Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): What does the Holy Spirit do in our lives? Everything. Here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: Jesus says, I'm going to go and when I go, then the comforter can come to you. It's my spirit. You'll be given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Holy Spirit. He'll live inside of us to do the work, to cause you to be a man, a mature man or woman of God. He that began the work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. How does that happen? How come we can continue to go on? Because we have the spirit of of the Lord.

Guest (Male): We're justified, sanctified, and glorified by grace through faith. Salvation and growth comes from God and not us. As you may have noticed, we can so easily drift away from this and start adding fleshly effort into the mix. Today, Pastor Jeff Johnson opens Galatians chapter 3 here on Sound Doctrine and uncovers important doctrinal instruction about the grace of God. Paul the Apostle is posing some questions taking the Galatian believers back to their experience when they first were saved. Here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: He bought us. He paid for us. He took the curse, the sin upon himself. In ancient warfare, the victors captured the defeated and the old and the poor were usually sold immediately for slaves. The well-off and the rich ones were ransomed. Interesting word. They they said, there's a ransom for this person. You want to get this person back, then you got to pay up. They put a price on it and their homeland, wherever they came from, would then pay up. It's weird. Our nation doesn't know what to do. Sometimes they pay up. Sometimes they say, no, we don't pay up.

But everybody's confused in this nation about how to deal with this whole thing. And it's sad. But this is what happened long time ago. The captives, once the homeland paid for them, the ransom, they were of course set free. The slaves also could be redeemed. They they could be bought back. And that's what the word redeem means to redeem something, to buy it. And so they could be paid for. And a former slave could be freed. Also, a condemned man could be saved from death this way. Just pay up the money and he won't die.

Interesting. Here we are dealing with it again, huh? Oh. So Jesus purchased us from our slavery of sin and our certain death sentence. What is the wages of sin? Death. Did he pay it or what? Yeah. And I have been set free. We have so many songs. I'm free. As soon as we ask him to forgive us, he comes into our hearts and to rule and reign to make us his kings and priests. He he he he just changes everything and it and it's for ever he does this. It's his forever promise to us. The Jews sought to lead the Gentiles into this slavery and bondage of sin and the law.

I mean, that's what it was. They're not going to get out of it. They're going to be snowed and they're thinking that I'm doing everything they're telling me to do so I get to go to heaven. Yeah, but that's the law. That will never get you to heaven. It's only through faith. So so think of how many religious people we have in this nation alone that are sitting there thinking they're going to heaven and they are not going to heaven. Biggest rip-off of all, isn't it? The law. That's why Paul fought so hard for grace.

There's only one way. You guys, if you go this route, it's the end of grace and you're never going to get out of it. You're going to pay and pay dearly. Now, doing the law appeals to the flesh. I mean, I can tell people, hey, I fast once a week. And I want you to know I pray three no, I Muslim spray five I pray six times a week. Yeah. That's what I do. And I give I I give hilariously. Doesn't matter. None of those things matter. But oh, the flesh likes it. Why? Cuz you're better than some others.

You see, we're lining ourselves up with other people saying, well, I'm better than they are because I do this, this, this, and this. Has nothing to do with being better. Has everything to do with are you a son of Abraham? That's so important. A relationship with God is through what Jesus Christ did. He became a what? A curse for us. In other words, he took our place, took what we deserved on himself. And his life was given so we could live life, so we could truly live life. I've come to give you more abundant life in him.

They cursed him on that cross. God turned his back on his son. Remember when he said cried out, God, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? All the sins of the world were being put on Jesus. Now, what's interesting about this is that all those that hang on a cross are cursed. Now, the Jews, they use what? Stoning for capital offenses. And they're very effective in it because when you are stoned, they make sure that you are dead at the end of the stoning. So the stoning is called forth. Why? Because you did something.

It's done very swiftly. It could be you had you were caught in adultery. You were you know, you didn't obey your parents. You mean you could get stoned for that? Kids, listen up. You talk about having less crime and less dissing of parents. Bingo. You got it. Why? Because it was done according to the scripture immediately. It was taken care of and you moved along and everybody knew that. And so what did what did everybody do? It backed off from doing those things. I don't want to be stoned. Man, where have we we've really gotten off from that, haven't we?

Oh, you killed somebody? Oh, you're going to be in prison for 10 years. And then if we ever get to court and then if I don't know if what's going to happen after that, you probably be let go because you spent 10 years you know, I mean, it's just all messed up. And we we've but we've got still the best that's going in this world. But man, isn't it's not it's not just at all, is it? That's why we're longing. That's why this earth is crying. We groan. Lord, come quickly and let's see justice really done.

But it was it was done completely. Over in Deuteronomy 21 23 let me read it to you. Deuteronomy 21 23 says, his body shall not remain all night on the tree. This is the Jews. Now, why would they do crucifixion? Well, I'll get to that in a minute. His body shall not remain on the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day, the same day as crucified, for he that is hanged is a cursed of God. So to the Jews, this was a cursed thing. This was serious stuff. It was for heinous crimes.

