Galatians 1:11-24 DEFENSE
Times come in the lives of those who preach the Gospel when criticism is directed at them by those who have doctrinal or personal differences. It is not in the interest of self-promotion or self-pity but because of the necessity of defending the faith we preach, that we make a defense of the teaching and preaching we give. It was necessary that the Galatian believers understand that the Gospel Paul preached was a revelation from God. What they had been listening to from some others was a perverted message that was trying to combine the religion of Judaism with the reality of Christianity. The Old Testament teachings form a framework of truth upon which salvation by grace is built. The righteousness of God and His uncompromising holiness cannot be met by men. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." The law condemns us and we "are not justified by the works of the law."
The message of the Gospel Paul preached and that needs to be preached today, is that when a person is saved by God's grace, they have been made free from the curse of the law to serve our living Lord. We are free from the law and the power of sin. We are free to live a new life in Christ. We are not just a national religion such as Judaism or a national church but are identified with our Lord Jesus Christ - a Living Person. In the doctrine of the Gospel, the contrasts between law and grace are clearly defined and a Christian who lives under grace is "free from the law, O happy condition."
Paul addresses this confusion of mixing law and grace by going back over the basis of his apostleship and the authority he has to stop those troublemakers who were turning aside the people of God from the true Gospel message. To do that, he reiterated his own personal history to show that what he preached to them was a revelation from God. In doing so he told of "the grace of Christ" (v.6): "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ..."; "That He might show the exceeding riches of His grace..."; "...called unto the grace of Christ..."; "By grace, ye are saved..." Any person whom God has saved by His grace will focus the attention of his message on the Person of Christ, not on the works of men. Paul was an example of that fact.
"The Gospel of Christ" is not Christ and Judaism or some other religious form added to the work of Christ. It is "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" at the beginning. Like Paul, those who preach should "not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." Our challenge in ministry is to "fully preach the Gospel of Christ," and never "hinder the Gospel of Christ." Through us today, as with the apostles at the beginning of the church, we should declare "the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ."
Christ had been revealed to Paul on the Damascus Road and the content of the message he received was the Gospel. We are not all the same in ability and the gifts God gives to us are up to Him. He makes them suitable for the place where we live, the people to whom we will minister, and also to suit our personalities. Paul was a very zealous person and the zeal he poured into defending the national religion, now he puts into furthering the Gospel. This was the message Jews and Gentiles alike needed to hear. His complete turnaround was a result of God's grace. Conversion is not just a change of habits or occupation. It is an inward change done by the Holy Spirit at the new birth and comes from a new nature implanted that enables us to fulfill what is needed.
There was a revelation of Jesus Christ to Paul. His apostleship wasn't received by being a disciple of the twelve apostles. He met Peter three years after God saved him. The time he spent in Jerusalem was just long enough for them to get to know and love each other ("our beloved brother Paul"). The revelation of Christ never left him because, by that means, Paul was commissioned as an apostle to take the Gospel to kings, the children of Israel, and the Gentiles. His devotion to Judaism had been known by many. Now his devotion to Christ was known by many, from his extraordinary conversion experience, his being the target of concerted Jewish opposition, to his work in the Gospel. A changed life and changed attitudes toward God and men still have a great influence on people today. People expect Christians to be different from other people. Paul knew the message he had received from God and had the spiritual insight to pass it along to others.
This insight does not come as some skill we develop by taking psychology courses and adapting it with Christian words, to spiritual things. Paul had three years alone with God in Arabia where he had learned from the Master what other apostles learned from following Jesus for three years over the land of Israel. When people are alone with God, they learn what could never be taught in a school or even learned privately from another person. Paul would have learned through the Old Testament there were obvious references to the Lord Jesus Christ and the things He taught. Conversing with other believers about the scriptures and the things of God is the way we learn to know and love each other. So, there is a benefit both in being alone with God and being with other people.
