Address—C. Hendricks
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Verse one.
Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all.
But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Even so, we, when we were children, were in ******* under the elements of the world.
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son.
Made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them, that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, ABBA Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, that an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then when he knew not God, He did service unto them, which by nature are no gods. But now after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn He again to the weak and beggarly elements, where unto ye desire again to be in *******?
He observed days and months and times and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.
Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am, for I am as ye are. You have not injured me at all. You know how through infirmity of the flesh, I preach the gospel unto you at the 1St. And my temptation, which was in my flesh, he despised not nor rejected, but received me as an Angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness she speak of? For I bear you record that if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
They zealously affect you, but not well. Yeah, they would exclude you that you might affect them.
But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me ye that desire to be under the law. Do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond maid and the other by a free woman.
But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, But he of the free woman was by promise.
Which things are an allegory for? These are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to ******* which is Agar.
This Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is and is in ******* with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice thou bear, and that bearest not break forth and cry thou that travail us not. For the desolate hath many more children than she which hath and husband.
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise, but as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit.
Even so, it is now nevertheless, what saith the Scripture cast out the bondwoman and her son? For the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all. Now that was the.
That was the position that Israel was in in the Old Testament.
Israel was the heir, but they were.
Not in the mature position of a grown son.
But as a child and they're just like a servant when such.
He's under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Even so, we, we Jews, when we were children, when we were in that infant stage, we're in ******* under the elements of the world, the principles of the world. The world operates on the principle of law, not grace. The world does not operate by grace. You don't hire a man and then tell him whatsoever's right. When, when you're through with your work, I'll give you.
He'll say, Oh no, he said. I want to know how much I'm going to get. Tell me my wages.
That's the principle of law.
Well, we don't. We don't act by the principle of grace in our dealings with one another.
Even so, we when we were children or in that infant stage, we're in ******* under the elements of the world.
The law is a principle of the world.
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son.
00:05:00
Made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law. That's the Jews.
That we might receive the adoption of sons.
Now that now that those have who have believed amongst the nation of Israel, they have now been placed in the position of sonship.
And then he says, turning to the Gentile believers, and because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, ABBA Father. So you have the Jew in verse 5 receiving the adoption of sons, and the Gentile in verse six in the place of sonship.
And God has sent forth the Spirit of Son into your hearts, crying, ABBA, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son.
And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Albeit then when he knew not God. Now he's talking to the not the Jews who had believed, but the Gentiles who had believed.
They did not know God. The Jews knew God, but not the Gentiles. When you knew not God.
You did service unto them, which by nature are no gods. They were idolaters.
But now after that ye have known God, or rather unknown of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements where until you desire again to be in *******. Notice that word again twice there in that verse. Well, they weren't going back to idolatry. But he says that you're going back to if you go to law, you're going back to the same thing in principle out of which you've been delivered.
Because when they were in their idolatry, they were on the principle of, of a law, not, not the law of Moses, but the law which is do something to gain God's favor. And they had many gods and they, they served those gods and they were always offering sacrifices and that in order to appease their gods and to get into good standing with their gods. That's the principle of law. And he says, now you're going to go back to that same principle in a different form, but it's the same principle.
So you're going back again to that same thing which you were in ******* to when you were Gentiles in the flesh?
I'll turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements principles of this world. Where unto you desire again to be in *******?
He observed days and months and times and years. Doesn't that not suggest to us exactly what Christendom is doing?
How many days, months, times and years, and holy days do Christians celebrate? Depends on what branch of Christianity they come from. But Christendom has become a vast Judaistic system with days and months and times and years, just like Judaism had.
He says I'm afraid of you. Are you really Christians?
I'm afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. The pagans, the heathen, they had their days, they had their holy days, they had their feasts and their celebrations. The Jews had theirs, the Gentiles had theirs. And he said, to go back to this law principle is to go back to the very thing that God has delivered you from.
I'm afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. Brethren, I beseech you be as I am.
For I am a GR.
Be as I am, I am a Sinner saved by grace.
I'm just like you, I have no advantage before God whatsoever in the flesh.
I'm like you, you Gentiles. I need to be saved just like you do. That's what Peter said in Acts 15. That's what Paul is saying here.