And interesting as as you look in the scriptures to find anybody that hung from a tree, the first thing you you probably would think of is is someone that has long hair and he was David's son and he had problems in his life as David had a family that was out of control. And David had Ammon, his first son, and David's first son he had a another half half daughter, so to speak, and her name was Tamar. Ammon lusted after Tamar. So here's interfamily stuff going on. He he it says that he was lovesick. Well, that's what the Bible talks about.

King James, it's lust. He lusted after. He wanted her. And the guys he you know, the guys said, just go take her. I mean, look who you are and who she is. Just take her. And so he went in and he forced her. She cried out. She said, don't do this. Talk to David. Come on, let's work this out. Do not do this. And the guy just went for it. And just just after he got done, he just dropped everything and said, get out of here. You know, that happens so much when you think about it.

Because the guy presses them, presses and presses and and it's lust. And then when it's over, he just goes, you know, I don't respect you anymore, you know. What is that? He rapes you and then walks away. It's not love. And so when Absalom found out what Ammon did to his half sister, he was irate. He was angry. Now, you got to realize Absalom was a very good-looking. He it was like the Favio of his day. He had the long hair. He was a good-looking guy and he had a lot of power because he was David's son.

Well, he ended up being a big problem and he went after Ammon. And not only did he go after him, he had him just killed. And he set it up. And David, you know, he had a a family that was out of control and he never dealt with his kids. He never confronted them on things and and and and really dealt with it. So it got really bad. It started to spin out of control. Well, Absalom came, hated it David for just the way David and his relationship was. He hated him. He wanted to kill him.

So eventually, you know, Absalom not only was good-looking, but he was also a very persuasive guy. He he he he's he had the gift of politics, if you will. And he won over the people to follow him cuz he said things like, oh, you know what? Oh, I hear yeah, that's wrong what my father's doing. But I would do it this way. If I was king, if I was the dad, if I was this, if I was the coach, if I you know, setting himself up and saying, I would do it this way and he got it he won everybody over.

So he was very persuasive and he was very rebellious. He was a manipulator, okay? And for these things, I mean, he was kind of an outcast. But what happened is he got the forces to go against David, King David. And they actually David left Jerusalem. But he left his concubines in the home, in the palace. In other words, I'm coming back. I know I'm coming back. But he just left, let his son do his thing and his son did his thing. Then there was a battle. And in that battle, David's forces came against his son's forces.

Big division, big battle. And it was in the woods. And while you're in the woods there, you know, Absalom was on a donkey. I don't know why he was riding a donkey, but evidently he was comfortable on a donkey and he was running through the thicket and everybody was fighting and there was confusion in the warfare. And all of a sudden, he came through this one thick area and there was this tree and he got his hair caught in the tree. And see, Joab was told of David, you know, when you go to the battle, when we go to this battle, I don't want you to touch a hair on his head, which is interesting.

Don't touch a hair on his head. But now he's caught in this tree. The donkey leaves. He's hanging there. And he just hung there. Where's your knife, dude? Cut it off. Fall. He he liked his hair. Or he didn't have a knife. I don't know. But he hung there. Joab comes up in the battle, you know. He sees or he was actually told that Absalom's hanging in a tree. Oh my gosh. So Absalom comes over there, takes his bow out and three darts, three arrows, wham, wham, wham, right in the heart. Killed him. So here's a man that's hung in a tree.

I would say he was cursed. And he was killed. I don't know, but some heinous things that Absalom had done. I think when you really look at this whole thing, we're all Absaloms. Every single one of us. We've been manipulated or we've manipulated. We've been cocky. We've been this. We've been that. But Jesus went to the cross. Jesus hung on that cross on that tree. It's interesting. It's called a tree. For our sins, to pay for what we deserve. So we don't have to hang like Absalom and get picked off by the enemy. Wow. I thought that that's an interesting story.

That kind of gets us kind of goes along with this, but that we are Absaloms. So he became a curse for us. The innocent for the guilty. He suffered the agony and the shame of the cross, an open execution. He hung with his body naked. It was hung out there. In a lot of times the exposed exposed to the public view, right? And shame. But more than that, they leave him hanging for a while where they would leave him propped up and let the birds have at him. And they would just gouge their eyes out.

They would just pick them apart once they died. He hung there to pay, to redeem, to forgive us of all our sins, past, present, and future. What? Yep. For any sin. Unbelievable. Past, present, future. That's good news to forgive all of us of our sins. Oh. They be actually became his sins. They were put on him or we would have perished. Remember what uh Peter says? He says, God is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but he's long suffering. It all would come to what? Repentance. You don't have to perish. Just repent of your sins and ask Jesus to come in.

If you will turn towards him and receive what he did for you 2,000 years ago, you're going to live and I mean, I mean, live an incredible life. It's his promise. Paul said it this way, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No. Because I know it's the power of God unto salvation. It is. And finally, look at verse 14. In verse 14, more good news, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the spirit. How? How can I get that? Through faith.

