MPC, 9th April 2000.Dead Right
Galatians 2:11-21
Phil Campbell MPC, 9th April 2000.
A friend of ours was always be telling us stories about his brother in law. This brother in law, he was always getting in trouble. And Barry was telling us, his brother in law got back to his car one day just as the parking policeman was writing him a ticket. And when he wouldn't stop writing the ticket, Barry's brother-in-law PUNCHED HIM. And so he was arrested. And the case went to court. He was fined. Something around two thousand dollars. And a couple of days later, before he's paid the fine, he drops dead from a heart attack. Now you need to know, he wasn't the sort of guy who'd leave behind many mourners. Especially not our friend Barry; but Barry did the right thing and flew to New Zealand to help his sister make arrangements.
And one of the arrangements he had to make was to sort out the FINE. Because it hadn't been paid. And now Barry's Brother in Law was DEAD.
So Barry took the paper work, and he went in to the courthouse. And he says to the clerk behind the desk, "I've got my brother in law's PENALTY NOTICE HERE. And I want to tell you, HE WON'T BE PAYING." Well, says the clerk, there are two options. He can PAY UP. Or he can serve TIME IN JAIL instead.
"He'll TAKE THE TIME IN JAIL, THANKS" says Barry. Where do you want us to put him. HE'S DEAD. Now of course, that puts a different complexion on things, doesn't it.
Because if you're DEAD, there's nothing the law can do to you. When you're DEAD, no further penalty applies. When you're DEAD, you're free from the rule of law. And so instead of putting the dead brother in law in jail, the legal clerk just took the paperwork. And stamped DECEASED on it. And that was that.
Which is kind of like the logic of what Paul's saying here in Galatians chapter 2. That the hold of the Old Testament law, the rules, the requirements, the PENALTIES that Israel had to live by... their hold over him as Jew has gone. Because he's DEAD. Crucified. With Christ.
Take a look at verse 19 and 20. Because that's what he's saying. We're used to looking at this the other way. We're used to saying JESUS DIED FOR MY SINS. But Paul spins it round the other way. Because he says, when Jesus dies on the cross REPRESENTING ME, it's like in the eyes of the law, I'm hanging there WITH HIM. And I'm counted as DEAD.
Read from verse 19. He says, "Through the Law I DIED TO THE LAW. The law counts me dead. So that I might live for God. And he says it again. "I have been crucified with Christ - and I no longer live. I'm counted as dead. - but Christ lives in me. Stamp DECEASED on all my papers.
Which has some big implications. Which even the other apostles like Peter haven't understood. And nor have a lot of Christians today. Paul says because you've DIED TO THE LAW stop being DIVIDED by the Law. And be UNITED BY CHRIST instead. He says, because you've DIED TO THE LAW, stop trying to be JUSTIFIED by the law. And be justified by CHRIST instead. And he says because you've DIED TO THE LAW, stop trying to LIVE by the law. And live by CHRIST instead.
STOP BEING DIVIDED by the LAW...
Let's take a look at the first point. Because you've DIED TO THE LAW, stop being DIVIDED BY THE LAW. And be united by Christ. And you'll see there's something here that Peter, chief apostle, is getting it absolutely WRONG. Which must be confusing for Catholics who think he's the first infallible pope.
A quick refresher on what's happening. Paul's living in Antioch. Which by my measuring with my thumb on a map is about 520 kilometres North of Jerusalem. Which means if we're in Antioch, Jerusalem is down South at about Coffs Harbour. So we're here in Brisbane with Paul, and Peter's come up from Coffs Harbour to visit. And a few days behind him on the road there's another group as well. Friends of James.
Pick up in verse 11 and see if you can piece together what's happening. Because here's the center of the argument. "When Peter came to Antioch," says Paul, "I opposed him to his face, because he was CLEARLY IN THE WRONG."
And here's the issue. Because you see down in Jerusalem where Peter comes from, almost everyone's a good law keeping Jew. Up here in Antioch it's not like that at all. And here in church there are all kinds of people. GENTILES. Non-Jews.
Which at first, is okay. But when the friends of James turn up from Jerusalem, Peter has a change of tune. Verse 12."Before certain men came from James, Peter used to EAT WITH THE GENTILES. But when they arrived, these men from James, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles, because he was AFRAID OF THOSE WHO BELONGED TO THE CIRCUMCISION GROUP. The other Jews JOINED HIM IN HIS HYPOCRISY, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was lead astray.
