Rebuking Legalism, Exalting Grace

Galatians 2:11-14

 

INTRODUCTION:  On the Shetland Islands off the northern coast of Scotland, a man spent 5 years constructing a 62- foot steel yacht that weighed 126 tons.  On the day of its launching, he invited a local band to play, and most of the townspeople came out to help him celebrate his achievement.  He planned to start a voyage around the world as soon as the boat was launched.  As the band played and the customary bottle was smashed across the bow, the ship was lowered into the water.  But it didn't float!  It immediately sank to the bottom of the harbor!  And with it went a lifetime of savings and 5 years of hard work.

If you are basing your hopes of heaven on anything other than God’s grace you will be sorely disappointed. 

THESIS:  The Gospel is all about grace not human merit.

TEXT:

This is Paul’s final documentation in support of his independence as an apostle and of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Grace.  Paul has been showing that the Gospel was not based upon popularity but objective truth.   Not only did he not seek the approval of the apostles (1:18-2:10), Paul actually dared to publicly rebuke them when they were inconsistent with the gospel (2:11-21). This is Paul’s last historical proof of his independence as an apostle.

VERSE 11 - Antioch in Syria (distinguished from Antioch in Pisidia), Paul and Barnabus’s base of operations.  Believers were first called Christians here (Acts 11:26).

Peter was one of the chief Apostles, certainly not the earthly head of the church as the Roman Catholics claim.

Literally, “I stood against him to his face.”

VERSE 12 – Before Jews came from Jerusalem, Peter was eating with the Gentiles asserting his liberty in Christ.  But, after these Jews came, he withdrew from the Gentiles and only ate with the Jews.  PETER’S BREACH WAS MORE OUT OF FEAR OF DISAPPORVAL THAN OUT OF A CHANGE OF THEOLOGY

A Pont to PONDER – We must be careful by associating with groups who have distorted the Gospel.  In so doing, we are making a statement about our faith, our theology, and our confession of Christ.  There can be much good in cooperating with other branches of the Church but when we are willing to set under the preaching or teaching of liberals and heretics, we are saying that the Gospel is compatible with all these distortions.  WE MUST EXERCISE GREAT DISCERNMENT HERE LEST THE GOSPEL BE vague OR EVEN besmirched.

VERSE 13 - Like falling dominoes the defection of Peter brought the defection of the other Jews and finally even Barnabas. The pressure must have been great for Barnabas to succumb because he was from Cyprus, a Gentile center, and was involved in a missionary program with Paul to reach Gentiles with the gospel. All of them—Peter, the other Jewish Christians, and Barnabas—were guilty of hypocrisy because while confessing and teaching that they were one in Christ with Gentiles, they were denying this truth by their conduct.

 

VERSE 14 - What Peter had initiated created a public scandal and therefore deserved a public rebuke. Further, the defectors were not acting according to the truth of the gospel, that is, they were denying by their actions the truth that on the basis of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection Jews and Gentiles who believe are accepted equally by God.

A stinging public rebuke - If you, who are a Jew, do not live like a Jew but like a Gentile, why on earth do you try to make Gentiles live like Jews?”

By acting this way, Peter was influencing others to adopt the Jewish law as a condition of salvation.  This is legalism. 

Since the Gospel is all about grace and not human merit, we must avoid legalism

WHAT IS LEGALISM?

  • Millard Erickson defines legalism as "A keeping of the law, particularly in a formal sense, and a regarding of obedience as meritorious." (Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology, page 95)

·        The essence of legalism is trusting in the religious activity rather than trusting in God. It is putting our confidence in a practice rather than in a Person. And without fail this will lead us to love the practice more than the Person.

Jack Deer, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, p. 151

  1. Legalism is not zeal to keep God’s law.   There is nothing wrong and everything right about wanting to keep the Law of God.  Matthew 5:19-21 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.
  2. Legalism is attempting to be justified not only through faith in Christ, but by observing moral or religious actions.  Romans 3:28     For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.  [NASB] – Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solo Christo!
  3. Legalism is an attitude as well as actions which suggest that grace is not really enough to save us. Matthew 23:23-24     "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. [24] "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  [NASB]
  4. Legalism becomes preoccupied with externals and trivia - Matthew 23:5-6 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6"And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
  5. Legalism is based upon a self-centered attitude, “see what I am doing, or what I have done.”  Luke 18:9-14 And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. 11"The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. 12'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' 13"But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' 14"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
  6. Legalism has a perspective or world view which is totally distorted, it misses the whole issue by its narrow-mindedness - Matthew 13:13-14    "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. [14] "And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, Matthew 13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their EYES LEST they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them.'  Consider some of the synonyms for “legalism”… narrow mind, insularity, parochialism, provincialism. closed mind, tunnel vision, one-sidedness, hypercriticism, intolerance, stickler, perfectionist
  7. Legalism is about power and control, you must do this my way (not God’s way) since I am in control - Matthew 23:4-6     "And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. [5] "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries, and lengthen the tassels of their garments. [6] "And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues,  [NASB]

 

CONCLUSION

THE GOSPEL IS ALL ABOUT GRACE NOT HUMAN MERIT…

We must understand that our actions communicate our faith in the Gospel of Grace – God saves us simply on the basis of his mercy and not on the basis of our works. 

We avoid distorting the Gospel by fellowshipping with those who add to the Gospel of Grace. 

We should live and act in life showing forth our sincere faith in this Gospel of Grace.

Schools, Churches, Individuals…It’s about grace.