Calvary Monterey Podcast Galatians 2:17-21 — Gospel Life
Title: Gospel Life
Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Text: Galatians 2:17-21
Galatians Theme: Galatians describes a life that is free. It is a life in flight. If we cling to the true gospel, if we accept it for what it is, we can fly. But Paul wrote Galatians because the Galatian believers—and all future believers—were in danger. If we adulterate the gospel, if we add to it in any way, we will not fly. Like a bird chained in a birdcage, we will (at best) hinder ourselves from flying into God's ideal for our lives or (at worst) hinder ourselves and others from true salvation.
Overview: Gospel living is before us in the passage today.
It tells us that through the law we died to any possibility of standing approved before God on the basis of our own personal goodness. We died to that legal way of relating to God, and in being set free from it, we are now free to live for God.
It also tells us that we are so inextricably identified with Christ that it's as if we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. We died on the cross with Jesus, and now his resurrection life can be our daily experience.
And it tells us that this brand of life is gained by ongoing and persistent faith in Jesus, the one who loved us so much he gave his life for us. We are to live in continual dependence upon him because he has proved himself dependable to us.
In the Old Testament era, worshippers came from afar to offer animal sacrifices to God. It was God's way of helping them understand the problem of sin—their unholiness kept them from his presence. The sacrifices were meant as a covering for their sin, allowing them to engage in fellowship with God. Every sacrifice pointed forward to the ultimate and only satisfactory sacrifice of God's only begotten Son. But when those worshippers approached the altar, when the animal was slain, they would place their hands on the head of the animal. And, for many sacrifices, after the animal was offered, the worshipper would eat the meat in a holy meal. So they had to touch and consume the sacrifices that were offered. It was not enough to watch from afar; the worshipper had to connect with that which was offered on the altar.
In a similar way, modern worshippers must place their hands on and consume the sacrifice. The gospel life made possible by Christ's sacrifice must be energetically entered into. We cannot be passive. If we are, we will rebuild laws and codes that Christ destroyed, seeking to approach God through our works. If we are, we won't see ourselves as completely identified with Christ in his death and resurrection. If we are, we won't enjoy the simple devotion of faith and trust in Jesus every day of our lives. But we must not nullify the grace of God. Instead, we must put our hands on Jesus and take hold of him for life today and every day, believing that the power of his cross means life today is for God, in Christ, and by faith.
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