Doesn't seem like much, does it. The table he picks at the church dinner. The people he speaks to. But it's more than that. Because it opens up the issue we've touched on over the last few weeks. Of the closing of the huge GULF between the Jews - who'd grown up with the Old Testament law... and the non-Jews... who hadn't. The Jews... who had their commandments and their food rules and their sabbath... and the non Jews... who had NONE OF THAT. But wanted to be Christians anyway. What LIST OF RULES do you have to take on when you sign up to be a Christian?
And when you read here about the GENTILES, don't forget you're reading about US. You're at dinner at the Antioch church camp, the apostle Peter refuses to sit next to YOU. Because he's only going to mix with his fellow Jews. There are RULES about this stuff. Gentiles are UNCLEAN. Eat the wrong sort of food. So you go up to shake his hand, and he just TURNS HIS BACK ON YOU. And walks away. You offer him a piece of cake and a cup of coffee and morning tea, and he gets edgy. Making it very clear he doesn't want to be SEEN WITH YOU. Because YOU... are a Gentile. How are you going to feel?
And it's all because of what Paul calls the CIRCUMCISION GROUP... this faction from James's church who are saying that for Gentiles to be part of the Kingdom of God, they have to take all the steps to become Jews. Circumcision. Taking on the law of Moses. The commandments. The food laws.
So Paul calls a spade a spade. One of those embarrassing sort of situations when somebody speaks their mind in front of the whole crowd. Paul doesn't mind doing it. Because this is important. Verse 14, Peter and the others, by refusing to mix with the Gentiles, by acting as if there's some sort of barrier there because the Gentiles don't live by the Old Testament laws, they've FORGOTTEN THE GOSPEL. Acting like Jesus achieved NOTHING. And so Paul says "When I saw they weren't acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all - put him right on the spot - I said to Peter, "How come? You're a JEW WHO'S BEEN LIVING LIKE A GENTILE. So how come now you're trying to make GENTILES LIVE LIKE JEWS."
MAKE UP YOUR MIND. Either you're a full-scale card carrying Christian BY TRUSTING JESUS. Or you're not. Either your RIGHTOUESNESS comes from standing with Jesus. Or you've got to get righteous yourself. And maybe that's something you need to get clear on too.
The law used to draw a solid unbreakable line. Between Jews. And everyone else. A line that marked them out as DISTINCTIVE. Jews. And people like us. Paul says, the LINE'S GONE. As far as the law goes, we're dead. Which means we're free to be UNITED IN CHRIST with Gentile lawbreakers. So live like it. I wonder if we've understood that in practise? Maybe we draw lines other ways. Good people - and the rest. Presbyterians - and the rest. Paul says, when the GOSPEL's at the centre, then don't make distinctions. Especially not over the Old testament law.
2. Stop trying to be JUSTIFIED by the law. And be justified by CHRIST instead
So on to point 2. Which as we'll look at it we'll see is closely connected. Because Paul's saying, the reason we need to be UNITED IN CHRIST is because we're all on EXACTLY THE SAME FOOTING. There are no first and second class tickets.
These next few verses, verse 15 to 21, there's a word that comes up FOUR TIMES. It's the word JUSTIFIED... which means, PRONOUNCED RIGHTEOUS. Lawcourt language. It's the bit in The Practice on TV where the jury's out, you're sweating on the verdict, the jury comes in, the foreman hands the judge a little piece of paper, and the verdict is announced. And to be JUSTIFIED at that point is to be PRONOUNCED RIGHTEOUS. . You're JUSTIFIED when you hear the judge say, I PRONOUNCE YOU, I DECLARE YOU, I ANNOUNCE TO ALL THE WORLD THAT YOU ARE COUNTED RIGHTEOUS.
Now the question is, when the judge is GOD... how's that going to happen? How are you going to be JUSTIFIED... before God?
Will you notice here in verse 15 to 17, Paul's talking about the two time honoured ways people pursue being DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BY GOD. Two paths to the same prize. And what a great prize it is. Of God putting his arm around your shoulder and saying, YOU'RE ALRIGHT WITH ME. This is important stuff. Because it's the key to living the Christian life without fear. KNOWING that you're acceptable to God. Without having to wonder any more.
