Galatians 2.1-10

In 2009, a church pastor, who actively denied the objective truth of the Bible with this statement, “I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example),” and who also denied the Trinity, Hell and the Resurrection in their teaching, interviewed Christopher Hitchens, one of the most famous atheists of our time. 

Hitchens, the atheist, didn’t believe in God or an afterlife. Hitchens died of cancer in December 2011 but at the time of the interview he was riding a wave of popularity from his best-selling book God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.

In a very interesting moment during the interview, the renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens said to the Bible denying church leader, “I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.”

As we have been hearing from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the  churches in Galatia, there were, and continue to be, Pastors, Bible study facilitators, Seminary professors, and people claiming to be Christian, that do not believe or teach the truth of the Bible.

In this morning’s section of the Biblical book of Galatians, we hear about the Apostle Paul traveling to the city of Jerusalem to meet with Jesus’ original disciples to compare the messages about Jesus that they were sharing with the world around them.

The Apostle Paul was always concerned that false teaching in the churches was taking the spotlight off of Jesus and giving people false hope through a false message that had nothing to do with God’s Word and God’s Will.

Let’s hear about this interview that the Apostle Paul held with Jesus’ original disciples now.

Galatians 2.1-10 tells us this:

[1] Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. [2] I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. [3] But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. [4] Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—[5] to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. [6] And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. [7] On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised [8] (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), [9] and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. [10] Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. (ESV)

In this piece of autobiographical information from the Apostle Paul, we hear that after 14 years of traveling around the Mediterranean region he went to Jerusalem to visit with Jesus’ original disciples, the OGGs (The Original Gospel Gangstas).  Before going to Jerusalem on this trip, Paul spent one and a half decades preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.  As people received the message of Christ as their Savior and repented of their Sin, Paul started Christian churches where the believers could gather together for encouragement and support.

However, the time had come for Paul to show unity with the disciples in order for the Good News of Jesus to keep spreading.

As Paul was preaching to the Gentiles, meaning the non-Jewish population, and the disciples were preaching to the Jewish population, people started to notice their different fields of work.

So, in order to show the world that both he and the disciples were sharing the same Good News—that forgiveness of Sin and eternal life in Heaven comes by faith alone, never by good deeds to please God—Paul traveled to Jerusalem to promote the unity that Jesus Christ brings across ethnic groups, socio-economic groups, gender groups, etc. 

As the Apostle Paul will say later in this letter to the churches in the region of Galatia during the 1st Century following Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection,

[26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:26–29, ESV)

How did the Apostle Paul know that Jesus’ original disciples were preaching and teaching the exact Gospel message that Jesus gave to them?  

Well, the Apostle Paul used what I like to call, “The Titus Test.”

When the Apostle Paul went up to Jerusalem to compare the Good News of Jesus that he was sharing with the Good News of Jesus that the original disciples were sharing, the Apostle Paul took Titus with him.

Titus was a Gentile, meaning not Jewish.

If the disciples, with their Jewish background, insisted that Titus be circumcised, in order to follow the Jewish Law, before he could be fully acceptable to God the Father in Heaven, Paul would know immediately that their message was false because they were adding human works and human traditions to simple faith in Jesus Christ.

However, Paul finds assurance that they are true brothers in Jesus Christ because Titus “was not forced to be circumcised.”  Even though they had Jewish backgrounds and were preaching to the Jewish population, they believed and taught that works of the Law saved no one.  For the message of both Paul and the disciples was the Good News of Jesus Christ that forgiveness and salvation come by faith alone.

The true Gospel that both the Apostle Paul and Jesus’ original disciples were proclaiming was that Jesus is your Savior.

The true Gospel proclaims reality.  

Reality is that every man, woman, and child is dead in Sin from the moment of conception.  We are birthed into this world an enemy of God choosing the selfish option, the self-centered choice, and in pride, declaring our self-righteousness with no need for God in our life.

Reality is that in order for you and me to have hope in a life with God, the Creator of the Universe, on our side, we need someone to breathe life into us, rescue us, and provide forgiveness of Sin so that God can be present with us and us with God.