I am a year.
You've not injured me at all.
You know how through infirmity of the flesh, I preach the gospel unto you at the 1St.
And my temptation, which was in my flesh.
He despised not nor rejected, but received me as an Angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. We know from 2nd Corinthians 12, the apostle prayed three times that the Lord would remove that affliction, that thorn for the flesh that he had, and the Lord said no three times.
And then he said, My grace is sufficient for thee.
And Paul received that, he accepted that, and he submitted to it. And he says, most gladly do I glory in my afflictions, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. While these Galatians saw that affliction that he had, it may have had something to do with his eyesight, because he goes on to say.
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Where is then the blessedness you speak of verse 15? For I bear you record that if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me.
It was an affliction that the Lord gave to the apostle to keep him humble.
And the things that we oftentimes pray that the Lord will deliver us from are the very things that He say He sees we need.
To keep us where he wants to keep us.
And so he gives some things like that in our lives, as he did the great apostle Paul.
They would have plucked out their own eyes and have given them to him.
Could they have done it?
They loved him.
And I'm sure he felt, O Lord, take it away, because I can do so much more effective for thee and thy service if I don't have this affliction.
But the Lord said no.
Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
They zealously affect you. Now he's talking about these legalists who were.
Showing a lot of zeal and trying to draw the Gentile believers away from the principle of grace to loss.
It's a little hard to understand the way it reads in our King James here, but it's the point is.
That they were zealous to draw them away from Paul, who was preaching the truth to follow them.
Is Ellis the affect you but not well, that is they're trying to get.
These gentile believers to follow them.
Yeah, they would exclude you. They would exclude you from us.
That you might affect them, That you might follow them.
What they're trying to do?
In the Second Corinthians he talks about that class and he says such are false apostles, deceitful workers.
Transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ and so on. So here we have that same class that he talks about. It's very stern. He's very forceful when he speaks of such.
But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.
And not only when I am present with you. What they were trying to do was to draw away the Saints from Paul.
Who was preaching the truth? They had become Saints by receiving the gospel which Paul had preached to them.
Now these others were bringing a different gospel, which was not another.
And so he's exposing them, warning them against these legalists that would draw them away from grace.
My little children, you can see, you can just feel the pathos in the in the in the heart of the apostle, My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.
A legalist does not have Christ formed in him, he has self formed in him.
And he was.
Laboring with them that it might be Christ, that self might be displayed, that ugly self might be displayed by Christ, that they might see that they have everything in Christ. He is their righteousness, their justification, their redemption, their everything, their wisdom.
Their sanctification, everything they have in him.
To turn to anything else is to listen to a voice which is not the voice of Him that called them into the grace of Christ.
My little children of whom I travel in birth, agonizing for them again, until Christ be forming you again, because He had agonized for them when he first brought the gospel to them, and they were brought into blessing, received it.
Now he does it again.
I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice, for I stand.
In doubt of you? Are you really Christians the way you're the way you're going on?
Are you really Christians? To abandon grace for law is to abandon Christianity and principle.
I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law. Do you not hear the law?
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond made and the other by a free woman, Hagar and Sarah.
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But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh.
But he of the free woman was by promise. He's already established the principle of promise as a principle of grace in that third chapter.
And the law coming 430 years later could not disallow it, could not set it aside. Now he goes back to these, these two wives of Abraham. This is the one represents the law, that's Hagar, and the other represents Greece, that was Sarah.
Which things are an allegory? Verse 24 For these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai.
Which gendereth to *******? Which is Hagar?
For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is in his ******* is in ******* with her children. The the Jerusalem which then was that they were clinging to, was the old Law and the principle of law. But Jerusalem, which is above, is free. Which is, it should read, I think, which is our Mother, our mother, those of us who have embraced the Gospel and been set free by the Gospel of His grace. Jerusalem above is our mother.
Not the one that's in ******* down here in this world.
We're free, Ford is written. Rejoice thou bear, and that bear us not break forth and cry thou that travaileth not for the desolate Jerusalem is is referred to here as the desolate one have many more children than she which hath and husband.
When Jerusalem was married to Jehovah, she was under law. She didn't produce many children, children of faith. But now that she's in that state of desolation and unbelief, the Jerusalem above has many more children under grace than the.
