"GOING ON IN GRACE"

                                                   GALATIANS 1:1-18

INTRODUCTION:
          WE HAVE STUDIED ABOUT BEING "GROUNDED IN GRACE", AND "GROWING IN GRACE" AND NOW WE LOOK AT "GOING ON IN GRACE".  THE MAIN TEXT FOR THIS STUDY IS GALATIANS 1:6-12.

          WHAT WAS THE GREATEST BATTLE THAT PAUL FOUGHT?

          WHY DO YOU THINK PAUL WAS PERSECUTED?

          MOST OF THE TIME PAUL'S PERSECUTION WAS OVER THIS DOCTRINE OF GRACE; PAUL DEVOTED MUCH OF HIS LETTERS TO THIS SUBJECT AND IN FACT ONE ENTIRE LETTER WAS DEVOTED TO THIS ISSUE.

          PAUL ENCOURAGED THE BELIEVERS TO GO ON IN GRACE!

          WHY DID HE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY DO THIS?

          BECAUSE THE MESSAGE OF GRACE:  FORGIVES THE UNFAITHFUL SPOUSE;  IT FORGIVES THE RAPIST, THE CHILD ABUSER, THE ADDICT, THE AIDS RIDDLED HOMOSEXUAL, THE THIEF, THE ALCOHOLIC, ETC.

          IT RUNS TO WELCOME THE PRODIGAL, WHO HAS NOT ONLY DESTROYED HIS WORLD, BUT YOURS AS WELL!

          IT WASHES THE FEET OF THE BETRAYER, IT FORGIVES WHILE BEING CRUCIFIED, IT TURNS THE OTHER CHEEK, IT SITS DOWN AT THE WELL WITH THE WOMEN WHOSE LIFE HAS CONSISTED OF HUSBAND AFTER HUSBAND AND OFFERS HER THE WATER THAT WILL QUENCH HER THIRST FOR LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE.

          WHY IS IT A BATTLE?  BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US, YOU AND I TO BE THE INDIVIDUAL GOD CREATED US TO BE.  IT ALLOWS US TO LOVE AND ACCEPT AND FORGIVE THE ONES WHO HAVE TORN OUR WORLD APART.

          IT REACHES OUT TO A MAPLE WHO IS NOW 84, BUT AT THE AGE OF 15 SOLD HER BABY AND HER BODY, AND SAYS TO HER, "GRACE TO YOU MAPLE, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD, I LOVE YOU, I FORGIVE YOU, YOU ARE SPECIAL TO ME".

          GRACE DOES NOT EXCUSE SIN, BUT IT OFFERS HOPE TO THE SAINT AND SINNER ALIKE THAT SINS!

          AS WE ALLOW GOD TO EXPRESS HIS CHARACTER (THE GOD OF ALL GRACE) THROUGH US, WE WILL BECOME DISPENSERS OF GRACE.

          I HOPE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO ON IN GRACE IN THREE AREAS:

     1.  GO ON IN GRACE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

GALATIANS 1:6-12, (6) "I MARVEL THAT YE ARE SO SOON REMOVED FROM HIM THAT CALLED YOU INTO THE GRACE OF CHRIST UNTO ANOTHER GOSPEL:"

(7) "WHICH IS NOT ANOTHER; BUT THERE BE SOME THAT TROUBLE YOU, AND WOULD PERVERT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST."

(8) "BUT THOUGH WE, OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL UNTO YOU THAN THAT WHICH WE HAVE PREACHED UNTO YOU, LET HIM BE ACCURSED."

(9) "AS WE SAID BEFORE, SO SAY I NOW AGAIN, IF ANY MAN PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL UNTO YOU THAN YE HAVE RECEIVED, LET HIM BE ACCURSED."

(10) "FOR DO I NOW PERSUADE MEN, OR GOD? OR DO I SEEK TO PLEASE MEN? FOR IF I YET PLEASED MEN, I SHOULD NOT BE THE SERVANT OF CHRIST."

(11) "BUT I CERTIFY YOU, BRETHREN, THAT THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED OF ME IS NOT MAN."

(12) "FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT OF MAN, NEITHER WAS I TAUGHT IT, BUT BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST."

           THE GALATIANS JEWS HAD HEARD THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL BY PAUL AND MANY HAD EXPERIENCED SALVATION, BUT PAUL IS PAINFULLY SURPRISED AND ALARMED AT THE INSTABILITY OF THE GALATIANS 

          THE GALATIANS WERE VERY FICKLE AND EASILY INDUCED TO CHANGE.  FALSE TEACHINGS ISSUED IN SPIRITUAL DELINQUENCY.  CORRUPT TEACHING ALWAYS LEADS TO CORRUPT LIVING.