Reality is that the person, who provides a way for us to be forgiven of Sin and rescued from God’s wrath and punishment that we fully deserve because of Sin, the One promised shortly after the creation of all that has and will ever exist, is none other than the God-Man, Jesus.

The overly famous Bible text of John 3:16–17 tells us this truth when we hear,

[16] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (ESV)

The Gospel, meaning, “Good News,” is that God’s love transcends human brokenness.  Despite every human’s defiance to God’s rules for life and love, God demonstrates nothing but grace and mercy towards us.

Because of this, we cannot tell people that Jesus is their mascot, cheering them on as they do whatever makes them feel good in he moment.

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is one option among many and that all roads lead to God in Heaven.  

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is just a good teacher.

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is their therapist giving them good advice to follow in order to better themselves and forge a healthier existence in this world. 

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is the giver of bling, existing to make them healthy and wealthy.

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is their National Patriot fighting for and defending only their people group.

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is just a social justice warrior.

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is just a moral example to be used with the mantra, “What Would Jesus Do?”

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is a mystic—a spiritual guru who wants them to look inward and be led by their feelings and “vibes.”

That is not the true Gospel.

We cannot tell people that Jesus is a new form of Moses—the giver of a new set of rules and laws to follow the will make you worthy of God’s love and forgiveness.

That is not the true Gospel.

God did not step off the throne in Heaven and enter this world in the person of Jesus Christ for the silly business of being your mascot, one option among many for you, a good teacher, a therapist, or a giver of bling.

The innocent and blameless Jesus did not die through the excruciating and humiliating death on a cross so that he could simply be your national patriot, a social justice warrior, a moral example, a vibe giving mystic, or the giver of new rules and laws.

Jesus walked this earth, lived daily like you and me (except without sin), died on the cross and rose from the grave to be your Savior.  

Jesus did all of this for you to give you eternal hope by reconciling you God the Father in Heaven through the forgiveness of your Sin.

The true Gospel that both the Apostle Paul and Jesus’ original disciples were proclaiming was that Jesus is your Savior.

While doing relief work in Haiti following the devastating earthquake there on January 12, 2010, Palmer Chichen observed firsthand the tragedy of building a house with a lot of sand and not enough steel:

There was a problem in Haiti. Houses were built with too much sand and not enough steel. Sand is cheap, so because of poverty, when many Haitians built their cement-block homes, they used more sand than they should have in their mortar mix. And because steel is expensive, they didn’t use enough steel in the columns and ring beams. So when the ground quaked, homes crumbled; there was too much sand and not enough steel. It was a tragedy of poverty.

In our own poverty of spirit, we try to build lives this way:

We build marriages with too much anger and not enough love … and they crumble. We build reputations on too much pride and not enough humility … and they crumble. We build families on too much busyness and not enough time … and they crumble. We build friendships on too much criticism and not enough grace … and they crumble.

We build our hope on false Christs and false gospels…and that faith crumbles when we experience suffering or when we don’t get what we think we deserve in this life. 

Knowing how attractive false gospels and false Christs are to our human nature, Jesus gives this warning in Matthew 7:15–29:

[15] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. [16] You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. [18] A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

[21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ [23] And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

[24] “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. [26] And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. [27] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

[28] And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, [29] for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (ESV)

And, then, Jesus makes the true Gospel, the Only Good News, explicitly clear to you, as He did to His original disciples and the Apostle Paul, when He says:

[6] “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [7] If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (ESV)

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Reverend Fred Scragg V.

February 16, 2025.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, 

You are our great King. We are eager to declare our willingness to go where you command and follow wherever you lead. Yet we confess that we are very weak and fickle. We are easily distracted, constantly diverted from your ways, and quick to follow our own sinful hearts instead. As we plan our futures, we think more of our safety, comfort, and financial profit than we do of laying down our lives for the sake of your kingdom. We are eager to please our families and friends, and slow to consider your calling and your glory our highest goal. 