Legal Jerusalem.
Now we brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. We are the children of promise.
Not under *******.
But as then he that was born after the flesh.
Persecuted him that was born after the Spirit.
Even so, it is now.
Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? That's beautiful. It was Sarah that said, Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for he shall not inherit with my son Isaac.
It was grievous in Abraham's sight, so Ishmael had to be cast out. But the New Testament says what? Saith the Scripture. She was speaking the mind of God when she said that.
What saith the scripture cast out the bondwoman and her son? For the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.
So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. So he's really appealing in this passage to the Jews who believed to show them how, how wrong they were from even from their own scriptures. They're promoting law, which was typified by Ishmael, not Isaac, and by Hagar, not Sarah.
******* not liberty. So then he goes on in the 5th chapter. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty.
Wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of ******* the liberty of grace.
******* of law in contrast with the liberty of grace. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of *******. And whenever I read this epistle and go through it like this, it just almost brings tears to think of how that so much of Christendom is under *******.
******* under law.
So many.
With such clear instruction as we have in this epistle, behold, I Paul, say unto you that if ye be circumcised, that's all they were pressing. They say all we want is we just want you male children to be circumcised. That's all we want you males to be circumcised. Bring you up now to our Jewish standard. You see, those that are pressing circumcision were legalists and they were Judaists, and they did not understand Christianity.
They did not see how that Christianity has set aside that whole legal system.
And brought us into the liberty of grace, wonderful liberty of grace.
I say to you, he says, If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
Why is that? Because once they're circumcised, they're committed to that principle of law, and they have to do it all. They have to keep it all.
I testify again to everyone that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
As to keep it all.
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So it's not Christ and law. Christ did his part.
Now I have to do mine. That is a teaching which is quite prevalent today in Christendom. But if you bring in anything.
As an addition to Christ, Christ shall profit you nothing. You are back on the principle of law, whatever that little thing is. If Christ did 50% and I have to do 50%, Christ 50% is not going to profit me because I'm going to fail in my 50. What if Christ did 90% and I only have to do 10%? I'll still fail in my 10%. He won't. His doing 90% won't won't profit me.
What if you did 99%? I only have to do one. I'm still going to fail.
If he isn't a complete savior.
If it's not Christ and nothing else, only He.
If I have to do anything to contribute to my salvation or to keep being saved after once I am saved, Christ profits me nothing.
Because I'm a debtor to keep the whole law.
And what if I don't? What if I just fail in one point? Cursed is everyone that continueth, not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
So I put myself under the curse.
And.
*******.
I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Christ has become of no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are justified by the law, whether it's the initial act of justification or whether it's being justified by keeping the law after you're justified by Christ, either one of those ye are fallen from grace. It's not grace alone.
God will not share His grace with man's.
Law keeping.
It's either grace altogether and all alone.
That magnifies God. We don't like grace because it gives us nothing, nothing so humbling as grace. It makes nothing of us, nothing of us and everything of God. That's why we don't like grace.
Talking to a Roman Catholic instructor at school and I was setting these things before him and he said I don't like that. He said I want to do my part and that's typical of men. He wants to make his contribution towards his salvation.
Even though it's just a little bit.
Doesn't matter how much.
Such a soul is fallen from grace. That doesn't mean he's committed some great sin as murdering someone or something he's just abandoned. The very ground and foundation of Christian Christianity has gone back to the law principle.
Fallen from grace, for we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
We already have the righteousness. We are justified by faith in Him. We are made righteous by faith. But we're looking for the hope of it.
We, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteous. What is that? That's being with Him and like Him for all eternity, the hope of righteousness. We have the righteousness now. It's not like the NIV puts it, the righteousness for which we hope. We're not hoping for righteousness. We're hoping to be with Him. We have the righteousness now. It's the hope of righteousness.
There is a hope that goes along with being made righteous in Christ. He is our righteousness. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love. It doesn't matter whether you're circumcised or not circumcised. That doesn't make either one of the two groups one bit better than the other. In Christianity, it's faith that works by love. There's no advantage.
To being circumcised.
He did run well.
He started well.
Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth?
