and had right standing before God. And No need for the cross. Of course, that sounds ridiculous, and we would never Decare that. But what Peter is saying is, I'm sorry, what Paul is saying to Peter is, this is what your actions are saying. You have to follow these laws and rules and regulations in order to have righteousness. Right? We know we believe this. Right? Just doesn't come through the law. And and it's not so much an issue for Peter. Peter, I know you'll recover from this, but Look at all the other people that you're influencing and the hypocrisy that is there and they'll be trapped in legalism for how long because you lived an inconsistent life. Paul says, this is why I don't set aside the grace of god. There's a lot of pressure for me to set aside the grace of god. And if Paul would have put on a good show, he could have done that. He could have not ruffled so many feathers.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:57:04]:
Sure it was tempting to do that.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:57:08]:
He says, no. I refused to set aside the grace of God.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:57:13]:
Because if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. The Judaizers, the false teachers who were there, they were trying to mix the law and grace. believe in Jesus, and all of these things must be kept as well. But they're mutually exclusive. I was crucified with Christ. So I always rest in God's grace. It's God's goodness to me that I don't deserve. I can't earn his blessings. I can never deserve his goodness towards me. I can never deserve forgiveness or right standing, I can only accept it by faith in what Christ has done for me. And when I believe that, then it will impact every aspect of my life. If I will live a consistently crucified life, it will be a life that demonstrates the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:58:31]:
I was crucified with Christ, which means I never try to be right with God by works. And I'm careful. I don't want to give others the impression that in order for them to be right with God, they must do good works. don't want to give them the impression that I'm right with God because of my good works or because of my lack of bad works. I I don't want to give that impression. I was crucified with Christ. That's why I have right standing with God. That is the only reason I have right standing with God. That is the only basis of my approach towards God. I was crucified with Christ, so I never build up my sinful nature again. I died with Christ to those things. He delivered me from those things. And so I never want to rebuild those bridges and roads and develop those areas and allow and foster and harbor those things in my life again. Again, not to go back to works and to say, well, now I'm right with God because I don't do those things. No. But
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:59:39]:
because I've been delivered from those things. He put those things to death for me.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [00:59:44]:
How can I revive them and rebuild them? I was crucified with Christ, so I dedicate every moment to Jesus, in my workplace, in my home, in my car, in my church, and my private life and my social life and everything that I do, I live by faith. It's in response to what Christ has done for me.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:00:08]:
I was crucified with Christ, so I always rest, always rest in God's grace. I have his goodness, his promises, his guarantees. not because of my efforts, not because of my performance, my trust, and my rest, and my hope, is that God will be good to me in spite of who I am because of what Jesus has done for me upon the cross. I think it'd be appropriate to finish up tonight by reading the next couple verses here in Galatians. Let's jump into Galatians chapter 3, just looking at verses 1 through 3, oh foolish Galatians. Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? Before whose eyes, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:01:04]:
This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:01:13]:
Are you so foolish Having begun in the spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Peter began in the spirit. Here in this occasion, He wasn't reflecting that in his behavior.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:01:35]:
It's it's an encouragement
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:01:37]:
to call for believers.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:01:41]:
There's a reality here. There's a temptation here
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:01:45]:
to start out in the spirit, to receive the grace of God and the goodness of God. but then to twist and pervert the doctrine and to live out a faith that is seeking perfection by our efforts, by our performance, and not continuing to rely upon the grace of God. It's not consistent. with a crucified life. And so Paul calls us here. Bring your action and your doctrine in line. Don't change your doctrine. There is no other gospel. There is no other salvation. Change your action. Approach God by faith in Jesus Christ. and make sure that is demonstrated and lived and expressed and held fast to you in every aspect of all that you do. Lord, we pray that you would help us to do that, help us to stay the course to hold fast to you, Jesus. Recognizing what you've done for us. And, Lord, we are tempted,
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:02:53]:
in many ways, we are tempted towards efforts and legalism and works and We're tempted towards sin of all kinds, but, Lauren, I pray that you would help us to recognize those things and to make them unwelcomed guests to show them the door.
Pastor Jerry Simmons [01:03:13]:
or that we would clean out the room and put back in its place. You, and what you've done for us, keep us solid in that place of receiving from you and reliance upon you. Pray this in Jesus' name, Emen.