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you did not guard your own interests, but chose to leave the comfort and richness of heaven for us. When you came to earth, you did not build a secure and comfortable home for yourself, but camped out in the open air or lived in the homes of others. Your first bed on earth was a dirty feeding trough; your last bed, a stone slab in a cold tomb. You made yourself vulnerable, not only to the harsh elements of nature, but also to the foul hatred of those you had come to save. You even gave up the precious fellowship you had shared with your Father from all eternity, to make your rebellious enemies into your redeemed brothers and sisters. Your obedient, joyful self-sacrifice now enables us to stand before our Father, forgiven of our self-centeredness and clothed in your obedience. 

Teach us what it means to take up our cross daily and follow you. Help us put to death our overwhelming desires to control our own lives in the present and future. Show us the emptiness of owning nice things, the shallowness of the praise of others, and the offensiveness of our enormous pride. Fill us with such a burning passion for your glory that we will suffer any loss, ridicule, inconvenience, or cost, in order to hear your name praised in every land, from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. Change our selfish hearts. Enlarge them with a love and gratitude toward you so immense and powerful that following you will be our greatest joy and delight. Amen.

Benediction:

Go, in Peace today.  Jesus is your Savior. Period. The end.

Galatians 1.6-9

Are you a liar?

Are you good at telling untruths and getting away with it?

I know; I know; A heart stabbing question right out of the gate this morning. 

Well, Nobody likes to be lied to. It is generally agreed that lying is a sin or is not socially acceptable and potentially harmful. Some people believe they are smart enough to spot a liar and have no worries about being duped. Current research on the subject plainly shows that they are not giving credit to man’s master ability to distort and deceive.

Researchers list a surprising 102 possible nonverbal cues that are alleged to expose a liar. The most prominent ones are: “averted gaze, blinking, talking louder … shrugging, shifting posture and movements of the head, hands, arms or legs.”

Numerous studies have found people to be overconfident in their perception and judgment. A study at Texas Christian University revealed that no student volunteers were only able to pick true from false statements better than 54 percent of the time—just slightly above chance.

Even experts who are trained in this area are failing. Studies found police officers no better than 50/50 in recognizing true and false statements told during recorded outbursts by emotional family members who later were found to have committed horrific crimes.

Psychologist Ronald Fisher, who trains FBI agents, warns that good liars are good liars. “Liars do feel more nervous, but that’s an internal feeling as opposed to how they behave as observed by others.”

In this morning’s Biblical text, the Apostle Paul continues his letter to the churches in the region of Galatia.  For your information, 2000 years ago, Galatia was where modern day Turkey now exists on a map.  

Paul’s main concern is that after the Galatian Christians heard the truth of Jesus Christ and the grace of God that leads to forgiveness and enteral life, some false teachers have been lying to them and they are having trouble telling the difference between the truth of God and the lies of man. 

Let’s hear more about the problem in Galatia now.

In Galatians 1.6-9, the Apostle Paul says this:

[6] I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—[7] not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. [9] As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (ESV)

Paul starts this section of his letter by confronting and rebuking the Christians that he taught about Jesus.  He says that he is “astonished” that they are quickly throwing Jesus out the window and placing their hope for God’s love in other places.

In Paul’s words, the Christinas in Galatia are turning away from Jesus to a different gospel—a gospel that is contrary to the truth they have already heard and believed.

What are the other “gospels” out there that tempt us to walk from Jesus?

When the Apostle Paul was writing in the mid-first century following Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, he was confronting a legalistic gospel that were being introduced to the churches in the region of Galatia.

The false teachers that were troubling the churches were saying that faith in Jesus Christ was not enough to find yourself loved and accepted by God.  Even though these words of faith-based salvation were spoken by God throughout created history, some in the Apostle Paul’s day, and some in our day, continue to insist on additions to faith in Jesus Christ.  

In the Apostle Paul’s day, as well as in our day—even some of the most powerful and popular preachers and church leaders—taught that one had to keep the Mosaic Law (the Old Testament laws) in addition to believing in Jesus.  

This false teaching perverts the true Good News of Jesus by reversing the order of salvation.  Instead of simply believing in Jesus Christ who perfectly completed every last Old Testament Mosaic Law for you, you had to perfectly complete every last Old Testament Mosaic Law for Jesus.