This persuasion, this voice that you've been listening to that has turned you aside from running in the path that you started in.
Cometh not of him that calleth you. The one that called you by the grace of Christ is not the voice you are listening to now.
This is another voice, and he's turned you out of the path. This persuasion, this persuasion by the legalists cometh not of him that calleth you the God of all grace, that has called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus.
You've listened to another voice.
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This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
God who has called us.
By his grace, to know Him is not the one that is.
Persuading us to go back to the law principle. That's the enemy.
A little leaven leaven leaveneth the whole lump. That verse is found in the 5th chapter of First Corinthians and also here in First Corinthians 5. It's it's moral evil that he's talking about, and here it's doctrinal evil. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. You accept this principle, this false principle of legalism keeping law, and you have.
Leavened the whole lump. You abandoned a Christian truth.
So then he goes on, I have confidence in you through the Lord, that you will be none otherwise minded.
But he that troubles you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. The legalist, the one that's seeking to turn you aside from grace to law, is going to bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision like they are, why do I yet suffer persecution?
All you have to do to escape the persecution was to get circumcised and then the legalist would leave you alone. That's what they wanted. That would be satisfied in your flesh.
He says If I yet preach circumcision, why do I suffer persecution?
Now the man who wrote this was one who was a real legalist, Saul of Tarsus.
He he kept the law blamelessly.
As far as circumcision and all the outward forms and things that they did.
He kept it.
Touching the righteousness which is in the law, he says he was blameless.
But now he has been delivered from that fully, completely set free. And so he says I'm suffering persecution because.
It does not give man in the flesh any standing whatsoever before God.
That's all they wanted, a mark in the flesh that they could glory in. In the flesh.
And the cross sets that aside completely. That's why he says then, is the offense of the cross cease. The offense of the cross is the end of the history of the 1St man.
The end of the flesh Man in the flesh before God gives him no standing whatsoever.
We are the.
Circumcision Philippians 3 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision you see that the concision where the legalists and you see that every Easter.
During the days of Lent, people will give up something. They will deny the flesh something. If they smoke, they'll deny smoking. If they drink, they'll deny drinking. If they're whatever, whatever a habit is that they really like, they're going to deny themselves that for that period of time.
And that's going to make them more acceptable to God, more approved of God. That's the principle of the concision.
Whereas the circumcision, the spiritual meaning of it, it's a different sense. He's talking in Philippians of the spiritual meaning of circumcision is a total cutting off of the flesh. Not denying yourself certain manifestations of the flesh, but denying the flesh, period.
And that's the Christian standing before God.
And to bear the mark of circumcision in the body would be to establish escalation. Truth would be to establish law again as a viable principle by which we are to live. And that is the denial of Christianity.
And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then? Is the offense of the cross ceased?
Defense of the cross is the setting aside totally of man in the flesh.
I would they were even cut off, which trouble you. Strong language New translation says I would they would cut themselves off. That's a play on words. They were pressing the cutting off of the flesh in circumcision, he said I would. They would cut themselves off. Who are trying to get you to cut off the flesh and have something you can glory and in the flesh, he said I would they were cut off which trouble you.
These legalists for brethren, ye have been called unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. That that meets the argument. Well, if you're not under law, then you can do as you please. You can sin all you want, and it'll only magnify the grace of God all the more. That's the argument of the legalists that don't understand grace.
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Ye have been called to liberty only. Use, not liberty, for an occasion to the flesh.
It doesn't mean that you're going to allow the flesh free rein.
No, not at all, but by love serve one another.
The gospel puts an end to the first man, the man in the flesh before God, so that now he can live in the Spirit before God.
For all the laws fulfilled in one word, even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
That's the principle the Lord brought to that rich young ruler, Love your neighbor as yourself and he didn't do it. But if he bite and devour one another, which happens when one is a legalist, they, they, they have their rules and regulations. And you, you must not do this and must not do that. That's not taste, not handle, not things which are all to perish with the using. That's legalism.
He bite and devour one another. Take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
This I say, then walk in the Spirit.
And ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We have a power that is much.
Much stronger than just prohibiting the flesh from lusting or committing adultery or stealing or whatever it is that doesn't work.
