Historical Posts
Galatians 02:20-21 The Life Which I Now Live
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Text: Galatians 2:20-21
Introduction
1. Much that we know of the Christian life is dependent upon the apostle Paul
a. Who wrote half the books of the New Testament?
b. His conduct and attitudes are set before us as an example – 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17
c. But what principles governed Paul’s life as a Christian?
2. In our text we find Paul expressing some of the principles – Galatians 2:20-21
a. That guided his life as a disciple of Christ
b. As he speaks of “the life which I now live in the flesh”
3. What kind of life was that? Are we governed by the same principles?
4. Notice first of all that Paul says his life which he lived in the flesh was
Body
I. A LIFE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST (Galatians 2:20a)
A. HOW IS “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST” POSSIBLE…?
1. We can’t go back in time and join Christ on the cross!
2. But we can be united with Christ in His death when we are baptized! – Romans 6:3-8
3. Note that baptism into Christ is
a. A baptism into His death – Romans 6:3-4
b. Being united together in the likeness of His death – Romans 6:5
c. Crucifying our old man with Christ – Romans 6:6
d. Dying together with Christ – Romans 6:8
4. If we have been baptized into Christ, we can say together with Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ”
B. WHAT DOES “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST” MEAN…?
1. For some it means a death “to the Law” – Galatians 2:19
a. Paul wrote of himself as a Jew who was at one time under the Law of Moses
b. Those who have been crucified with Christ have died to the Law – Romans 7:1-6
2. For all it means a death “to self” – Galatians 2:20
a. “It is no longer I who live”
b. As Jesus taught, we must be willing to deny self to follow Him – Luke 9:23-24
3. For all it means we have crucified “the flesh” – Galatians 5:24
a. Which occurred in principle at our baptism – Romans 6:6, 11-14
b. Which occurs in practice as we continue to “put to death” the deeds of the body – Romans 8:12-13; Colossians 3:5- 9
4. For all it means we have been crucified “to the world” – Galatians 6:14
a. Before our obedience to Christ, we were in bondage to the rudiments of the world – Galatians 4:3, 9
b. But now, Christ is our rule and authority in life – Colossians 2:8-10, 20-22; 3:17
5. Any external (Law, world) or internal (self, flesh) controls have now surrendered to the authority of Christ
6. One who has been baptized into Christ and is letting Jesus be his or her authority in all things is living a “life crucified with Christ”. But note that Paul also wrote “the life which I now live” is:
II. A LIFE IN WHICH CHRIST LIVES IN ME (Galatians 2:20b)
A. HOW DOES CHRIST LIVE IN ME…?
1. It is like electricity
a. I may not comprehend how it works
b. But I know how to get it working!
2. We are taught how to make sure that He will abide in us
a. By Jesus Himself – John 14:21-23; 15:9-10
b. By His beloved disciple John – 1 John 3:24
3. As we keep the commandments of Christ, we are assured that He lives in us!
B. WHAT BENEFITS COME FROM CHRIST LIVING IN US…?
1. The wonderful love of the Father and the Son – John 14:21
2. There is fullness of joy – John 15:11
3. There is peace, even in the midst of tribulation – John 16:33
4. There is the hope of being with Jesus and beholding His glory – John 17:24
5. These are just a few of the many blessings of a life in which Christ lives in us!
III. A LIFE LIVING BY FAITH IN CHRIST (Galatians 2:20c)
A. WHAT IS LIVING BY FAITH IN CHRIST…?
1. The word ‘faith’ implies trust
2. Living by faith in Christ means constantly trusting in Jesus
a. E.g., for the forgiveness of our sins
1) Trusting in His blood to cleanse us from our sins – 1 John 1:7, 9
2) Trusting in Him as our Advocate – 1 John 2:1
3) Trusting in Him as our Propitiation – 1 John 2:4
b. E.g., that His words will provide a solid foundation for our lives – Mathew 7:24-25
c. E.g., that He will never forsake us – Mathew 28:20
3. Trusting in Jesus, not in self, not in the Law, not in the world!
B. WHY SHOULD WE SO TRUST JESUS…?
1. Because He loves us! – cf. Galatians 2:20
2. Because He gave Himself for us! – Galatians 2:20
3. Shall He not do more if we continue to trust Him? – Romans 8:34-39
4. Such love naturally compels one to live a life of faith in Him – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
5. Does such love should compel us to trust in Jesus, living by faith in Him?
IV. A LIFE WHICH DOES NOT SET ASIDE GOD’S GRACE (Galatians 2:21)
A. WE MUST DILIGENTLY KEEP JESUS’ COMMANDMENTS
1. As a true indication of our love for Him – John 14:15
2. As a true indication that we really know Him – 1 John 2:3
3. One cannot ignore the commandments of the Lord
B. YET WITHOUT GOD’S GRACE, ALL IS VAIN
1. We cannot nor dare not try to earn or merit our salvation – Titus 3:4-5; Ephesians 2:8-9
2. After all is said and done, we are still unworthy servants – Luke 17:10
3. If not for the grace of God:
a. Our faith would be useless
b. Our repentance would meaningless
c. Our baptism would be fruitless
d. Our salvation would be impossible!
