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0:49Question for you. It's really the basic question of the book of Galatians. Is your relationship with God performance-based or grace-based? How do you see your relationship with God? Performance-based? You have to earn his favor. You have to mind your P's and Q's and make sure that you go through life doing those things and so earn His smile. Or is it grace-based? Does God, just out of the goodness of His person, Desire a relationship with you and expresses his favor toward you. Very important. Really, the basic issue going on in the book of Galatians. Two kinds of professing Christians are contrasted here. Look at verse 7. Notice that it begins with you. You.

1:54You reflect those who combine faith and works. That's who Paul is directing his attention there. You. You were running well. There are those who believe that faith plus human effort and works is a recipe to earn God's favor and to maintain that favor. But notice, look back at verse 5. Paul says, for we, through the Spirit, we, contrasted with the you of verse 7, is the we of verse 5, where Paul is speaking about those who believe that God's favor is freely granted.

2:40Is God's favor on you freely granted? Is it something that comes out of Him, or is it something that is based upon what you did? It's a very fundamental question. Well, the answer, if you look. around you. Duh. Yes, God's favor is freely granted. The very fact that you're here speaks of a God who created you. You didn't imagine yourself. He imagined you. And we can look around, even through the windows here, look out into the creation.

3:29You know, if God didn't want us to be here, he never would have created us in the first place. But if you look around, you can see we are part of a beautiful creation. And not just that we are a part of it, we enjoy a favorable place in all of the beauty of creation. Duh. Of course, God is one who shows his favor, and he has his favor upon humanity as his image bearers. Duh. Of course. And in a world where there wasn't any sin and there wasn't any deception, this truth would be self-evident to everyone. We wouldn't even have to talk about it because it's so evident. But it's only sin and deception that causes us to think, no, God really wants something from me. And I've got to earn his favor.

4:24This truth impacts you more than you realize. This deception, it subtly creeps in and then it can throw us to the ground. You know, one of the most famous plays in college football happened in 1954 at the Cotton Bowl. There it was the Alabama Crimson Tide versus the Rice Owls, if you can believe it. The Rice was there, they were good. Southeastern Conference versus the Southwestern Conference Cotton Bowl. The Owls were dominating the tide, and they actually won the game pretty handily, 28 to 6.

5:21But what happened in one of these plays is Rice's Dickie Magel broke free and was running down with a wide open field to the touchdown. It was going to be one of those long yard, you know, 85, 90 yard touchdowns. Well, that didn't set well with one of the guys named Tommy Lewis, who just happened to be on the sideline. And as he saw Magel break free running toward the end zone, he couldn't stand it anymore. So he jumped off the sideline, tackled Magel, and jumped back in the sideline and tried to hide himself.

5:57It's one of the most famous. Plays in college football. He thought he could hide from the referees. Well, referees found him, of course. It was a foul. And Lewis and the tide had to pay the penalty. It's interesting that in this text this morning, Paul recognizes or likens the Christian life to a runner, somebody who has broken free of the constraints that had held him and is running toward the goal line. Verse 7: You were running well, who hindered you from obeying the truth? You were running well, but something hindered you. Something, the word has literally knocked you to the ground. It's like something tackled you. Something from out of nowhere, from off the sidelines, took you out, took you down. What has happened? You were running well.

7:00The idea of running well is somebody who is moving swiftly, freely, and progressing beautifully. And that's what Christian life is about. It's about joyfully running the race that God has set before you. Many of us, we all have different lanes we are to run in. God has ordained us. But he has given it to us all to joyfully run the race set before you. And this is exactly what. How the Galatian churches started. They heard the gospel and they began to run swiftly and freely and running in the way that God had called them. Then all of a sudden, it's like a sideline tackler came and just threw them to the ground.

7:49This is how many of you started your Christian life. But just like in Galatia, something has tripped you up, something has slowed you down or even knocked you down. Your joy is gone. Ministry, which once be a joy, once was a joy, is a drudgery. You have very little desire to obey the very basic precepts of Christianity, which once was pleasing to you. You no longer want to repent. You no longer want to forgive. You no longer want to pour yourself out loving and serving one another. It happens all the time.

8:37As if something from who knows where came out of nowhere and has thrown you to the ground. Is your relationship with God performance-based or grace-based? What is it? What is this morning? I just want you to think inwardly where you are with the Lord and where you are in life. Are you running the race that God has set before you? And are you running it with beauty and freedom? Are you advancing in the gospel graces that you were once doing well in?

9:20And how can you minister to those who have been knocked down? How? Well, the answer is in our text this morning. How can you continue to advance in the gospel graces? How can you minister to those who have been knocked down? What is it? What is at the core of all of that? Well, it's in our text this morning. The false gospel. Paul didn't underestimate. Never underestimate the impact that a false gospel has in your own life, in your own thinking, how it impacts the church.

