Title: The True Spirit of the Gospel
Contents
Sermon Day - 20110116
Bible - Galatians 3:29
Title - The True Spirit of the Gospel
Paul strongly refutes, saying, “There can be no racial, social, or sexual difference in Christ Jesus” to those who distort the gospel of Jesus Christ through legalistic Christianity and want to tie the great mission of salvation for mankind under the laws of Judaism. do.
This declaration of Paul is truly a great declaration.
This is because the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Jews all had a sense of national superiority in their respective political, cultural, and religious standpoints.
Moreover, it was a time when masters and slaves and men and women were strictly separated in terms of status, so Paul's assertion that "there is no difference between men" was an unacceptable declaration.
However, this declaration is by no means a political declaration that ignores the current social order and seeks to abolish it from the ground up.
It is only in Christ that we are liberated from such an order and that a new order is established.
Because that is the spirit of the gospel.
Illustration - Be guided by God in everything
This is the testimony of Dr. Butterfield, the founder of Northwest University, USA.
It was time to preach the gospel as a revivalist before he established a university.
I was leading a revival meeting in a city, and I decided to stay in the house of an elderly couple in that church.
The elderly couple did not have good food skills and the bed was not good, so church officials were worried.
The new dormitory was the home of a young couple living in a wealthy garden with a large, spacious garden.
Dr. Butterfield, however, decided to pray over the matter before moving on.
To pray over such a trivial matter... The officers must have thought so, but his thoughts were different.
“God, can I move into the young couple’s house?
Or should I just stay in this house?"
As he prayed, Luke 10:7 came to his mind.
"Stay in that house, eat and drink what is given to you; for the worker deserves his wages, do not move from house to house."
Dr. Butterfield told the officers, "I've already undressed here, so even if there are some inconveniences, I'll stay here until the end of the meeting."
and refused to move.
It was a few days later.
While the rally was still going on, a typhoid outbreak occurred in the house they were about to move, and it was banned from entry for a month.
If Dr. Butterfield had moved his accommodation according to people's thoughts without praying, he would have reached a point where he would not be able to lead the revival.
Not only that, he would not have been able to return home because he was locked up in that house until the prohibition for one month was lifted.
Dr. Butterfield said that it was a trivial matter of moving accommodation, but he was able to finish the meeting safely because he consulted with God.
He testified of how important it is to read the Bible, pray, depend on God for everything in prayer, and follow his instructions.
Now let's take a look at the true spirit of the gospel that Paul is trying to talk about.
The Greek philosopher Plato said that he was grateful for three things: First, he became a man instead of an animal, second, he became a man among men, and third, he became a Greek man among men.
This sense of racial superiority is also true for Jews.
The Jews thought that all Gentiles, including Greeks, were 'uncircumcised' and that God created them to be the reconciliation of hell.
Therefore, “circumcision and uncircumcision have no effect in Jesus.
There is no difference between the paper and the self.
The claim that there is no discrimination between men and women” certainly deserves strong opposition from the Jews.
Illustration - ‘Gospel’ vs ‘Religion’
One Sunday morning a few years ago, a man came up to me and said, “I cannot understand you. India is the birthplace of many religions, and it is a very religious country, so why do you only add to the chaos by introducing another religion?”
I answered. “My friend, I am not interested in religion, but I am deeply interested in the Gospel. There is a big difference between the two.” Religion is man-made, and the gospel is God-given. Religion is what man does for God, and the gospel is what God did for man.
Religion is man's search for God, but the gospel is God's search for man. Religion is man's effort to climb the ladder of his own righteousness with the hope of meeting God at the top of the ladder.
Religion is good counsel, and the gospel is a glorious proclamation. Religion accepts humans but cannot change them, and the gospel accepts humans as they are and changes them. Religion aims at outward reform, and the gospel aims at inward transformation.
Religion is painted white, and the gospel is washed white. Religion is sometimes a deception, and the gospel is God's power to always bring salvation to all who believe. There are many religions, but there is only one gospel. <From Principles and Applications of Gospel Communication / John Simmons>
Therefore, Paul, who emphasized the true spirit of the gospel that there is no discrimination between Jews and Gentiles in Christ, was bound to receive harsh criticism from the Jews wherever he went.
If Paul had hesitated to reveal the fundamental spirit of the gospel for fear of criticism from the Jews, perhaps the early church could not have escaped the influence of the Ebionites, a legalistic Jewish sect.
However, Paul was able to build the church on the truth of the gospel by insisting on the futility of circumcision to the end, even though he suffered severe persecution from the Jews.
On the other hand, Paul goes one step further, saying, “Just as Abraham was justified by faith in God, so all are descendants of Abraham through faith, and heirs according to the promise.”
Although the Jews boasted that they were Abraham's descendants in covenant relationship with God, the true descendants of Abraham are not of the flesh, but of faith.
Therefore, Paul taught that believers who believe in God will participate in God's covenant as the true descendants of Abraham.
When God made his covenant with Abraham, he promised that he would make all the nations of the world his descendants.
This is reflected in God's promise to make Abraham the source of blessings for all people.
This promise of God was only fulfilled through the redemption of Christ.
Those who believe in Christ receive the grace of justification that Abraham received through faith.