Good morning and welcome in today.
Today we are going to talk about some scripture from Galatians 2 but before we do that I have a question for you.
Have you ever tried to stop somebody else from doing something? Have you ever tried to prevent somebody from trying to get something accomplished? When you prevent something, it means to keep something from happening. That’s really what the word frustrate means. Frustrate means to prevent a plan or attempted action from succeeding or being fulfilled. You become involved with the process of standing in the way or stopping somebody from something that they are attempting to do. I can think of some examples from the scriptures.
There were certain people trying to stop Peter and the other disciples from preaching about Jesus Christ.
There was another person who was trying to frustrate what the Apostle Paul was doing named Alexander the coppersmith. He was greatly resisting the things that the Apostle Paul was preaching about Christ.
Frustrate means to prevent a plan or action from progressing, succeeding or being fulfilled. Have you ever done that to somebody else? Have you ever tried to stop what somebody else is doing or trying to prevent their dreams from happening?
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ he extends to us his mercy and grace through his precious Blood that he shed for us at the cross. When somebody begins the Christian life they get baptized into the name of Jesus Christ. They began a new walk with God through grace with Him in Christ. You don’t ever want to frustrate what God is trying to do in your life.
Think about a child for example. A dad tries to give them counsel and advice as a child but they don’t want to listen to what they’re told. That is frustrating their dads purpose for them. He’s trying to correct them and place them on the right path in their life.
The husband does the same thing with the wife . He is teaching and instructing her and placing her on the right path in her life, but she can choose to rebel and fight against his guidance.
As a Christian, God is trying to do the same thing with us. He gives us grace and mercy in time of need. You do not want to frustrate his grace. You do not want to resist the things that He is teaching and instructing us because he is showing the right way to go with our lives. You don’t want to fight against it but rather, submit to God’s will and the forgiveness that He has granted you.
You want to willingly accept the change that God is doing inside of your heart.
Gal 2:19-21
19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
The Old Testament law was there to show us that we are incapable of getting to heaven without God’s help. It is referred to as the ministration of condemnation. Its purpose was to convict us of our sins so that we would come to Christ Jesus.
There is a big difference between the old and the New Testament. One is Judaism, and the other is the New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Becoming a Christian is learning how to let go of things that make you feel like a better person than someone else.
When Paul became a Christian, he had to let go of the things of Judaism that he had been born and raised in.
There were certain people that professed Christianity who were attempting to keep some parts of the Old Testament law. As an ex-pharisee, Paul understood that he couldn’t attain unto salvation through the things of Judaism. At that time he was trying to frustrate the grace of God by persecuting Christian churches. He was trying to prevent them from starting and believed at the time that they were involved with heresy.
Phil 3:3
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
The Apostle teaches that we are the circumcision. He speaks about being circumcised in our hearts., not in the flesh. That was a Jewish tradition. As Christians, we are not any under obligations to the Old Testament anymore, that is why it’s called the Old Testament. The Apostle teaches the Christian church that we are the circumcision.
I’m sure many Jews were very upset with that statement, but what he is teaching here are the facts that Christianity is a religion of the heart, and not the exterior. It’s about a spiritual relationship with God. The Apostle no longer put any confidence in the flesh.
When you have confidence, it means that you have a feeling or belief that you can rely on someone or something firmly and trust in it completely. The Apostle transferred the trust that he had in Judaism, to faith in Christ Jesus and His grace. He placed complete trust in Christ to save him.
At one time he was trying to obtain salvation by his deeds. They made him really feel like he was righteous. He was trying to obtain salvation through his own works. He was putting his confidence in the flesh and the accomplishments of his outward circumcision.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Jesus taught a Jewish leader named Nicodemus that he needed to be born again. Being born again is being reborn in the spirit. It’s starting a new life through God’s grace. It’s about getting forgiven for your sins and putting your complete faith and trust in what Jesus did for you at the cross.
In the Church we are allowing God to change us into what He wants us to become. True change begins within our hearts when we trust in Gods grace.
Paul had a lot of deeds and accomplishment in the judaic faith that made him feel like he was blameless. The Apostle John taught that if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves.
All of us are sinners. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and I freely admit that but so has everybody else. That is what the Apostle Paul recognized in his own life. He accepted that he wasn’t perfect but he was a sinner. He learned to let go of all those things that made him feel like he was righteous in God’s sight.
All those accomplishments that he had done in Judaism he counted as dung. They were worthless.
Think about Moses who was very high up in Egypt. He probably could have inherited the throne someday but he turned away from all of that. That’s what the Apostle Paul did. He turned away from everything that he had been born into and raised up in. He became a Christian. He counted all of his achievements in Judaism as lost for Christ.
….. I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
You see, there are two kinds of righteousness in the world. Firstly, self-righteousness, when you really believe that you are righteous in and of yourself, and faith righteous when you accept that you are a sinner and come to Christ for forgiveness.
Jesus taught that nobody kept the law. The Apostles taught the same thing. The point is that we have to get forgiven with God. God has provided a way for us to do just that, in the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God came to the Earth, to His own creation, and the Lord Jesus Christ laid down His own life at the cross. He is the Passover Lamb that was slain for the sins of the entire world.
19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
That’s what the laws purpose was, to show us that we are sinners. If you sinned one time in the Old Testament then you broke the entire law. That makes you no better than anybody else. The law had its purpose.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
God careth for you. Salvation is not obtained by works, but the works of Jesus Christ. It’s about trusting in God’s mercy when we come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need.
God wants to help us to get to heaven. What you have to do is put your trust in the precious lamb of God that the Father has given to us as an atonement for our sins.
Dont fight against it, don’t resist it, just trust it. Trust in God’s grace to do that change within us all.
I think that’s where I’m going to stop for right now but Lord willing, we will talk some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everyone.
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 