10:13You see, there is a voice that started whispering in the Galatian churches. God really isn't pleased with you. If you want his favor, you need to be circumcised. You need to go back to the law. And you need to start doing all of those things in the law. And the better you do them, the more God will be pleased with you. That's the voice that began whispering. That's the voice that will begin whispering in your mind. You will quickly, if you're not careful, if you do not guard your life and confront such a works-based, performance-based relationship with God, if you do not confront that with the truth of the gospel, that voice will grow louder and louder in your own conscience. It'll affect everything you do, and it will affect the church that you are part of.

11:14This voice will grow and it'll say, faith isn't enough. Do this, he will be pleased with you. That's how you maintain God's favor. You ever heard that? You must perform well. And listen, sometimes we're not even consciously aware of that. We can sign off and say, no, we understand grace. We understand grace alone. We understand all of that. And yet we'll subtly just fall into this performance-based relationship and that'll so characterize who we are, how we see ourselves, how we see God, and how we relate to one another.

11:48And here's the problem. The problem is that some of you don't believe God. You don't believe in God. Now, I don't mean that philosophically. Wouldn't be here if you didn't believe that there is a God out there somewhere, right? But do you really believe in God? Do you really believe that the God of the Bible exists? If so, why aren't you running with joy the race set before you? That's what was happening in Galatia. And in verse 3:1, Paul says this, You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? Who has bewitched you? A false teaching has crept in. And if you're not careful, it will creep into your thinking and it will lay you down.

12:45Paul likens this false teaching as like a sideline tackler. Somebody who comes from out of nowhere to take down unauthorized, false, not in the way. But my message to you this morning is to beware of embracing a performance-based relationship with the Lord. It will knock you over. And it can happen very subtly without you even knowing it. And you can be brought down and not even really know it or even know what happened or what hit you.

13:26So I come back to this relationship question. Is your relationship? Relationship with God, performance-based or grace-based. That is the theme and the question of the whole book of Galatians, really, our message this morning. But this morning is just a simple warning against embracing a performance-based relationship with God so that you will run your race in grace and strength. So, very simple, a warning. Do not embrace a performance-based relationship with God. That's all I'm trying to communicate to you today. That's all Paul's trying to communicate in these verses. Do not go down that road. First of all, because it is not from God. It is not from God. Look at verse 8.

14:19This persuasion did not come from him who calls you. Persuasion, this enticement, this solicitation. You see, we're caught up in a spiritual conflict. And it's a battle that involves what you regard to be true in your mind and in your heart, or what you imagine to be true, or what you imagine to be false, especially with regard to God. Notice in verse 10, it's labeled a viewpoint. You will adopt no other view. It's a viewpoint. We're talking about the spiritual conflict that you and I are involved. Involved in really comes down to what we regard in our heart, what controls your thinking.

15:08Grace will liberate you, it will free you. The law will incarcerate you. Grace liberates. The law incarcerates. And there is no greater issue in your life than what you believe about God and what you believe about the basis of your relationship with God. Is your relationship with God grace-based or is it performance-based? What do you really believe? Start looking at your heart, and I mean looking at it objectively. Don't just say, well, I know the right answer. I'm saying, what do you really believe? That's what I'm asking you to look at.

15:52And I would say there's many more veins and strains of performance-based thinking in our lives than you may imagine. Notice this persuasion did not come from him who calls you, literally, from the one who is calling you. Jesus made it clear that he came to call sinners, not the righteous. In fact, the New Testament makes it very clear that it's through the proclamation of the gospel that Jesus is continuing to call people to follow him today. The announcement of the gospel, the announcement of the cross, the announcement to come. And follow him is God's Spirit calling you today to follow him.

16:37He is still calling people to follow him. And guess who he's calling? Not the righteous, but sinners. The very fact that he calls sinners is what? It's an expression of grace. It can be nothing else. The very fact that he calls sinners, like you and me, is an expression of his grace. He calls you and I because he already has favor on us, or there wouldn't be a call. Tell me, you who are in Christ, did he call you because you were already righteous? What's your experience? Of course not.

17:23You're like, no, the very fact I knew I needed him. He called you when you were yet a sinner. But not only is the call an expression of grace, the goal of discipleship is transformation into likeness of Christ. The very fact that he teaches people who are still sinning is an expression of his grace. One of the great things about Christ is that his patience and teaching his disciples. You see it over and over. That too is an expression of grace. Grace. The fact that he calls sinners is an expression of grace. The fact that he still puts up with us, and we're dull at learning, and he still puts up with us, and he is patient with us, and he is going to continue the work so that we will ultimately be transformed into his likeness. That too is an expression of grace.

18:23So the very fact that he calls and teaches sinners is an expression of grace. And what Paul is saying, this persuasion, this performance-based relationship with God doesn't come from him who calls you. It's very self-evident. But notice in verse 8, the emphasis isn't upon who the persuasion is from. In other words, it's not saying Satan. It's obvious this comes from Satan, but that's not the emphasis of the text. The emphasis is not trying to single out Satan and say, look, look who's doing this to you.