We have a power built in by the Spirit of God to enable us to walk now pleasing to him. Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill. It's not just a new life, but the Spirit of God as power of that life. You're going to have a beautiful car with a tremendous engine and you get at the bottom of this hill and you have to go up the hill. But if you forgot to put gasoline in the tank, you have no power. You won't make the hill no matter how powerful the engine is. You have to have the gasoline that the engine can use. And so you I'm just using that as.
Picture of the engine would be like our new nature and the gasoline would be the Spirit of God is the power of that new life that we have to enable us to overcome the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.
And these are contrary the one to the other, so that she should not, it should read, I think should not do the things that she would. So we have this conflict, We have a power now that enables us to.
Effectively refused the flesh when it puts forth its desires and tries to get us to do that which we know is not pleasing to the Lord. We have the Spirit of God as the power to withstand that.
The law is not that power, it's the Spirit of God. But if you be LED of the Spirit.
You're not under the law. So if you see a Christian who's under the law, he's not a lead, a spirit LED Christian.
If ye be LED of the Spirit, you are not under the law, Romans 614 says, For ye are not under the law, but under grace.
And here it says, if you be LED of the Spirit, you're not under the law. And sometimes those who speak so much of the Spirit of God are in *******. They're not really lead of the Spirit. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings and such like of the which I tell you before. Notice the and such like means this is not a complete list.
But this is just a sample of the flesh this works of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things.
Shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Notice it's the works of the flesh, and it's the fruit of the Spirit. Not the fruits of the Spirit, as we often misquote it, but the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Nine things, 9 flavored fruit of the Spirit of God. And when he operates in us, He produces that fruit which is really Christ, isn't it? That's a manifestation of the life of Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is love.
Joy. Peace.
Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness.
Faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. The one who is led by the Spirit and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. You don't have to put him under law. You don't have to tell him not to kill. You don't have to tell him not to steal or not to lie or not to lust.
Are not to kill or not to commit adultery. You don't have to tell him those things. He knows those things are not pleasing to God and he wants to please God. He has a power now to enable him to do that Spirit of God.
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They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Those that belong to Christ have accepted the sentence of judgments which God pronounced against the flesh at the cross. And they said Amen to that.
They've crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, and we do, let us also walk in the spirit. Let us not be desirous of Vainglory.
Provoking one another, envying one another if we do that.
If we envy someone else, maybe they make more money than we do, maybe they have a better car than we do, live in a nicer house than we do, wear better clothes than we do, or whatever it might be, we envy them.
Where on the principle of law in our soul.
Instead of being set free by the Spirit of God.
Vainglory.
Provoking one another and being one another.
Now we come to the last chapter. 6 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
I don't think the apostle is telling the Saints to look around, to look to examine themselves and see if they're spiritual or not.
I don't really believe that's the force of it.
I believe there's a little bit of irony in what the apostle says.
He says if you're really spiritual, show it by your ability to restore an erring 1.
A legalist will never be able to restore. They can point the finger at and they can blame, and they can.
Drive one away, but they can't restore. So he's telling them what is the real true mark of spirituality if a man be overtaken in a faulty which are spiritual. Not one who fancies himself spiritual. Spiritual because he thinks he's keeping the law.
But one who's truly so.
Show it, restore such in one, in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. It's grieved me as I go from place to place and find some that have been put away.
And we've had so much ministry on it. That's never the intent of God to keep the person outside, but that they might be restored to the Lord and brought back into a place of useful service.
In the assembly, but it's it seems to me that it's far more put away than restored back.
And that's a mark of our poor, our low spiritual state, I believe.
We really ought to seek those that are strained before it's necessary to exact severe discipline. We need that. We need that going out and seeking them, searching for them as a shepherd, a strained sheep.
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such in one in the spirit of meekness.
Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
There you want another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Seek to be of help to those who are under heavy burdens. Help to bear them, to lighten their load.
If any man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. The legalist does. He thinks himself to be something. He's he's measuring up to a standard that he set up in his life. And if he measures to it, then he feels himself, he feels quite satisfied with himself.
A man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
But let every man prove his own work.
And then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
For every man shall bear his own burden.