As Martin Luther, the 16th Century Church Reformer said in his 1535 lecture on the Biblical book of Galatians:

“There is no middle ground between Christian righteousness and works-righteousness.  There is no other alternative to Christian righteousness by works righteousness;  if you do not build your confidence on the work of Christ you must build your confidence on your own work.”¹

As any truthful simply and superficial evaluation of our thoughts, words, and actions will tell us, we cannot find hope and peace for God’s forgiveness in the works of our daily life.  We know we can always do better than we have done, even if we are unwilling to admit that publicly.

In today’s post-Christendom era, one false gospel that is prevalent in Christianity is the The Therapeutic Gospel.

The Therapeutic Gospel tells us that the church is here to help us along in our quest for personal happiness and fulfillment.  

This false “gospel” confuses our spiritual symptoms such as a troubled marriage, anxiety, anger, and addictions, with our spiritual disease which is sin.  

The Therapeutic gospel doesn’t tell you about what Jesus has done to reconcile you to God the Father.  Instead, it tells you that you just have to learn a few techniques and life hacks to feel happier today so that you feel like you fit into the world more.

A church that relies on the Therapeutic gospel will called their sermons, “teachings,” and on a Sunday morning you will regularly hear about 3 steps to a healthier marriage or 5 steps to financial freedom.

The Therapeutic gospel is not concerned with the ultimate problem of humanity—eternal freedom and a healthy relationship with God.

A second false gospel that is prevalent in Christianity today is The Judgmentless Gospel.

The end of everyone’s story is the same.  We will stand before the throne of God and give account for what we have done or not done in this life.  

The good news is that if we stand before God’s judgement being found with faith in Jesus Christ, we will be declared innocent and welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven.  If we are found before God’s judgment without faith in Jesus, we will be thrown in the the suffering of hellfire that comes from being separated from our Creator and Redeemer forever.

The Judgmentless gospel tells us that the Church is here to encourage people in whatever they are doing and never mention the need to repent of sin or be rescued from the wrath of God.

This false gospel gets rid of the end of everyone’s story and ends up telling lies like, “Everybody is going to Heaven,” “All roads lead to God,” “The afterlife is not as important as this life,” “God doesn’t send anyone to hell,” and “God looks at your heart.”

The Judgmentless gospel often hides under the banners of “tolerance” and “inclusion” when God does not tolerate sin or include unrepentant unbelievers in His Kingdom of Heaven.

Without judgment, sin becomes less serious and the offer of forgiveness loses its power. After all, if there is no eternal judgment, what do we need to be saved from?

A third false gospel that some Christian Churches present is The Moralist Gospel.

The Moralist gospel tells people that Jesus just wants you to be a good person.  The emphasis in this false alternative to Biblical Christianity is not what God has done for you in Jesus, but what you can do for God with or without Jesus. 

Here, good news becomes good advice.  

A church that teaches the Moralist gospel tells its people that we don’t need Jesus to save us from the damnation that we deserve because of Sin.  Instead, we need Jesus to give us the willpower to do the right things according to the standards of the gathered community.  

A fourth example of a false gospel that is popular today is The Activist Gospel.

The Activist Gospel turns the church into a place where people gather together to fight for social justice and rally behind political causes.  

In churches where the Activist Gospel is idolized, the central point of Christianity—the cross of Christ that rescues one from sin—is pushed aside and overlooked.

In place of being the Suffering Servant who serves you in your sin by making your a saint with his righteousness, Jesus is held up as one who came to start a social revolution.  Here, Jesus becomes a proponent of publicly fighting the authorities that you and your so-called church often feel are taking away your rights to worldly happiness.

The Activist Gospel focused on building Heaven on Earth while marching toward eternity in Hell.  Kings and Presidents become personal and societal saviors while Jesus is just a good example of challenging and defeating “the man.”

A final example of a false gospel that is present in today’s world is The Churchless Gospel.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged a large percentage of churches to stream their services online, there was a huge movement of Christians who believed that attendance at a local church was not necessary for the continuation and heath of their faith in Christ. 

Some also believe and promote that the local church is actually an obstacle to one’s pursuit of God.  

Now, I know because of sin, sometimes others sin and sometimes our sin, many of us, including me, your pastor, have had bad experiences with churches and because of these bad experiences maybe the church has been an obstacle in your faith journey. 