          THE GALATIANS WERE DESERTING CHRIST AND TURNING RENEGADE.  THEY WERE NOT ONLY LEAVING THE GOSPEL OF GOD, BUT FROM GOD HIMSELF.  THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE HONORING GOD BY TRYING TO KEEP THE LAW.  THEY WERE ABANDONING GOD AND HIS GRACE BY PUTTING THEMSELVES UNDER THE LAW AND ITS CURSE.

          GOD CALLED THE GALATIANS AND AS WELL ALL MEN TO SALVATION WHICH WAS (1). PURCHASED AT CALVARY;  (2). OFFERED IN AND BY GRACE;  (3). TO BE ACCEPTED BY FAITH.

          ALL THAT GOD REQUIRES OF MAN, HE HAS ALREADY PROVIDED BY GRACE IN JESUS CHRIST.

          CHRIST'S FINISHED WORK AT CALVARY ENABLES GOD TO BE JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER OF HIM WHO BELIEVES IN CHRIST, ROMANS 3:26.

          GOD HAS NO OTHER GOSPEL, AND HE CANNOT AND WILL NOT TOLERATE THE PERVERSION OF HIS GOSPEL.

          MAY GOD'S PEOPLE EVERYWHERE STAND WITH PAUL IN OPPOSITION TO FALSE TEACHING.  MAY GOD HELP US TO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.  TO BEHAVE THE GOSPEL, AND TO BECOME LIVING EPISTLES OF THE GOSPEL.

          OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD IS BASED ENTIRELY ON JESUS CHRIST'S PERFORMANCE AND NOT OURS!     GOD WAS SATISFIED WITH THE BLOOD OF JESUS FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS.

          WHY CAN'T WE BE SATISFIED WITH OUR FORGIVENESS AND GO ON IN GRACE IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?

      2.  GO ON IN GRACE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LIFE:

          IN THIS LIFE WE ARE GOING TO ENCOUNTER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIN.

          I WANT TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OF SIN AS IT RELATES TO GRACE.     MANY DEPART THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD HERE, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT GIVES PEOPLE A LICENSE TO SIN.

          PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SIN WITH OUT A LICENSE!      BECAUSE OF THE GRACE OF GOD

THERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SIN ISSUE.

     A. THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS HAS BEEN PAID!

          WHY WOULD YOU AND I GO ON THROUGHOUT OUR LIFE TRYING TO PAY FOR OUR SINS OR TRYING TO PAY GOD BACK FOR HIS PAYMENT?

ROMANS 3:19-24, (19) "NOW WE KNOW THAT WHAT THINGS SOEVER THE LAW SAITH, IT SAITH TO THEM WHO ARE UNDER THE LAW: THAT EVERY MOUTH MAY BE STOPPED, AND ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD."

(20) "THEREFORE BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW THERE SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT: FOR BY THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS;"

(21) "BUT NOW THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WITHOUT THE LAW IS MANIFESTED, BEING WITNESSED BY THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS;"

(22) "EVEN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WHICH IS BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST UNTO ALL UPON THEM THAT BELIEVE: FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE:"

(23) "FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD;"

(24) "BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS:"

          WHEN THE EVIDENCE AGAINST THE UNIVERSAL SINFULNESS AND GUILT OF MAN IS PRESENTED AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DEFENSE COMES, THERE WILL BE NO DEFENSE.

          THE MOUTH OF THE HEATHEN WILL BE STOPPED.     THE MOUTH OF THE MORAL MAN AND THE RELIGIOUS MAN WILL BE STOPPED.     EVEN THE MOUTH OF THE CURSING AND BITTER MAN WILL BE STOPPED.

          A SILENT WORLD WILL STAND BEFORE THE BAR OF GOD IN JUDGMENT AND NEITHER CLEVER LAWYERS, PLEA BARGAINING, BRIBING THE JUDGE, NOR WILL AN IMPASSIONED APPEAL GET THE SINNER OFF.

          NO ONE WILL UTTER A WORD IN THE SINNER'S DEFENSE, FOR NO ONE WILL HAVE A DEFENSE BEFORE THE RIGHTEOUS GOD.

          THE LAW OF THE HEATHEN, THE LAW OF NATURE, THE LAW OF MORALITY, THE LAW OF CONSCIENCE, THE LAW OF MOSES, NONE CAN JUSTIFY A MAN AND MAKE HIM RIGHTEOUS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.

          THE LAW CAN CONVICT MEN OF SIN, IT CAN DEFINE SIN, BUT IT CANNOT RELEASE AND FORGIVE MAN FROM SIN.     ONLY THE GRACE OF GOD CAN DO THAT!