4. And so, from beginning to end
a. We must look to God and the Word of His grace
b. We must trust in His mercy offered through Jesus
c. We are totally dependent upon Jesus and His death on the cross for any degree of true righteousness
5. If we think we have earned or merited salvation on our own, Christ died in vain!
Conclusion
1. Such was the life Paul lived in the flesh
a. A life crucified with Christ
b. A life in which Christ lived in Him
c. A life living by faith in Christ
d. A life that did not set aside the grace of God
2. Can the same be said of us…?
a. Have we been crucified with Christ (in baptism)?
b. Is Christ living in us (manifested by keeping His commandments)?
c. Are you living by faith in Christ (trusting His blood, His Word)?
d. Are you always trusting in the grace of God (not your own goodness or obedience)?
3. May the words of Paul move us to live the kind of lives becoming of those who call themselves Christians!
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” – Galatians 2:20-21
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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After Death – Mark 12:18-27
Text: Mark 12:18-27
What happens after death?
We’ve pondered the question for ages: What happens after death? Will there be anything at all?
What you believe about that, really believe, pretty much determines how you really live.
If you believe you’re finished when they pull the sheet over your face, you’re probably trying to squeeze as much fun out of life as you can. Eat, drink, and be merry, as the saying goes. This is all you’ve got.
You won’t care what some clergyman speaks over your grave.
You won’t care because you won’t know, and you won’t know because you won’t exist anymore.
Many people believe that, and that’s how they live.
We live, we die, that’s it. Game over. It’s what the Sadducees believed.
They were so sure about it that they had created what they thought was an insurmountable argument.
They’d used it before, and now they plan to try it on this up-and-coming Rabbi who had proved to be a difficult sparring partner. As it turns out, he poked a few crater-sized holes in their argument. Here’s the confrontation:
Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’ ? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.” (Mark 12:18-27).
They’d probably stumped quite a few teachers in their day, and they were eager to see Jesus wilt under their inescapable logic. But Jesus was no ordinary Rabbi. By quoting one Scripture he exposed their biblical ignorance and theological bias.
They denied the afterlife not because there was no evidence, but because they didn’t want to believe in life after death.
- You are quite wrong, Jesus says.
- I’d say that’s a pretty huge thing to be wrong about.
Imagine living your life as if this is it, only to die and find out there’s more. Much more. An eternity more. Imagine:
- Accumulating the toys and chasing the dreams and squeezing every ounce of fun out of life . . . only to realize that you missed the whole point.
- Realizing that God wanted you to live a selfless life to prepare you for something infinitely better than the passing fancies of a self-centered life here.
- God as the God of the living, not the dead.
- Eternity with him.
Believing there is life after death completely changes the way we live.
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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How Much Things Change – John 11:25
Text: John 11:25
It’s amazing how much one thing changes everything.
It happens in life – a job, a marriage, a baby – and suddenly your world is never the same.
It also happens in areas that matter even more.
The apostles were sometimes so spiritually blind.
At least it seems that way to us.
They once tried to prevent Jesus from going to Jerusalem to die . . . for their sins, and ours.
How could they?
Why would they think of calling down fire from heaven on a village of people who wouldn’t listen to them?
How could they leave Jesus alone on the night before he died?
The truth is, they weren’t any different from us.
They were no less spiritual or mature, no more shallow or superficial.
But they could only see a portion of the picture that was yet to be completed.
As Mark finishes describing the Lord’s transfiguration, he gives us a clue:
Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. (Mark 9:9-10).
That’s an interesting phrase, isn’t it?
… what the rising from the dead meant.
They had no idea, not really.
Not having the advantage that we have of reading the completed Bible, they struggled.
Why does he talk about dying? What’s this about a cross? And a resurrection?
Then they went to an empty tomb on a Sunday morning
And it changed them.
Forever.
Peter denied Jesus on the eve of the crucifixion but later gave his life for his faith.
His good friend James ran from the soldiers in Gethsemane but a few years later lost his head to an axe when he wouldn’t stop preaching about Jesus.
In fact, all the apostles except John were executed because of Je
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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Abortion – Proverbs 06:17
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(Abortion Sermons presented in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013)
Text: Proverbs 6:17
Introduction
1. Illustration
A Florida man was fined $108,800.00 for poaching 1088 turtle eggs froma Florida State Park. The public defender argued that a turtle isn’t a turtle until it hatches. The prosecutor affirmed that though they had not hatched, they were still turtles. The judge agreed with the prosecutor.
Too bad babies don’t hatch! Swipe 1000 turtle eggs and get fined $1,000 for each egg. Kill 1000 babies and be rewarded with tax money and be lauded as a champion of reproductive freedom!
2. Abortion is one of the most controversial moral dilemmas of our day.
3. Abortion affect millions of Americans. Social scientists today estimate that abortion is the most frequently performed surgery on adults in America.
4. In fact, one out of three babies conceived in the United States is deliberately aborted, and since 1973, 40 million babies have been aborted in the U.S.
5. However, the question that should concern us most about this issue is whether or not this action is moral. Does God approve or disapprove of abortion?
