If you are a guest with us and you've got little ones and you'd like to register them and check them into children's ministry, you can do so right now. We would love to serve you in that way. If you go out into the hallway, you can check your kids in and we can get you set up for the morning. As they're gathering in the back, you can turn with me in your Bibles to Galatians chapter 6. So turn with me to Galatians chapter 6. We are completing our series in the book of Galatians this morning, so Beginning in January, we started working our way through this incredible letter that Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia. And now we have our final message. So this will conclude our sermon series.
Before we read the text, just let me begin with a word of prayer. Lord, we again recognize that the preaching of Your Word because it is your word, because it is inspired, because your Spirit moves in the preaching of your word, is a significant means of grace to your people. And Lord, we want to be mindful of the truths of this letter. Lord, we've spent weeks now working our way through what you wanted to communicate to us through the pen of Paul. So God, we want your help now in remembering, and not just hearing, but being changed by your word. Lord, I pray that you would grant supernatural help far beyond my ability that would call to mind all that you have taught us in this letter, Lord, that we would remember the great themes, the clarity of your gospel, and the implications of your gospel for our lives together. Lord God, would you do those things this morning in our midst that Jesus might be glorified. It's in his name that we pray. Amen.
Well, turn with me to Galatians 6, beginning in verse 11. See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised. And only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But that— but far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world, For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
Well, I remember coming home from college after my freshman year. And so not only have you spent your first year away from home, you know, you're 18, you're officially quote unquote an adult, right? And for me anyway, I was 4.5 hours away up in the Twin Cities, and now I'm returning home for the summer, and all of my friends from high school are returning home from their colleges, and we all think we're pretty important. We all think that we've arrived, essentially. But we get back together and you're quickly reminiscing with friends you haven't seen in months. And a strange thing started to happen. As we're reminiscing, 'Oh, it's so great to see you,' and there's hugs and all that stuff, a comparison game started happening. And people inevitably are asking about, 'How'd your year go?' And being an immature 18-year-old, I took that as an invitation to describe to them just how awesome, not just my college experience, but my college was. Not that they wanted to know that, but as they asked how my year had been, I began to describe just how sweet the school was that I went to. And in doing so, really not so subtly explaining to them how come my school was so much better than their school. Ever experience something like that? You sit there and I remember some of the conversations with detail and it was so obvious what we were doing because as soon as you start to do that, the person you're talking to starts to respond in kind. 'Well yeah, at my school,' and you're listing off the reasons why your school is so great. 'Well, I've got this professor and he went to Harvard.' 'Well, I've got this professor and he wrote this great book.' And all these reasons why my school was superior. Blatant, outright boasting, trying to establish my own prestigiousness and superiority over that of my friends. And we kind of chuckle about it because we did it as 18-year-olds, but as adults we just do it in a little more careful ways, right? Some of us have maybe bumper stickers touting the honor students in our home. We think of ways where we can establish the significance of what we've accomplished. We find ways to boast.
Well, at the conclusion of the letter, Paul has poured himself out. He's fought for his gospel. He's challenged the Galatians in their beliefs and the way they live out those beliefs. And so now in the final paragraph, he's making his closing plea.
He even spells out that he's no longer using his scribe. His amanuensis is this guy who he basically dictates the letter to. He says, 'I'm taking up the pen myself. You see, I'm writing in my own hand.' And he says, 'You notice how big the letters are?' In other words, he's saying this is the first-century version of in bold, in italics, and underlined. 'I want you to pay attention to what I'm writing. I'm passionate about this. I'm serious about it.'
6 · Paul reviews the major points of his letter through the lens of boasting—an unexpected but strategic rhetorical move
He wants to review the major points he's proclaimed in the letter, and he wants to do it now through the lens of boasting. Kind of a funny way to bring the letter to a conclusion, isn't it? To talk about boasting.
7 · The pastor asserts that boasting is an expression of worship and that everyone boasts in something—it is a universal human activity that reveals what we worship
But he's very strategically using the concept of boasting for this reason: boasting expresses worship. Boasting expresses worship, and everyone boasts.
8 · Paul acknowledges that everyone, including himself, boasts
You know, we kind of chuckle when we hear a story about an 18-year-old returning from college and trying to brag about how awesome his college experience is. But we all have little ways where we do similar things in other parts of life, and Paul acknowledges even his own boasting in this passage. And by implication, he's calling us to boast in a similar way. He also calls attention to the boasting of his opponents and warns us against their practice.