A sad reality is that because Christians are forgiven sinners who still struggle with sin, Christians and the churches they gather in often end up hurting people. 

If you have had a not so great, maybe even a hurtful and traumatizing experience with a church in your past, I am truly sorry.  

However, contrary to the belief that regular attendance at a local church is optional or even detrimental for the believer, we hear in Scripture that the regular local gathering of Christians is not something we can do without.

In another New Testament Epistle (or, letter), the Biblical book of Hebrews, we hear the author encourage us to not forget our need for regular attendance at church when he says:

[23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, [25] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23–25, ESV)

As Christians, we should know and find joy and hope in the truth that Jesus gave His life for the church, His bride.  If Jesus died to save the Church, who are we to say that Christians can or should forsake the church?

As a quick aside: 

If you are interested in finding out more about these false gospels so that you can be educated on what the lies are that take our focus off of Jesus, I recommend the book Counterfeit Gospels by Trevin Wax. 

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:

Now, it would be easy to say to like Paul, “I am astonished that the Galatians are so foolish! How can they turn away from God’s grace in Jesus for some false teaching?  What fools!”

However, each of us is a fool on a regular basis. 

We easily confess faith in Jesus alone for salvation, but we live daily like we still have to prove something to God if we are going to be confident that He truly loves us.

In our sin, we like the idea of proving that we are worthy. 

But, distorting God’s Good News of Jesus Christ and taking peace and hope away from people is such serious business that the Apostle Paul says to the Christians in the city of Galatia that if he comes back and tells them anything different than what he has already told them—that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the grave to freely give them forgiveness of sin and eternal life—or if an angel from Heaven comes to them and tells them something different than they have already rejoiced in and testified to—that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the grave to freely give them forgiveness of sin and eternal life—his utmost desire is that he and those angels would be cursed and sent to Hell for distorting the Good News of Jesus Christ that God has truly prepared and fulfilled for them.

The Apostle John, who wrote the New Testament books of John, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John, also wrote the New Testament book of Revelation.  In the book of Revelation, which is the final book in the New Testament part of the Bible, God gives the Apostle John a picture of the end of history and the installation of Heaven onto Earth.  

At the very end of the book of Revelation, Jesus gives this warning to everyone in the world:

[18] I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, [19] and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18–19, ESV)

One writer, adding commentary to this morning’s Biblical text from Galatians said:

“To distort the gospel is to destroy the church because the church is created and lives by the gospel.  The greatest troublemakers in the church are those who wish to distort the gospel message.  I believe Satan operates more effectively through false gospels than through any other avenue.  He twists, confuses, and changes the gospel, using philosophy and rule-keeping to put people in mental [chains] that blind their eyes to the truth.”²

The Apostle Peter reminds and warns Christinas throughout the Mediterranean region to:

[6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, [7] casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. [8] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (1 Peter 5:6–9, ESV)

And, back in Ephesians, the Apostle Paul adds:

[11] And [Jesus] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, [12] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, [14] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15] Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16] from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11–16, ESV)

Although therapy, mercy, morals, activism, and church attendance can be good things,  God does not love you because you try to get your life together in therapy, act merciful towards others, attempt to live by a code of morals, fight for rights through activism, or sit in a church pew on Sunday morning.

God loves you, and only loves you, because He is full of grace for you.

The only Gospel, the only Good News, that you have is that Jesus Christ—God in the flesh—gave Himself on the cross for your sins to deliver you from this present evil age according to the will of God our Father who also raised Him from the dead for your eternal life in Heaven.

Jesus says to you who believe in Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32,ESV)

This morning, run as fast as you can from false teachers with their Christ-denying theology.  Pray for the wisdom to know to trust the truth and discard the lies.  And, rest in the only place that there is true peace and hope—in God’s grace alone that tells you the Good News that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the grave to freely give them forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Reverend Fred Scragg V.

February 2, 2025.

Prayer:

Sovereign Commander of the universe, 

You are our fortress, our refuge, and our shield. Fight for us, and our foes must flee; uphold us and we cannot fall; strengthen us and we stand unmovable; stand by us and Satan must depart. Anoint our lips with a song of salvation, and we will shout your victory and sing of your triumph. 