Jesus took the curse so we'd receive the blessing that we did not deserve, earn or whatever, or merit. He took it. The blessing of Abraham. What is the blessing of Abraham? By faith. Because he believed God, righteousness was given to him. That's what it says in Romans 4 3. He says, for he saith in what is he saying in the scriptures? And he again quotes Genesis 15. Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Of being made right with God through faith in Christ. So justification, just as you never sin, you will be before God by faith.

And you'll receive the promise of the spirit. What's that? Well, God's Holy Spirit. Jesus says, I'm going to go and when I go, then the comforter can come to you. It's my spirit. You'll be given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Holy Spirit. He'll live inside of us to do the work, to cause you to be a man, a mature man or woman of God. He that began the work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. How does that happen? How can we can continue to go on?

Because we have the spirit of of the Lord. And he's reminding us what we need to do to continue to be strong. Now, we choose to do something else and walk away. Hey, that's on you. And God will bring that to you often by his spirit convicting you of your sin. You need to come home. Some of you are the prodigals out there. And you've really gotten away. But this comes upon Gentiles and Jews who identify and who receive Christ and him alone. And this promise of his spirit is through faith, not of works. Notice, his promise is received.

It's not earned. You see that? It's re it's a received promise. You received the promise. You're not going to earn it, never in a day. And so we are to live by grace through faith. Father Abraham had many sons. And I have to say, I'm glad I'm one of them. Are you? Let me end with these scriptures in John. John says it right. It's in John chapter 8 verse 31. He writes down what Jesus said. He says and then said Jesus to those Jews, John 8 31 who believed on him, the Jews that believed on him, if you continue in my word, then you are my disciples.

So there's a real check it out. Are you continuing in his word? Are you his disciple? If you're in his word, you are. And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. Oh, they answered him, we be Abraham's seed and we're never in bondage to any any man. How sayest thou you shall be made free? What do you mean? What do you guys You forget about Egypt, the bondage of Egypt? What are you nuts? Did you forget about what the Romans did to you? Yeah, you were brought under the bondage of many.

Yeah, you need to be set free. They were so cocky. And then over in verse 39 of the same chapter, they answered and said unto him, well, Abraham is our father. Jesus said unto them, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, he says. A man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God, this did not Abraham. You do the deeds of your father. Then he said then they said to him, we be not born of fornication. We have one father even God.

You know, the Jews, they were just cocky as ever. You know, we serve God, you know, we obey the law. Jesus said to them, if God were your father, you would love me. For I proceeds forth and I came from God. Neither came I of myself, but God sent me. Why do you not understand my speech even because you cannot hear my word? You are of your father the devil. He said this to the big shots. Your father's the devil and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and he abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him.

When he spoke a lie, he spoke of his own for he is a liar and a father of it. I mean, Jesus really came down on them. Now, in John 1 verse 12, the Lord says, as many as received Jesus Christ, as many as ask him to come into the your heart, to come into your life, to come into your situation, they are the sons of God. So the whole thing comes down to what have you done with Jesus? If you've asked Jesus in and you're staying in the word, then you're you're his son. You're his daughter.

That's the bottom line. You mean I don't have to do anything else? No, no, no. Just you know, listen to the father, receive from the father and be blessed by the son and be empowered by the Holy Spirit. We got it made. And we are the sons of Abraham. We can sing that song all day long.

Guest (Male): We got it made. Isn't that the truth? Pastor Jeff Johnson will be back in a few moments with some final words as we continue our series in Galatians on Sound Doctrine. We pray you've been blessed by what you've heard today. Galatians is filled with challenging insights for Christian living. And if you'd like to hear this study again, simply go to sounddoctrinradio.org sounddoctrinradio.org or listen through the Sound Doctrine podcast app. You can also hear Sound Doctrine on oneplace.com and wherever you enjoy podcasts including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We'd appreciate your support of this radio ministry. It helps us do what we do each day.

And you can donate to this radio outreach at sounddoctrinradio.org sounddoctrinradio.org Now, here's Pastor Jeff once again with an important question. In fact, it's the most important question you'll ever answer. What will you do with Jesus?

Jeff Johnson: Choice is up to you. It always is, isn't it? What do you want to do with Jesus? What do you want to do with this precious relationship that God wants to have with you through his son? Through you simply coming with that little measure of faith. Some of you have been on fire for the Lord way back in the day, way back when. And now you sit there and you say, I don't even know if I'm saved. I don't know what I'm going through. I know this that I'm confused and I'm hurting. I don't like I don't like where I'm at.

You need to run to the Lord. You need to ask him to take over anew and fresh. And he will come by the power of you just saying, Jesus, come into my heart. He's going to cleanse you from all your sins. As you repent of what you've been doing that what you've been doing is disobedience.

Guest (Male): Well, we're about the midway point of our study of Galatians. Much more to come. Join us next time for Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff when we'll have another look into Galatians chapter 3. This program is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Downey.