Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): On today's edition of Sound Doctrine, Pastor Jeff urges us to take a proactive approach to dealing with sin.

Jeff Johnson: Remember what the scripture says, come out from amongst them and be separate, saith the Lord, touch not the unclean thing. He's talking about messing around with sin. And I will be a father unto you and you shall be my children, says the Lord. Come out. I I want you to leave this world as far as your loves for this world, your loves for the things of this place, and love me supremely. And I will use you. You will be my child. You'll be my trophy. Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord.

Guest (Male): This is Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. On today's program, Jeff continues his in-depth look at Galatians chapter two. In order to really understand what the Apostle Paul is saying in this chapter, it's important to know what was going on in the churches in Galatia at that time. The Galatians talked a good game, but they actually had let false teaching creep into their midst. It came down to one fact. We are saved by faith and faith alone. And there are no works we can perform to be saved. Jesus did it all on the cross. Here's Pastor Jeff with more in Galatians two.

Jeff Johnson: My mind was open. And boy, out of reverence, they just saw my life has truly been changed. She watched it for a year cuz I would change from one thing to another. And now I'm just steady on. I'm in love with Jesus. What is this? And that witnessed to her so much that finally she was desperate. And she used to sell World Book door to door. And those are the days. And she came into this one door and just knocked on the door. The guy opened the door. Can I help you? And she goes, I don't know.

I just don't know what to do. My son talks about Jesus all the time. And he said, come on in, ma'am. He was the head of Teen Challenge in Los Angeles. He ends up witnessing to her and they're all kneeling at the coffee table. And she's receiving Jesus as her Lord and Savior a year later. Amazing how God works. You never know. Remember what the scripture says, come out from amongst them and be separate, saith the Lord, touch not the unclean thing. He's talking about messing around with sin. And I will be a father unto you and you shall be my children, says the Lord.

Come out. I'm I'm want you to leave this world as far as your loves for this world, your loves for the things of this place, and love me supremely. And I will use you. You will be my child. You'll be my trophy. And many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord about how your heart has been changed and how much you love Jesus. But we got a problem here. The Bible says nothing about eating certain meats except that we're saved by grace. We have great liberty. And bacon is not a religious problem.

To some it might be. To some people that believe in the law. Peter misrepresented grace. His fear led him to fall. Not only him, but even Barney. Barney, you've been with me all these years. We've been together. We saw the Gentiles getting saved. We were rejoicing in grace and we we had it, man. It was awesome. What have you done? You know, you not only hurt my heart, you're a dismay. You dismayed me. I mean, I just don't know I can't understand it. Paul's giving his life for the gospel, for the gospel of grace to wrestle with that and to see that everybody is free and free indeed with that liberty that Christ brings.

And then Barney, you do this? You let me down, bro. Peter knew better. Barnabas was an elder. But you know how it is. Hey, the boss is coming. Let's look busy. Hypocrisy. We do it all the time. It's wrong. We're Christians. We're to be right up front and do our best, commit the rest. Peter runs over to the table and sits there like with bacon hanging out of his mouth. They come in. Hey, what have you been doing, Peter? You've been over there? Respect the persons, right? Look at verse 14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly, that they were blowing it according to the truth of the gospel.

What is the truth of the gospel? It's the grace of God. The undeserved, unmerited, unearned favor of God. They did not look at it that way by what they did. I said to Peter before them all. Uh-oh. Hey, he stands up in that coffee house or wherever they were. And he just nails Peter in front of the whole crowd. He says, if thou being a Jew, Peter, and lives after the manner of the Gentiles and not as the do the Jews, why do you compel thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? What are you playing around with here?

Paul risked everything fighting for that gospel. Peter walks in it. Then he turns and leaves it. So was grace with no law bad for the Gentiles? Mm. So Peter, with Peter, living outside the law, wasn't it okay for the Gentiles also? You did it. You experienced it. Wasn't it good for them also? Paul chose because here's Paul is like a mother bear with her whelps. And when he saw these two and some of the other Jews do what they did in front of everybody, and everybody saw it, the Gentiles, the Jews, everybody there, he just man, he went he went crazy.

He rebuked Peter with everything that is within him. He set him down and and just really got on him. Remember that scripture? Open rebuke is better than silent love. Paul said, this can't go on. This needs to be dealt with. It's like when we see a brother or sister messing around with sin and doing it and doing it and doing it and then somebody says, have you talked with them? Have you prayed with them? Have you have you confronted them with it? Oh no, I love them too much. You what? Well, I love them. I mean, you know, I just we're supposed to love one another.

Yeah, but how about when you're seeing they're hurting others and hurting themselves? Oh, I guess someone should do it. I don't know if I should. Galatians 6 verse 1 If you see a brother stumbling in a fault, go to that brother. And in meekness seeking to draw them back unto the Lord and help them through their situation. Let them see that, hey, this is seen by a lot of people. This is not good for you, for those that are watching you. Come on, bro. Let's pray. Let's get you out of this. Let's come on. You're going to church.