Verse two were to bear one another's burdens. Verse five were to bear our own burdens. There are things that only you can bear in high in my life only I can bear. And we are responsible before God for those things. He's given burdens to each of us that are our own. But then there are things that we can help another with, and that's verse 2.
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But verse 5 is that which we are responsible before.
The Lord about each one individually to walk in the truth.
Let him that is taught in the word.
Communicate. Give.
To him that teacheth in all good things.
The principle brought out in several of Paul's epistles that the laborers worthy of his hire.
So one who is taught is to communicate to the teacher and to help him along the way and to encourage him.
Now, Paul didn't exercise that right at Corinth and at Thessalonica, and there was a reason for it in each assembly. He would not receive from the Saints at Corinth because there were those there that we're saying is only out for your money. He's not interested really in you and he just wants to get what you have for him. Just he's after your, he's after your money.
And that wasn't true at all.
So he didn't receive from them, though they were a wealthy group. He received from the Philippians at Macedonia, they were quite poor. He received from them. And in Thessalonica there were those that wouldn't work. And he establishes the principle that laziness like that is not to be commended, it's disorderly. And if one does not work, neither should he eat. And so Paul would not receive from them because he was setting an example to them.
That he provided for his own when he was there.
He was a tent maker, not married, and he he provided for his own. He was an example to them. But here he's establishing the principle. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
Be not deceived.
God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. The principle of God's government is inflexibly true whether you're a St. or a Sinner. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall, he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit.
Shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
You reap what you sow I reap what I sow And that we cannot change.
They cannot change. The farmer sows the seed in the spring, and he reaps what he's sown in the fall.
That's the principle that is established here.
You cannot get away with anything with Him. Everyone gives an account sooner or later. Some men's sins are manifest beforehand, others wait till later and they will be dealt with then.
But they will be dealt with for sure. For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. So how good to reap to sow to the Spirit, and of the Spirit to reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. So you see, the principle of grace and liberty doesn't doesn't give license to sin, it's just the opposite. It's the only way that one can be enabled not to sin and live. A holy and godly life is by grace, not law.
Man is all wrong in thinking that the only way you can stop the evil in this world.
Is by putting him under the ******* of a law. It doesn't work.
Doesn't work.
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them which are the household of faith.
You see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand, or with what large letters? Paul usually had a secretary and Emmanuelensis write his letters for him.
Because.
Evidently he did have an eye affliction that he couldn't see well, but he wrote this letter with his own hands, so he wrote it in large letters.
Because it was so important, he wouldn't didn't want to entrust it to anyone else.
You see how large a letter I have written unto you with my own hand? As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be only, lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
To conform to the standards that men were trying to impress upon these Gentile believers.
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Would it enable them to escape the persecution that they would get if they refused it, because they understood what the law, what the Cross, had done for them? But it would be just to make a fair show in the flesh, for neither they themselves who are circumcised, keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
Now what did Paul learn to glory in?
Not in something that gave prominence to man, but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and all its principles and all its.
Of acting The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation, a new creature, or a new creation.
And as many as walk according to this rule, they were trying to put them under the rule of law. He says, I'll give you a rule to go by. It's the rule of the new creation, the new man in Christ associated with him in resurrection. As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God. The Israel of God is the is those from among the nation of Israel that had true faith.
That were truly saved. They were the true.
Israel of God, Romans two. He is not a Jew which was one outwardly, but he is a Jew which is 1 inwardly.
Whose circumcision is not that outward one of the flesh, but of the heart.
That's a true Jew. That's the true Israel of God.
From henceforth, let no man trouble me.
He had been troubled, persecuted, misrepresented, slandered, all evil things that man had done to him.
For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. They were pressing, having the mark of circumcision in the flesh. He says I've got something I glory in. It's the marks of the Lord Jesus. He could take his shirt off and show you those marks that he'd been whipped and flogged and tortured.
He could show you those marks that he bore in his body for the Lord Jesus. He said. That's what I glory in. I suffered that for Christ and I glory in that. That's something that gives prominence to me, that which glorifies Him.
I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Rather, in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with your Spirit.
Your spirit beautiful when you come into an assembly where the assembly is.
Is permeated by the spirit of grace, not law, and you can feel it right away.
Spirit of grace, not law.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit.
Amen.