Father, 

though you wrap us in the protection of your powerful and loving arms, we frequently turn away from you and put our trust in ourselves and others. We are easily enthralled by human glory and fail to see your glory, wisdom, kindness, and care. We are easily impressed by the strengths of others, putting too much faith in them or envying them, according to our inclinations. We have high expectations of people around us and feel undone when they fail us and behave like ordinary, depraved sinners. Father, forgive us for putting our trust in men and women, and failing to trust you, our King of Glory. 

Lord Jesus, 

your blood and your righteousness soar above the mountains of our sin and plead for us before the throne of grace. Every sinful act of self-worship and man-worship, and the oceans of sin flowing from them, are fully paid for by your atoning blood. Your life of obedience, in which you loved people without ever putting your hope and trust in them, is given to us to replace our own deeply flawed obedience. Jesus, thank you for accomplishing our salvation, and for giving it to us as a free gift.

Holy Spirit, 

free us from the worship of man, and the fear of man that flows from it. When we idolize and put our trust in others, we cannot love them. Help us to worship God alone, and to know when our hearts are drifting once again into sinful regard for ourselves and others. Open our eyes to see the glory and majesty of our Great King so that we will fly into his loving arms with all our fears, all our cares, and our unbelieving hearts. There may we take refuge in the life and death of our Savior and rest in the power of our victorious King. Teach us to trust and hope in him alone, until the day we stand before him, captivated by his glory, and lost in his love. Amen.

Benediction:

Go, in peace today.  Abide in God’s Word—the Bible.  Know the truth of Jesus for you and live in freedom this week.

1. Martin Luther, Luther’s Works: Lectures on Galatians 1535 Chapters 1-4, Volume 26 (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing, 1963), Preface. ↩︎
2. David Platt and Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Galatians: Christ-Centered Exposition (Brentwood, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 22. ↩︎

Galatians 1.1-5

There are many illustrations, often humorous, of two individuals standing in the clouds at the pearly gates of Heaven.  One person is usually dressed in what we would consider normal everyday clothes while the other appears in a white robe with angel wings peaking out the back.   

The implication of these illustrations is that the angel-like being standing at the podium with the giant book is checking people into the Kingdom of Heaven only if their name is written in his log book, Biblically known as God’s Book of Life.

So, I ask you this morning, when you imagine yourself standing in the clouds at gate of Heaven and speaking to the keeper of the book of life, how do you imagine the conversation will go?

Do you think you will say something like, “Hello, my name is Frederick Reid Scragg, the 5th.  My name is on God’s roster in God’s Book of Life because I was a good person on earth.  I tried my hardest and did my best.  I am pretty sure that my good deeds were more numerous than my bad deeds, so, God should be expecting me.”

I would argue that this way of thinking about entrance into God’s Kingdom of Heaven is commonplace with great numbers of people around the world — maybe even some of you in this room right now.

However, as our Biblical text for this morning is going to show us,  this way of thinking about how one enters God’s Kingdom of Heaven needs to be corrected. 

In a biography of 19th Century American Writer Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, Twain was quoted as saying:

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out, and your dog would go in.”

As we begin a 15 week sermon series through the Biblical New Testament book of Galatians, we are going to hear the Apostle Paul hammer home the absolute, bottom line, Good News, that God does not need or require our good works to forgive our sin and welcome us home into Heaven.  The truth is that because of the seriousness of Sin, there is no number of good works that would ever cause you or me to earn or merit acceptance by God. 

Galatians 1:1–5 has Paul introducing himself—the writer of the letter—and naming the intended recipients of the letter along with his reason for writing to them.

Let’s hear from the Apostle Paul in the beginning of the Biblical book of Galatians now.

Galatians 1.1-5 says this:

[1] Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—[2] and all the brothers who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

[3] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, [4] who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, [5] to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)

In 1535, while lecturing on the Biblical book of Galatians, 16th Century Church Reformer, Martin Luther spoke these words to his audience:

“In the very title of his epistle [meaning, letter] he erupts and speaks what he has in his heart. His purpose in this epistle is to discuss and to defend the righteousness that comes by faith, and to refute the Law and the righteousness that comes by works. He is filled with thoughts like these, and out of this marvelous and overflowing abundance of the excellent wisdom and knowledge of Christ in his heart his mouth speaks…

By this righteousness alone we are justified, and by it we shall also be raised from death to eternal life on the Last Day. But those who are trying to undermine the righteousness of Christ are resisting the Father as well as the Son and the work of both of Them.”¹

As we make our way through Biblical texts in our Sunday sermons, you often hear me share some truths from the Apostle Paul. 