This is Wednesday. We're going, man. And and you're just encouraging them to get back into fellowship because they they've kind of backslid. They're doing something that's hurting a lot of people. Peter had broken up the unity that was there in that room. Two tables, everybody having good time. Jews would get out of their their situation eventually. And Paul And Peter and Paul would they'd work with that whole thing and God would reveal to them the fruitility of the law. In fact, this was just part of the lesson for the Jews that were there also. Over in Ephesians, there's an interesting scripture.

And Paul wrote this because Paul strove with this constantly. And this is in um Ephesians chapter 4 verse 3. Jot it down. Ephesians 4 3 4 and 5. He says, I endeavored to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. I constantly wrestled with these situations to keep unity. There is one body, one spirit, even as you are called into one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and the father of all who is above all and through all and in you all. I He just continually would speak in his epistles about we need unity.

But not unity to forsake doctrine. See, we're going to get into that in verse 15, doctrine and practice. They go together, don't they? And here's the doctrine. Here's why we do what we do because God gave us amazing grace. You don't mess with grace. You don't add anything to it cuz there's nothing you can do about it. It's just the way it is. And then practice, that's what we're learning. Over in Galatians, turn with me to Galatians 3 verse 28. You're there. Galatians 3 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither is there bond nor free.

There is neither male nor female. Hey, for we are all one in Christ Jesus. Again, holding the unity together. It's about Jesus. It's about grace. It's about being together in grace and in his love. But look at that. Bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. Love that song. Peter, you're a Jew partaking with Gentiles, eating ribs and bacon and all that. If you're a Jew eating Gentile food, then why are you telling Gentiles to live as Jews? And that's what he was speaking about. Why are you doing this, Peter? Just makes no sense.

Peter, you're breaking your own rule of kosher, you know. I mean, this is just your your your your you're wrong. So why tell Gentiles to live by Jews' rule which you don't live by? So Peter, you're being a hypocrite right now instead of just staying in grace. So verse 15 and we'll finish up with the verse 15 and 16 here. He says, we notice that who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles knowing some things need to be known here. We know these things is what he's saying, that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.

Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law or by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Now Paul's doctrinal section, that's what we're entering into here. He's going to lay the doctrine down, the foundation of what we what we believe and why we believe it. He says, we who are Jews and not heathen Gentile dogs. That's what he was saying. You know, we're you know, we're we we're not Gentile. Paul shows the foolishness of law keeping.

The law is good, he taught in Romans. And God forbid you should we should misuse grace. No, we need to be upfront. But the law is good. Why is the law good? The Ten Commandments. If you've broken one of them, you've blown it all. In other words, the 10 were laid out there so man was to live by these. Jesus taught it many times. Especially the rich young ruler, he said, you know, what have you been doing in your life? Oh, I have you done this this this and that? And he goes, oh yeah, I love the Lord with all my heart.

I you know, I've done it all. And Jesus says, well, there's one thing you haven't done yet and you need to do it. He says, what's that? He says, you need to sell all your stuff and come and follow me. Oh no, I can't do that. I got too much stuff, right? The law is good. Why? Because it it shows us that we're sinners, that we can't do it. I can't merit heaven. I can't work for heaven. I can't I can't be good enough. But he's good enough. Worthy is the lamb that was slain. He's good enough.

His blood covers our sin alone. That's it. By faith in Christ and him alone. Peter, why are you causing this confusion? This religion of works that you're you're running over to the table, the ritual, the rules, the regulations. This is a nightmare. Here Paul slams the legalistic door in Peter's face and says enough. Enough, Peter. Listen to what says the Lord. The just shall live by faith. Nobody nobody is going to have victory if they try to work their way. They're not going to get there. It's only by believing. Someone has said this and I think it's true, this justification by faith.

And when Paul Martin Luther heard this, it delivered him from all the religious stuff that he was going through and all his life and it's set him free and he did some awesome things when he heard that part of the just shall live by faith. Someone has said this and I think it's true that Romans teaches on the just. If you want to really find out who the just are, then read Romans. And that Galatians teaches on shall live. How then shall we live in this grace? It's in Galatians. And then by faith Where's that at?

Hebrews. It teaches us how to live by faith. So the just shall live by faith. And all three epistles is Paul just pours him self into it to make sure that we understand this. Then notice he says we know in verse 16. There's something that that the Jews know about. And that is a man or humanity. That's what that verse means there. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We're only declared righteous not by the law, by works, but by faith, by believing in Jesus Christ period. And this puts us in God's eyes.

And here it is. Wait for it. Just as you've never sinned. Justification means God sees you in Christ just as you never had sinned. You're cleansed by the blood of the lamb. That's an awesome place to be in. Think about it. To stay in and to be walking in constantly. I believe in Jesus. That's all I need. Can't work your way to heaven. So if the law can't save a Jew, why should Gentiles live under the law? That 's what Paul's saying. The law is not needed. Remember what he said in Acts 15 verse 10.

Jot it down. Acts 15 10. And this is Peter that says it. This is amazing. It was there in Jerusalem. And Peter says, hey, wait wait wait a minute, guys. Why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of these disciples, these Gentiles, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Why would we give to them the law which something that we could never do ourselves? And it would continue was continuing to be a bondage for us and bummed us out cuz we could never do it. Good Good going, Peter. You got it.