Paul says, there's a way that doesn't work. And a way that does. And the irony is, Paul's still talking to Peter here. And saying, YOU KNOW THIS ALREADY. There's the way Paul calls OBSERVING THE LAW. And the other way. Which he calls RELYING ON JESUS. So the question is, and it's the question Paul's putting to Peter.... which way. On the last day when you stand before God, why should he say that you're RIGHTEOUS?
The answer's obvious. Verse 15. It's still part of this embarrassing public argument. And Paul says to Peter, "We who are Jews by birth and not GENTILE SINNERS like them, we know that a man IS NOT justified by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So WE TOO, we Jews, we've put our faith in Christ Jesus that WE MAY BE JUSTIFIED by faith in Christ and not by observing the law.... because by observing the law, NO ONE... not Jews, not Gentiles, not anyone ... no one will be pronounced righteous. By observing the law, no one will be justified.
Now this is kindergarten Christianity. Peter knows it already. The law just doesn't work like that. Doesn't JUSTIFY YOU. In fact, all it can do is CONDEMN YOU. Like a SPEED CAMERA. Can't pronounce you righteous, but it darn well tells you if you go past it and you're over the limit. The Old Testament Law showed very clearly how Israel went wrong. And spelled out the penalty. And now the penalty's been paid by Jesus. So the way to be JUSTIFIED... it's not by TRYING HARDER. It's STANDING BEHIND JESUS. And being counted among the ones he lived and died for.
Now can you hear what he's saying. Here are these Jews, Peter and Paul, brought up with all the laws and rules of the Old Testament hanging over their heads. And they've realised - keeping the Old Testament laws and rules won't make them RIGHTEOUS in God's eyes. CHRIST will.
David Cook talked about it last week from Romans. The idea of justification, remember the Japanese symbol for it. The symbol for the lamb, over the symbol for ME. God looks down at ME... and all he sees is the LAMB. The perfect sacrifice of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Paul says, you and me, Peter, we who are Jews by birth, we've REALISED THAT.
And the Gentiles know it as well. So stop acting like you're justified by the LAW. And act like we're all justified by JESUS. Stop trying to heap JEWISH WAYS on the Gentiles. And put into practice the fact that we're JUSTIFIED BY CHRIST. I don't care WHAT SORT OF RULES you think are going to make you look right in the eyes of God. The fact is, he's not going to be looking at YOU. He's going to be looking at JESUS INSTEAD. Which is something if you've made some blots on your copy book, should give you a great sense of relief.
Trouble is, for Peter, there's too much risk. That by being Justified by Jesus, by living like a LAWLESS GENTILE, by eating their bacon and eggs, by going to the footy with them on a Saturday, he's going to look like a lawless gentile himself. I mean, for a bloke who's grown up very religious, it's a big ask, isn't it. What are people going to say? Especially these other guys from Jerusalem. The circumcision party. The TAKE ON THE LAWS OF MOSES faction. What are they going to say when they see Peter fraternising with the enemy. Eating with the gentiles. Which is why Peter's pulling back.
Paul won't let off. He's embarrassed him enough already. But verse 17 he keeps going. . Verse 17. He says, "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ it becomes evident, it looks like we ourselves are SINNERS - if because we know our RIGHTEOUSNESS COMES FROM CHRIST AND NOT THE LAW, that means we hang around with Gentiles, we eat with them, we touch them, we fellowship with them - if by doing that it makes it look like we're SINNERS, then does that mean Christ is promoting SIN?
Of course not. In fact, says Paul, the thing that really makes you look like a sinner is hanging on to the law. When it's over and done with. The thing that really makes you look like a sinner is when you REBUILD THE LAW. Because you could never really keep it anyway. In other words, Peter, it's not hanging out with the gentiles that makes you look like a sinner. It's hanging out with the JEWS. You keep on driving by the speed camera. When you could go another way. That's what he's saying in verse 18. If I rebuild what I DESTROYED, I prove that I'm a law breaker. If I rebuild the LAW that's meant to be gone, I'm just condemning myself all over again. And then it's on to verse 19, where we started. That if you're lining up behind Jesus, then according to the law, you're dead. Crucified with Christ.
Which brings us to the third point. Because you're DEAD to the law, stop trying to LIVE by the law. And live by CHRIST instead. Stop being divided by the law. Stop trying to be JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW. Stop trying to LIVE BY THE LAW.
Stop trying to LIVE by the law. And live by CHRIST instead.