9 · The pastor asserts that humans are created to worship, which means we are created to boast in what we find glorious and excellent
But here's the bottom line: everyone should be boasting about something. I think Paul is saying that here. You should be boasting. Now, the content of that boasting matters, but the reason why we boast is because we worship. The reason people find things to boast in is because we were created to worship. In other words, we were made for glory. We were made to experience and be satisfied with excellence, with beauty, with wonderful things. We're designed with a hardwired need to value the excellent and praiseworthy things.
10 · The Greek word for boasting means to exalt and glory in something, which is an act of worship
So you see this even in the meaning of the word. The word that we see as boast in our text literally means to exalt and glory in something. You exalt it, you glory in it, you worship it. So our boasting is simply an expression of our worship. We boast in what we worship.
11 · The pastor signals a transition to two supporting scripture passages that demonstrate the connection between boasting and worship
Now consider just two passages that connect boasting and worship.
12 · Psalm 97 shows the negative case: those who worship idols boast in worthless things, demonstrating that boasting expresses worship
In Psalm 97, speaking of the negative, we see this: All worshipers of images are put to shame who make their boast in worthless idols.
13 · Psalm 34:2 shows the positive case: the righteous boast in the Lord, which is an expression of worship directed toward the proper object
And then the positive is in Psalm 34:2. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
14 · The pastor lays out the sermon's structure: he will describe the characteristics of false boasting (in the flesh) and then true boasting (in the cross)
So he's using the language of boasting, and he wants to identify those who are boasting in the wrong things, and he does that in Galatians by addressing those who are boasting in the flesh. So boasting is the backdrop of his argument. So what we want to do is we want to describe the characteristics of those who boast in the wrong things, that is, in the flesh, and then the characteristics of those who boast in the right thing, that is, in the cross.
15 · The pastor begins expounding the first characteristic of false boasters: they seek to make a good showing in the flesh and avoid persecution for the cross
So first, the characteristics of those who boast in the wrong thing. Those who boast in the wrong thing, those who boast in the flesh. And this is what we see starting in verse 12: It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
16 · The first characteristic of those who boast in the flesh is that they care about reputation—they are primarily concerned with what others perceive of them rather than what God perceives
The first mark is this: they care about reputation. They care about reputation. So those who boast in the flesh— look at how Paul defines them—they want to make a good showing in the flesh. Their primary concern is what others perceive. Clearly, they haven't weighed in the balance God's perception of them with man's perception of them, because their primary concern is making a good showing in the flesh.
17 · When man's opinion becomes the standard, people become insecure and seek to elevate themselves by forcing others to conform, revealing their fundamental insecurity
So man's opinion has become the litmus test. It's become the measuring stick. When man's assessment is the starting point, we become fundamentally insecure people, and we run to find things that elevate us. Now, in these men's cases, you can tell their insecurity, right? Look what they do. They try and get you circumcised. Their reputation requires your conformity. So because I want other people to perceive me in a certain way, I try and get you to do the thing that I have determined will make me look good. That's insecurity.
18 · Paul's point is that those who care about reputation above all are unwilling to be identified with Jesus because they fear man more than they fear God
And here's Paul's point. As you think about the nature of those who boast in the flesh, recognize that they care so much about reputation, they're unwilling to be identified with Jesus. So clearly Paul is saying, look what they do. They want to get you circumcised, but really it's so they won't be persecuted. So they are more interested in the good opinions of man than they are in not being ashamed of Jesus.
19 · The second characteristic of those who boast in the flesh is that they coerce and abuse other members of the community to maintain their own reputation
The second characteristic of those who boast in the flesh is they abuse other members of the community. They abuse other members of the community. Verse 12, again: It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised. They force you. And the picture is a picture of coercion.
20 · The false teachers are not content with their own commitment to circumcision—they must force others to conform in order to maintain their standing with non-Christian Jews
So it's not enough that these men want to maintain the approval of the non-Christian Jews. It's not enough that they've given their allegiance and their commitment, mentally committed to circumcision. That's not enough. They have to force other people, namely you, Galatian believers, to circumcise.
21 · Coercion in the church takes the form of creating standards of conduct necessary for acceptance and treating those who don't conform as inferior
Now, what does this look like, right? We don't see this just kind of physical coercion. Here's how you force people to do something. You create a standard of conduct as necessary for acceptance. You go around your Christian community and you talk about that aspect of life, and you make it really clear that the people who have not met that standard are inferior and you treat them as such.
22 · By creating a sense of inferiority, false teachers manipulate believers into adopting non-gospel standards to feel accepted and valuable
And so inevitably what happens is the people in your community start feeling inferior or they recognize they really do love Jesus and so they start coming to you and they say, 'Tell me about this circumcision thing.' And you've piqued their interest and you've created in them a sense that they're not measuring up. And so you've forced them psychologically, emotionally to consider and even sometimes adopt the standard that you have created.