God revealed Christ to others through Paul. They would have learned that Jesus is the Christ, the Living Savior. The Galatians would have learned from Paul that He alone is the one and only way to the Father. They would have heard him preach that because of the sinlessness of Jesus, we can be "made the righteousness of God in Him." Paul made the point to the Galatians who had seen him, spoken to him, listened to his preaching, and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ because of his message, and now doubted he was an apostle, that other people did not doubt him. His authority and ministry were recognized by people of the assemblies in Judea who had never seen him, and yet they glorified God because of Paul. The proof of his apostleship was there to be seen and he said, "I am not lying." People may have proof of our testimony, but God will be the One to give them the conviction of sin and the light of life that is needed to bring faith.
There was no reason at all for those believers to question Paul's apostolic authority except they were too ready to listen to anything that came along. We need to make our Gospel message plain, but we must also warn against the false teachers. God's people have great reason to glorify God when they see the reality of the Gospel working in the lives of those who receive Christ.
Galatians 1:15,16a. “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me…” PERSONAL HISTORY. Each day of my life, there is a record kept, of the things I’ve done by God’s grace.
It started for me, when the Gospel I heard, revealed grace is what saves.
When the apostle was called to preach to those without law, the Gospel of the grace of Christ;
It was plain to him then, as it is to us now, grace alone saves those whom will Christ trust.
Right from the beginning, when the Lord Himself, was here and was preaching to men;
The Gospel of Christ was the message to all; the truth of redemption through Him.
Paul was not ashamed of that Gospel and preached, its message fully to all.
The light of the Gospel of Christ has not changed, and those who hinder it fall.
A life lived for God, is a story to tell, servants of Christ have no reason for shame.
We are called from above, by God’s infinite love; we honor our Savior’s name.
May our story be true, as Paul was in his time; he served his Lord from the heart.
To be a servant of Christ; is to walk in the light, not to serve Him only in part.
The greatest thing ever that could happen to men is for God to make Himself known.
When the revelation of Christ was given to Paul, the Gospel was then fully shown
To be a work of God only; no taint of man’s effort to mar this great revelation He gave.
For us today the same as with Paul, it’s by grace alone we are saved.
“Father in heaven, the grace of Christ has provided such spiritual riches that I want to commit myself to the work of the Gospel as long as I am able to do it. I am Thy servant and am wanting to be ready for every good work Thou art able to trust me with, In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
Galatians. 1:15-16. “It pleased God who separated me…and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me that I might preach Him…” IT PLEASED GOD. Some things are important to God. Even though we don’t know why, and may never know why it is so important, it is enough to know that it pleases Him. “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him…” – it was in His plan of redemption. “The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand” – God’s design was perfectly and completely carried out by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why it would please Him to call me is beyond me, but it has happened – and I am so glad it did! I know it is Paul whom the verse is speaking about, but in His own way and for His own reason, He has separated me; called me; revealed His Son in me too, and sent me to preach Christ.
The Sovereignty of God is what separates us from others. His right to do what He wants with what He has created has set me apart from so many billions of people. Sanctification by God through the Gospel of His grace can only be because He chose to set His love upon me. There is nothing particularly lovable about me. It wasn’t a capricious love either. He deliberately focused His loving attention on me so that He would have a person, an object that could fulfill a need He had. Our adopted grandchildren have done that in our family. They are loved as completely as those who were naturally born into our family. In each case, we chose to love them above all other children of the world.
The Showing Forth of the Son of God in His called ones is one reason for the whole sequence of divine attention. Others may hear of Him, but visible evidence to reinforce the message is seen in the lives of those who love Him. What a purifying thought! Then the Sounding Forth of the Gospel of God’s Son is so essential for the evidence of God to be seen in all who need to know Him.
“O make it known Father, the glorious tones of the Gospel Bells that are ringing across the lands of the earth. O make it known to the children, that their lives may be full for Thee. Make it known to the adults in our family, that their great strength both God-given and personal will be used with a holy purpose. In the name of the Revealed Son of Thy love. Amen.”