Are you trying to win God's favor by morning devotions? I missed last week. Oh God. I'm dead, man. Are you trying to win God's favor by going to Wednesday night Bible study? I made a commitment this last year and I'm going to do it. And then all of a sudden you don't do it. You know, we do these things. Try to try to, you know, appease him or or try to to snow him or we just try to do something that please him. And that's not what it's all about. It's about believing. No man is made righteous by doing, only by believing.

All religions say you need to do this and do that and do this and do that and then maybe, you know. Christianity says done. Isn't that great? It's done. It's paid for. Jesus said it on the cross. It's paid in full. Man can now be free from death and sin. Man can now have liberty in Christ and him alone. There's an interesting scripture in 1 Corinthians 12 3. He says, wherefore I give unto you to understand this that no man speaking by the spirit of God calls Jesus accursed. And that no man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit being there.

And that makes sense, huh? I mean, really truly I have a relationship. I'm born again. Spirit of God lives inside of me. Wow, that's the Holy Spirit. That's the Lord working on that heart, right? But to reject what he did and say it wasn't for you is to call Jesus accursed. That's wrong. That's to push away everything that you need for an abundant life, for God's salvation, for his deliverance, for an eternity with him. No. You can't witness enough. You can't serve God enough. You can't do enough good things to get there. It's just it's not in that.

You You might say, well, hey, I'm telling you Jeff, I don't smoke, I don't chew, and I don't go with those that do. Okay, so what? Yeah, but I'm just telling you. I'm a good guy. Oh well, forget that. We're all sinners saved by grace. So it's by believing. Gentiles, Jews are not under the law for salvation. They're free from the law, justified by faith, by faith and faith alone. This faith is not just for salvation though. It's not just for being born again. This faith is for now. It's for today. I need it every day.

This faith, this believing in the Lord, trusting in him. It's something that's continually a part of our lives. Liberty, freedom, blessing is ours in the now. You can't earn it. Can't impress him. It's a gift. And God just wants to love us. Now notice this that he says we three times, one in verse 15 and twice there in verse 16. We In other words, the Jews left the law and entered into grace through belief. And that's what Paul is experiencing and sharing here. It's it's it's not a it's not a thing of just it's it's grace and I can misuse grace and I can use grace like, you know, I can sin during the week and live like the devil and then on the weekend I can go to Saturday, whatever, and and get it right and then go to church.

That's abusing grace. Grace is there to save us, to deliver us from a sinful way of life. And it it's powerful enough to cause us to live the life in every way. Balaam was interesting. Balaam was paid to go and curse the children of Israel. He tried to and he he he tried to curse them and God would not listen and he didn't curse it those in Israel. But then Balaam got to the point where the the king says here, I'll give you double money. Come on, tell me something so I can get into there and and and and see the Jews corrupted.

He says, okay, here it is. You take your beautiful women, Moabite women, and send them down into the Jewish camp. I guarantee you they will fall. And what happened? They fell. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds were killed because sin ripped them off. And they allowed it to happen. See, he knew what would wipe them out. So in these days, what do we need to do? We need to walk very carefully in this sinful world that's surrounding us. Sin will make you sick. It will wipe you out. It's like putting your fork into the outlets of the world.

You know, you know, that fried me. You know, quit doing that. Don't do that. That's like allowing sin to wipe you out. Deal with it. As Jesus said, it's finished. Receive me. Be forgiven. Be delivered. Be saved. And that scripture screams out in John 3 36. He that believes on the son has everlasting life in the now. Not just sweet by and by, right now. Sweet everlasting life. We're experiencing eternity now on this earth. And he that believes not the son, he says, shall not see life. You won't experience this life. You'll have to struggle in this desert with nothing that fulfills, nothing that satisfies.

But he says the wrath of God will be upon you. That's pretty heavy. Paul said I've I finished my race at the very end. He says I finished and I fought the good fight. Finished my course. I've kept the faith. I wrestled for grace. I was a fighter of for grace. And so many have received it. I kept the course.

Guest (Male): Keeping on course. That's what it's all about for the Christian. Pastor Jeff Johnson will be back with the closing thought here on Sound Doctrine as we continue our study in Galatians chapter two. 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 sounddoctrineradio.org. sounddoctrineradio.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 sounddoctrineradio.org. sounddoctrineradio.org Now with a little encouragement for us to stay the course and contend for the faith, here's Pastor Jeff in the Epistle of Jude.

Jeff Johnson: Jude says it this way, beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the This is Jude 3. The common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. That we are here and we need to contend for grace and make use that as our struggle. It's by faith and faith alone that we're justified, made righteous before God. And this is what people need to receive, just Jesus. Don't worry about Yeah, but I don't know anything about the Bible.

You don't have to know anything about the Bible, man. Well, I I have to Don't have to go to catechism or something. No, you don't have to go to nothing. You just come to him. And he does it. And he frees you. And you experience his loving grace, amazing grace. How sweet the sound. Saved a wretch like me. Set me free.

Guest (Male): Come back after the weekend when our study in Galatians continues. Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Downey and online at sounddoctrineradio.org.