23 · Spiritual manipulation often takes the form of statements that question someone's love for Jesus or their genuine commitment based on non-gospel standards
This would look like when you say things to your brothers and sisters in Christ like, 'Well, if you really cared about...if you really loved Jesus. Do real Christians behave that way? If you were truly a committed follower, you would— And then fill in the blank with some standard that you have created that is not a gospel standard.
24 · The pastor gives a concrete example of spiritual manipulation: telling prospective church members that homeschooling their children is necessary to be truly part of the community
One of the ways this can look in the context of a church is when a brother or a sister comes to you, and this happened with some people who wanted to come to Providence, and they're excited about Christ and they're excited about the things they hear being taught and they talk to someone and they get the advice, 'Well, if you really want to be a part of this community, you've got to homeschool your children.'
25 · The pastor clarifies that homeschooling is a legitimate choice but warns that elevating it to a gospel standard diminishes Christ and makes one like the false teachers Paul opposes
Now, many of you homeschool your children, and that's great, and I believe you've done it as an act of worship to God. But it's not the gospel, and the minute you take it and you turn it into the gospel, you diminish the glories of Christ and you've become the false teachers that Paul is decrying.
26 · The pastor explains the true gospel approach to parenting: Christ saves, and believers respond by stewarding their children in ways that help them know God—but the method is not prescribed
You can't make circumcision the gospel, and we can't make a homeschool decision the gospel. It's not— Gospel looks more like this: Christ has saved you from your sins, and we want to see that lived out in all areas of your life as you grow in Christ. And one of the most significant responsibilities we have as believers is to steward the young people, the children that God has given us. And so clearly we recognize you've got to teach them about God. You've got to bring them to Him and you've got to help them to understand Him.
27 · The gospel requires believers to raise their children in the fear of the Lord, but permits different educational methods—all parents bear the same responsibility regardless of schooling choice
So what does the gospel say? It says, well, how are you going to fulfill your responsibilities to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord? Well, Some people homeschool, and some people put them in a Christian school, and some people put them in a public school. And all of those families have the responsibility to steward their children well, to teach their children about God's truth, and to live for Him and to be an example and to educate their children in the ways of righteousness.
28 · The pastor clarifies that the gospel defines what matters in parenting—not the method—and warns against adding extra rules beyond what Christ requires
That is not equal to saying one way is better than the other. It is to say the gospel defines what really matters, and we want to be careful not to create additional rules on top of what Christ has done for us.
29 · Paul exposes the hypocrisy of the false teachers: they coerce others to keep the law, yet they themselves do not keep it
Verse 13: For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. Now there's another implication that Paul is making here, which is maybe this. These guys are so committed to this teaching of circumcision that they coerce you into following their teaching. Now, you would think that means they've mastered following the law. It's what they want you to do. They promote the law, they uphold the law. Paul says they don't even do that. They don't even keep the law.
30 · Paul is saying more than just that they are hypocrites—he is saying they understand the law is an impossible standard and are not concerned with keeping it, but only with using others to establish their own boasting
Now, that could just be saying they're hypocrites. You know, they talk a big game, but they don't live what they teach. They're hypocrites. But Paul seems to be saying something more. I think what Paul is saying is, yes, they are hypocrites, of course, but it also shows they understand the law for what it is, which is an impossible standard. Nobody can keep it. And they know that. So they're not even concerned with trying to keep it because it's impossible. But what they want to do is they want you to get circumcised so that they have a reason to boast in you.
31 · The false teachers are using people as capital for their own boasting—they count converts as scalps and use their conformity to avoid persecution and establish their own reputation
That's what Paul's digging into. They desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. In other words, they're boasting in the numerical tallies of scalps, right? They're counting heads. And as they count heads, they evaluate how many people they've gotten to follow them. And that becomes their boast. And so they're using people. They are taking the bodies of men, the actions of men, and counting them. And they're saying, this is what feeds my need for boasting. You are the capital that I boast in. You are what I'm going to point to when I'm standing before my fellow Jews and I don't want to be persecuted.
32 · The pastor transitions to the third characteristic of false boasters by noting that they promote circumcision to avoid persecution
Clearly Paul says, look what they do. They want to get you circumcised, but really it's so they won't be persecuted.
33 · The third characteristic of those who boast in the flesh is that they fear persecution and abuse others to protect themselves from suffering for Christ
Clearly Paul says people who boast in the flesh, who are given to boasting in the wrong things, inevitably fear persecution. Verse 12: It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Now, this touches closely on number 2, doesn't it? One of the reasons they abuse other members of the community is because they want to insulate themselves from persecution.