Body
I. A Brief History Of Abortion
A. Contrary to what many may believe, the debate over abortion is not a recent phenomenon.
B. Many cultures (Assyrian, Babylonian, Sumerian, Hittite) considered abortion a serious crime.
C. A portion of the Hippocratic Oath stated, “I will not give a woman a pessary to produce an abortion.”
D. However, Plato and Aristotle thought that deformed children should be exposed and left to die.
E. Closer to the time of Christ, Josephus wrote against abortion saying, “The Law commanded to raise all children and prohibited women from aborting or destroying seed; a woman who does so shall be judged a murderess of children”
F. The Didache said, “Do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn infant.”
G. Athenagoras, a second century Christian, wrote to the emperor, Marcus Aurelius, saying, “We say that women who induce abortions are murderers, and will have to give an account of it to God…The fetus in the womb is a living being and therefore the object of God’s care.”
H. Augustine, a 4th century “Church Father” criticized husbands and wives for “preferring that their offspring die before it lives, or if it was already alive in the womb, to kill it before it was born.”
I. In the U.S., laws against abortion were in effect until 1967, when a few states began to liberalize their laws. By the end of 1970, 18 states had passed laws that allowed abortion in “exceptional circumstances.” However, on January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court handed down its Roe-v-Wade decision, which permitted abortion on demand.
II. Abortion Methods
A. Below is a listing of the methods used by doctors to perform abortions. I won’t spend time discussing these methods, but wanted to present them to you so that you can read and better understand what is involved in an abortion.
B. Dilation and Curettage or “D&C.”
C. Suction Aspiration – used in 80% of abortions.
D. Saline Injection or salt poisoning.
E. Prostagandin.
F. Hysterotomy.
G. Dilation and Extraction or “Partial Birth Abortion.”
III. What Does The Word Of God Say About Abortion?
A. The Bible, in principle addresses all our needs and answers all our moral questions.
B. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
C. First of all, life is valuable.
1. (Genesis 1:26-31).
2. (Exodus 20:13; Matthew 5:21-22).
D. Second, life begins at conception.
1. Doctors testify to this fact:
a. Ashley Montague, Professor at Harvard & Rutgers (who is not at all sympathetic to the pro-life cause) – “The basic fact is simple: life begins not at birth, but conception.”
b. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who has performed over 60,000 abortions -“Modern technologies have convinced us that beyond question, the unborn child is simply another human being, another member of the human community, indistinguishable in every way from any of us.”
2. The Scriptures testify to this fact:
a. (Jeremiah 1:5).
b. (Psalm 139:13-16).
c. (Luke 1:41,44).
d. (Job 3:11).
e. (Exodus 21:22-23).
f. (Proverbs 6:17).
IV. Pro-Abortion Rhetoric
A. “Every woman has a right to control her own body.”
1. “Every woman” – half the babies aborted are female.
2. “Has a right” – society does not recognize absolute right over one’s body (e.g. public nudity, drunkenness, etc.).
3. “To control” – control could have prevented the pregnancy.
4. “Her own body” – pregnancy involves two bodies.
B. “Abortion is every woman’s legal right.”
1. Legal rights and moral/biblical rights are not always the same (Acts 5:29).
C. “The fetus is mere tissue and not a person.”
D. “Abortion is the best solution to a crisis pregnancy.”
1. What if Mary, the mother of Jesus, had embraced such a view?
2. Abortions involving rape and incest comprise only 1% of all abortions performed, and while I do not wish to minimize the trauma of such situations, harming an innocent person is not the proper response.
V. What Can We Do About The Moral Problem Of Abortion?
A. Show compassion.
1. It’s not a sin to have a baby outside of marriage, it is a sin to have sex outside of marriage.
2. We must condemn sin but lovingly help and support those who have committed sin and help them to bear up under the consequences.
B. We need to speak out what God’s word says.
1. We can’t expect people to live godly lives who do not know what godliness entails.
C. Social involvement and support of pro-life organizations.
D. Vote.
E. Pray (James 5:16).
Conclusion:
1. People may and probably will continue to argue about this issue.
2. Nevertheless, God has shown us that life is precious and he is highly offended when we harm his little ones (Proverbs 6:17; Matthew 18:3-5; 19:14).
3. Friends, make yourself a voice for the voiceless, and defend the innocent and helpless. You know your Lord would.
What Was I Supposed To Be?
As Jesus walked upon the earth, on the shores of Galilee, He’d say to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me.”
I wonder if up in heaven, do you suppose you’ll see, Little children asking, “What was I supposed to be?” “What was I supposed to be?”
“What were my eyes supposed to see?” “Why did I taste of death, Before I even drew a breath, Or lay my head on my mother’s breast to sleep?”
“Oh, Jesus, what was I supposed to be?” “Was I to be a prophet used in the ministry?”
“A doctor who would find a cure, for some terrible disease?”
“Even if I had been born imperfect why couldn’t my parents see ‘d have been made perfect, when you came back for me?”
“Oh Jesus, what was I supposed to be?” “Jesus, What was I supposed to be?”
Content by Donald W. Treadway
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