          THE WHOLE WORLD IS SINFUL AND DESPERATELY IN NEED OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, BUT IF THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS TO COME TO THE INDIVIDUAL, IT MUST COME THROUGH THE AGENCY OF GRACE, SOVEREIGN GRACE, NOT HUMAN WORKS OR OF THE LAW.

          JUSTIFICATION IS BY FAITH ALONE, VERSES 21 THROUGH VERSES 24.

          THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS CHRIST HIMSELF, WHO MET EVERY DEMAND OF THE LAW FOR US IN OUR STEAD, AND IS "MADE UNTO US..........RIGHTEOUSNESS,

1ST CORINTHIANS 1:30

          JUST AS SIN AND JESUS CHRIST HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON, SO TOO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS NOT MANIFESTED IN KEEPING THE LAW BUT IT WAS MANIFESTED AT THE CROSS WHEN, "HE (GOD THE FATHER) HATH MADE HIM  (GOD THE SON) TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM" 2ND CORINTHIANS 5:21.

          THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD COMES TO THE BELIEVER WHO BY FAITH CLAIM THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.     SAVING FAITH IN CHRIST IS A NECESSARY PART OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS GOD PROVIDES THE BELIEVER, ACTS 4:12.

          WE DO NOT MERIT JUSTIFICATION, BUT WE ENJOY IT.     YOU CANNOT HAVE BOTH MERIT AND GRACE.     OUR JUSTIFICATION WAS BY THE GRACE OF GOD.     THE PRICE OF OUR REDEMPTION WAS THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, 1ST CORINTHIANS 6:20 AND 1ST PETER 1:18-19.

          THEREFORE, WE ARE JUSTIFIED IN THE SIGHT OF GOD WHEN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IS PLACED UPON US BY THE GRACE OF GOD, FREELY AND WITHOUT CAUSE.

          YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN FOR HOW MANY OF YOUR SINS?

          ALL OF THEM, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE!!!!!!

     B. THE POWER OF SIN HAS BEEN BROKEN; WHERE DOES SIN GET ITS POWER?

1ST CORINTHIANS 15:56 "THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN; AND THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW."

          ARE WE SAVED BY GRACE OR LAW, ROMANS 5:12-21?

          "THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN" AND PAUL WOULD ANSWER "AND YET AM I FORGIVEN".     "THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW", AND PAUL WOULD EXCLAIM "AND YET I AM PARDONED."

           GOD'S GRACE BROKE THE POWER OF SIN; AND NOW YOU AND I CAN REIGN IN LIFE.  YOU AND I DON'T HAVE TO LET SIN REIGN OVER US.

           GOD WENT TO GREAT EXPENSE TO BREAK THE POWER OF SIN, AND SET THE PRISONER FREE, IT COST THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST; HIS BLOOD CAN MAKE THE FOULEST SINNER CLEAN, FOR HIS BLOOD AVAILED FOR ME!

          WELL GLORY!

          CONCLUSION:

           ARE YOU LIVING RIGHT NOW IN A STATE OF MIND THAT YOU SENSE YOU ARE UNDER THE POWER OF SIN?

          YOU JUST CAN'T FORGIVE,  YOU JUST CAN'T RECONCILE,  YOU JUST CAN'T GET FREE FROM THE ADDICTION, AND YOU JUST CAN'T REST AND TRUST GOD WITH YOUR FAMILY?

          THEN MY FRIEND I HAVE GREAT NEWS FOR YOU, SIN HAS LOST ITS POWER OVER YOU, THE DEVIL HAD THE KEYS TAKEN AWAY, DON'T GIVE THEM BACK.

          GOD, THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST, HAS GIVEN THE KEYS TO ABUNDANT LIFE TO YOU, DON'T GIVE THEM UP!

          THE PRESENCE OF SIN HAS BEEN DEALT WITH; SIN IS IN OUR FACE AND ON OUR PLATE EVERY DAY; WHAT AM I TO DO?

          THE GRACE OF GOD IS EXTENDED TO ALL WHO WILL PLACE THEIR FAITH IN CHRIST.

          "GOING ON IN GRACE":

               GET TWO THINGS SETTLED IN YOUR HEART AND MIND:

     IN YOU RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD: GO ON IN GRACE NOT WORKS OR LAW;

NOT RULES BUT A VITAL RELATIONSHIP BASED ON GRACE!

     IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LIFE AS YOU ENCOUNTER THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW GOD TO EXPRESS HIS GRACE THROUGH YOU INTO THE HURT, DECISIONS, AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE.

          GO ON IN GRACE!

           AMEN!