34 · The false teachers want Gentile believers to be circumcised so they can maintain their reputation with non-Christian Jews and avoid suffering for association with uncircumcised believers
So in this context, we want to make you become circumcised because then these old people that we were a part of, who we still want to kind of impress, who value circumcision, will still think much of us. But also, we want you to be circumcised because we don't want to get any flak from them. We don't want to see any difficulty from them. We don't want to have hardship come our way because You're doing something they look down upon.
35 · In the Galatian context, the false teachers sacrifice Gentile believers' freedom to avoid suffering from the Jewish community
So in Paul's context, they fear the retaliation of the Jewish community, and they use Gentile believers as collateral damage to keep themselves from suffering for Christ.
36 · By avoiding persecution, the false teachers have revealed that they have fled not just suffering but Christ Himself—they fear man more than God
Here's Paul's point: by avoiding persecution, they've revealed their hearts. They didn't just flee suffering, Paul's saying. They've fled the cross of Christ. You see the implication there? By fleeing the suffering of the cross, the suffering that comes from Christ, they're fleeing from Christ Himself. They've avoided the offense of the cross by promoting circumcision, and they did it because they feared man more than they feared God.
37 · Boasting in things outside of Christ reveals an unwillingness to be identified with Him and to suffer shame for His sake
And when we boast in things outside of Christ, it often reveals an unwillingness to be identified with Christ. An unwillingness to risk shame and the suffering of the cross.
38 · Paul warns that accepting circumcision as necessary for justification severs one from Christ and makes Christ of no advantage
But Paul warns us explicitly in Galatians 5:2, 'If you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.' In verse 4, 'You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law.'
39 · Fear of persecution that leads to boasting in anything other than the cross risks cutting one off from Christ—this is the danger in Galatia
And we see now in chapter 6, one of the reasons why they're tempted this way is because they fear persecution. Paul says, 'If your fear of persecution leads you to boast in things outside the cross of Christ, you risk being cut off from Christ.' It's what's happening in Galatia.
40 · The false teachers' desire for comfort and reputation causes them to abandon their allegiance to Christ
These men, so intent upon comfort, so intent upon reputation, fearing what their neighbors might say about them, or might do about them, actually give up their allegiance to Christ.
41 · The pastor applies the text to the contemporary American context, warning that cultural drift from Christian moral foundations is creating increasing pressure and cost for those who remain faithful to Christ
Now, that's a particularly dangerous temptation in our context, which is to say, here in America today. There is an increasing cost to those who would follow Christ. As more and more of our culture drifts further and further away from the historical moral groundings that defined us, moral groundings that were tethered to Christianity, that distance creates pressure. Now it's no longer assumed that what the Bible teaches as right and wrong are right and wrong, correct? Now you might get passed over for the promotion at work if you don't sign on the line of what your company says is okay. More than that, you might get fired. There might be specific difficulties that come your way because you decide to stand with Christ in the face of a culture that is quickly drifting from Him.
42 · Valuing career, reputation, and social standing over suffering for Christ reveals misplaced boasting and is spiritually dangerous
And so Paul wants us to see and recognize that's evidence of boasting. You want to boast in the wrong things. You want to boast in being friends with the right people. You care more about boasting in your career, your career advancement, the identity you get from your job, than you do about the possible suffering and persecution and sacrifice that comes from remaining steadfast in your boast for Christ. That's a dangerous game to play.
43 · The pastor transitions to the final characteristic of false boasters—they promote religion—and signals that he will define what he means
The final characteristic of those who boast in the wrong thing, who boast in the flesh, is that they promote religion. That sounds funny, doesn't it? They promote religion. Well, here's what I mean by that.
44 · The false teachers promote external religious activity without concern for inner heart change—they are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside but full of death inside
The circumcision proponents in Galatia are obsessed with outward religious activities and not the heart. So they're obsessed with the wrong kind of religion. Obsessed with the things you do that make you appear religious without really being concerned for the reality and need of inner heart change. They were what Jesus referred to as whitewashed tombs. That's some living imagery, right? A tomb is just full of death and decay. But hey, we'll throw some paint on the outside, we'll dress it up and it'll look nice. It looks so decorative. From the outside, it does look nice, but inside, it's completely messed up.
45 · Those who boast in the flesh promote external morality and the appearance of having it all together while missing the need for inner transformation
That's what those who boast in the flesh do. They give themselves and promote religious activity. They promote the outward appearance of morality. They promote the outward appearance that my life has it all together, that I'm doing all the right things. And completely miss the need for inner heart change.
46 · Religion is promoted over grace because it is controllable, measurable, and identifiable, but it is shallow, works-oriented, and not life-giving
They promote religion over grace because religion is controllable and it's easy to identify, but it's also shallow. Paul shows it's works-oriented and it's not life-giving.