Well, today, we are going to get insight into who the Apostle Paul is and why he is so important to the Christian Church.

But, to begin, let’s ask, “What is the book of Galatians?”

The book of Galatians is a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to a group of churches in the city of Galatia during the mid-1st century.

After his dramatic conversion to Christianity, which we will hear about in a few minutes, the Apostle Paul traveled around the Mediterranean region preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ alive, dead, and resurrected for the forgiveness of your sin and your eternal life.

As people repented of their Sin and found hope in Jesus the Savior, the Apostle Pau started churches for all the believers to gather in on a regular basis—usually Sunday, the first day of the week, the Lord’s day, the day of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

After the Apostle Paul left a city, he would receive reports about how the churches and Christians were doing in their faith and their sharing of God’s love.  In response to what he heard, the Apostle Paul would write letters to encourage them in their sharing of God’s love and, when need be, correct their sinful thinking, speaking, and acting.

The Apostle Paul writes the letter of Galatians to the Christians in the city of Galatia as both a warning and a rebuke. 

The Apostle Paul has heard that false teachers had entered the church and were telling the Christians that faith in Jesus was not enough for justification and salvation.  The false teachers were telling them that in order to be accepted by God they also had to work hard to complete the over 600 Jewish commands for pleasing God with your life.

The false teachers were teaching the false belief hat your name is written in God’s Book of Life through proving yourself worthy in good deeds on earth.

The false teachers were denying the original sin that corrupt us and makes it impossible to do truly unselfish good deeds.

The false teachers were giving people the false hope that at the gates of Heaven you could say:

“Hello, my name is Frederick Reid Scragg, the 5th.  My name is on God’s roster in God’s Book of Life because I was a good person on earth.  I tried my hardest and did my best.  I am pretty sure that my good deeds were more numerous than my bad deeds, so, God should be expecting me.”

This false teaching of Jesus plus good works righteously angered the Apostle Paul because he had first hand experience with attempting and failing to complete the over 600 Jewish laws and commands in an attempt to please God and earn a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let’s hear the history of how Saul the Jewish zealot, who killed and imprisoned Christians, as an attempt to complete the Jewish laws and please God, became the works denying and Jesus exalting preacher and Church planter.

Paul’s conversion to Christian repentance and belief is recorded for us in another New Testament Biblical book called Acts.

Acts 9.1-22 tells us this:

[1] But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. [3] Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. [4] And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” [5] And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. [6] But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” [7] The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. [8] Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. [9] And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

[10] Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” [11] And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, [12] and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” [13] But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. [14] And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” [15] But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. [16] For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” [17] So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” [18] And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; [19] and taking food, he was strengthened.

For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. [20] And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” [21] And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” [22] But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. (ESV)

If anyone has come to know the difference between the lie of justification by works and the truth of justification by faith alone, it is the Apostle Paul.  He spent a large percentage of his life trying to make God happy by thinking, saying, and doing “the right things.”  But, when confronted by Jesus Christ, he came to see that the road to Heaven is only opened up by faith in Jesus Christ who alone was able to think, say, and do the things that made God happy.

So, in another letter from the Bible’s New Testament, Philippians, the Apostle Paul issues another warning about following false teachers and gives us a little bit more of his qualifications for knowing and preaching the truth of Jesus Christ alive, dead, and resurrected for the forgiveness of Sin and eternal life.