Now I realise there's been some pretty interesting discussion in some of the Growth Groups during the week. And so there should be. Because the things we're dealing with here in Galatians chapter 2 are controversial. I mean, even Peter and Paul are at each other. And I think from our point of view if we're not tussling with this stuff, the danger is we're missing out on the heart of the gospel. And what Paul says it MEANS to LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Because there are people who see the Christian life as a whole pack of RULES. Which flow very neatly into a whole lot of JUDGEMENTALISM of other people. And we Presbyterians are often some of the
BEST at that sort of game. Maybe you've been brought up on it. And if there's not a rule there already, let's make one up. Just to be on the safe side.
And yet Paul's saying here, observing the law, no matter HOW HARD YOU TRY, is not the sort of righteousness that's going to count. In fact, for Paul, will you notice that the OLD TESTAMENT LAW isn't even the model for what he's AIMING FOR in his Christian life. And I'm including the TEN COMMANDMENTS in that. Paul's aiming for something a WHOLE LOT MORE. And instead of the LAW being the goal he's directing his life to, it's BEING LIKE JESUS. We're going to see it some more when we get to chapter 5. But he says it here as well.
It's there in verses 19 and 20. Parallel sentences. Where he says he's DIED TO THE LAW... so he might LIVE FOR GOD. Which he explains in Verse 20. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live - BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. The life I live in the body, he says - here's his model for life... and it's not the Old Testament law, is it? It's JESUS. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Loved. Gave. Every step every day. Every decision. Not, what does the law say. But like those little arm bands say, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO... who loved me. And gave himself for me. Love. Give. Love. Give. Growing more and more and more like Jesus.
For those of you who want it in theological shorthand, I don't think Paul's saying you get JUSTIFIED BY FAITH then you get SANCTIFIED BY KEEPING THE LAW. Which Peter and the circumcision party would have been quite happy with. Okay, these Galatians are justified. NOW GIVE THEM THE RULES. Paul says it's not that at all. Living for God means LIVING FOR THE SON OF GOD... who loved me... and gave himself for me.
Anything else, according to Paul, is setting aside the grace of God. Saying we can do it ourselves. Which is the last thing you want to say.
There was a very jolly old lady at church back in Maclean. Her name was May. And May was always good for a chuckle. We got on well, except for one thing. She just couldn't come at this stuff about her being a SINNER. Who needed to be JUSTIFIED. She'd been brought up a good Presbyterian, she'd kept the ten commandments. And she was quite sure that was enough.
Will you listen to what Paul says in verse 21. The end of the section. I do not set aside the grace of God... for if RIGHTEOUSNESS could be gained through the law, if you can stand before God righteous ANY OTHER WAY... then Christ died for nothing, didn't he. Everyone elses sins, maybe... but I'll be okay. When you say that, you're thumbing your nose. Telling Jesus he was wasting his time - as he hung there by spikes on the wooden post and rail. Why don't you tell him that. No thanks... I'm good enough.
I wonder how well we've grasped this stuff. Three things Peter had wrong. Because he hadn't realised he was DEAD TO THE LAW, he was still trying to somehow live by it. Let it tell him who was DECENT and who wasn't. Do we do that? There were certain sorts of sinners Peter just didn't want to be seen with. Do we do that?
I read about a girl; a prostitute. Drug addict. Nowhere to turn. Her counsellor said to her, "Have you ever thought of going to a CHURCH for HELP?" The counsellor said later, "I'll never forget the look of pure SHOCK on her face." "TO A CHURCH?" she said. "WHY WOULD I EVER GO TO A CHURCH?" She said, "I'M ALREADY FEELING TERRIBLE ABOUT MYSELF. They'd just MAKE ME FEEL WORSE!" Do we do that?
Paul says the way to be counted righteous isn't hanging round with the right people and avoiding the wrong ones. It isn't about counting up other people's sins and throwing them back in their faces. It isn't even keeping the right rules. It isn't even being passionate about being HOLY. At every point, it's by holding on to Christ. Being UNITED by Christ. Being COUNTED RIGHT because we've DIED WITH CHRIST. And now LIVING the life we're living, not by LAW - but BY FAITH... in Christ.
Peter wasn't doing that. And he was leading other people astray. So Paul opposed him to his face, because he had it so clearly wrong. Maybe you've had it wrong as well. Time to think it through.
Stamp DECEASED on all the baggage. And start living for Christ instead.