In Philippians 3:2–11, the Apostle Pauls says:

[2] Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. [3] For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—[4] though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. [7] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—[10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (ESV)

Returning to Martin Luther’s 1535 lecture on Galatians, we hear:

“Christian holiness is not active but passive. Therefore let no one call himself holy on the basis of his way of life or his works—fasting, prayer, flagellation almsgiving, or the consolation of the sad and afflicted.  Such works, of course, are holy, and God strictly demands them of us; but they do not make us holy. You and I are holy; …—not on the basis of [our] own holiness but on the basis of a holiness not [our] own, not an active holiness, but a passive holiness.  [We] are holy because [we] possess something that is divine and holy, namely, the calling of the ministry, the Gospel, Baptism, etc., on the basis of which [we] are holy.”²

In this morning’s Biblical text from Galatians 1 and in these additional Biblical texts that we have heard from, the Apostle Paul is saying that all that he is, all that he has (both here and in Heaven), and all that the Christians in Galatia have, comes from God’s grace through (the person and work of) Jesus Christ.

So, I now ask you this morning, when you imagine yourself standing in the clouds at gate of Heaven and speaking to the keeper of the book of life, how do you imagine the conversation will go?

I hope and pray that each of you will say something like, “My name is Frederick Reid Scragg, the 5th.  I am confident that my name is in God’s Book of Life because Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Friend, has given His life over to death on the cross for me. I know that in exchange for my sin, He has given me his perfect record of righteousness so that life in God’s eternal Kingdom of Heaven is mine.  If you look at my name, and all of the other names in that book before you, they are written with the blood of Jesus who alone makes entrance in Heaven possible for everyone who believes in Him.”

So, this morning, “…believe that Christ was given not only for the sins of others but also for yours. Hold to this firmly, and do not let anything deprive you of this sweet definition of Christ, which brings joy even to the angels in heaven: that Christ is, in the strictest of terms, not a Moses, a tormentor, or an executioner but the Mediator for sins and the Donor of grace, who gave Himself, not for our merits, holiness, glory, and holy life but for our sins.”³

This is the Word of God for you today.

This is the Grace of God for you today.

Amen.

Reverend Fred Scragg V.

January 26, 2025.

Prayer:

Lord God, 

We thank you from the depths of our hearts for your wondrous grace and love to us in Christ. You have proven your faithfulness to us in the death and resurrection of your only Son and have promised us that you will not withhold any good thing from us. You are our sun and shield, and we should love to dwell in your presence more than anything else on earth. Yet we confess that we are full of sin and cannot walk uprightly. We are quick to grasp whatever blessings we can for ourselves and reluctant to trust in your perfect will. We scheme endlessly and impatiently to establish our own kingdoms and fail repeatedly to submit to your wisdom, power, and holy will. We have deceived and manipulated others to get our way. Help us to repent of these sins and make us willing to make restitution. 

Jesus Christ, without your perfect obedience given to us, we would have no hope at all of receiving favor from our heavenly Father. You walked uprightly on our behalf, yet you were treated like a wretched criminal, losing all honor and favor before your Father, so that we could live forever as treasured sons and daughters of the King. Now you are glorified and exalted, and you have lifted us up and covered our shame with your glory, even though we remain very sinful. Jesus, thank you. 

Spirit of the living God, you indwell us and always have your way with us. Help us to find our peace and refuge in God’s protection, so that we stop trying so hard to protect ourselves. May we find our true blessing in him, so that we can stop our restless and sinful attempts to grasp blessings for ourselves. Let us rejoice at the end of each day that you have done all things well and have not withheld from us one thing that we needed. Please give us the sweet grace of repentance so we can know your forgiveness, and give us the courage of confession and restitution, since we have been so lavishly loved by our Savior. Thank you for the weakness that keeps us near the cross, marveling at your rich and overwhelming grace to broken sinners. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.

Benediction:

Go in Peace today and “…believe that Christ was given not only for the sins of others but also for yours. Hold to this firmly, and do not let anything deprive you of this sweet definition of Christ, which brings joy even to the angels in heaven: that Christ is, in the strictest of terms, not a Moses, a tormentor, or an executioner but the Mediator for sins and the Donor of grace, who gave Himself, not for our merits, holiness, glory, and holy life but for our sins.”

1. Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works, Vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians Chapters 1-4, 21. ↩︎
2. Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works, Vol.26: Lectures on Galatians Chapters 1-4, 25. ↩︎
3.  Luther, Martin. Luther’s Works, Vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians Chapters 1-4, 38. ↩︎