19:05It's telling you who this persuasion is not coming from. This persuasion is not from him who calls you. The one who called you out of the abundance of his grace does not change, and his grace does not change into a demand for your performance. You know, many of us think of the gospel as like God's 30-day free trial. You know, have you ever gotten one of those sign up for a 30-day free trial, and then the next thing you know, they're just billing you pretty hard, you know? Well, that's what I think many of us see the gospel.

19:46It's like we think of the gospel as a way of getting a free look at God, and then all of a sudden in comes the law. Like the law of Moses wasn't getting enough subscribers, so God offered this free 30-day trial of favor through the gospel, but as soon as you come into the gospel, then all of a sudden he's really wanting to get you shackled back under the law. That was the Judaizers' thinking. And that's the way we think of God a lot of times. We come to God in grace, and then all of a sudden, somewhere, life gets dull or something, and we get tackled, and we start falling into this, well, I need to perform well to be loved well.

20:31But listen, the gospel doesn't begin to be good news and then turn sour. For it to be good news, it must always be good news. The gospel doesn't begin in grace and then dumps the burden of the law on us. God is not like that. And yet, some of us, by the way you live, that's really what you're saying. Saying and what you really believe. So I caution you against embracing a performance-based relationship with God because that idea doesn't come from Him. Second, do not embrace a performance-based relationship with God because it will negatively impact everything about you.

21:22Look at verse 9. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. See, Paul uses another metaphor here. We all do this: yeast. You throw yeast into a lump of dough or a batch of dough, and what does it do? It goes to work and it ferments. Leavening. Leaven is yeast. Leavening process is that fermenting process. And it impacts the whole. That's the point. The whole lump of dough rises. The yeast, just a little bit thrown into it, will eventually work its way and impact the whole. And Paul knew that what was happening in Galatia was that this teaching, this little teaching of this going back to the law, this performance-based relationship with God, would continue to impact all the churches on an individual level and on a corporate level. And of course, it will impact everything upon both levels. Same is true. Today, a little bit of this thought. If you start entertaining this, if you do not bring into your mind an understanding of who God is and His grace base, His favor that is expressed in the gospel toward you, if you start letting just a little bit of this idea of, you know what, I need to earn this, I need to perform well, it will impact everything in your life. Your view of God, He demands performance. That whispering voice will start subtly taking over your view of God, your view of yourself will change. Oh, I must live up to His standards. God demands perfection, and I must live up to that. Wow.

23:22You can see the burden right there, because we're not God. You have to earn your keep. And the basis of your worth is tied to your performance. And that will impact the way you relate to others. So you can always tell somebody who's been impacted by grace, can't you? You can also tell people who are not impacted by grace. They tend to, they don't get better with age, do they? They grow bitter and sour. But those who have been impacted by grace, it shows up in the smile on their face, the peace in their hearts. And the way they relate to each other. They're not as easily offended, are they? They are quick to overlook an offense, and they are a balm of healing to everyone that they come in contact with.

24:15So I caution you, I warn you, do not embrace a performance-based relationship with God because it doesn't come from Him and it will negatively impact everything about you. And third, it is clearly not the view of the redeemed, it is not the view of the redeemed. Look at verse 10. First part: I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view. Notice Paul is convinced of something. And he's addressing a specific kind of people. I have confidence in you, in the Lord.

25:00Those who are in the Lord, Paul has, he is convinced of something. He is confident of something. What does it mean to be in the Lord? Well, really, that's the New Testament idea of what it means to be a Christian. Sometimes I think we shouldn't even call ourselves Christians, and the question really isn't, are you a Christian? But the question really needs to be, are you in the Lord? Because this phrase, in the Lord, in Him, is so prevalent in the New Testament. We're in Him.

25:29We're in. In Him at the cross. We're in Him before the foundation of the world. We're found in Him at the cross in the resurrection. We're seated with Him now. The heavenlies, we will reign with Him. It's in Him, it's in Him, with Him. In the Lord talks about a sphere. Are you in the sphere of the Lord, the jurisdiction of the Lord, and that favorable jurisdiction? Who is God well pleased with? He said it over and over. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. He said it at the baptism. This is my beloved Son, whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. He says it at the Transfiguration. Don't ever forget these words. God opens up the heavens and speaks very loud. This is my Son in whom I am well pleased. There's the sphere of God's favor. That's the humanity in which he is pleased with.

26:30All of those are blessed who are in Christ, who have been redeemed by Christ, and who are becoming like Christ. That's the sphere. That's the only sphere of the blessed humanity. There isn't a blessed humanity outside that zone in the Lord. You see, Jesus' rule is more than just a political sovereign. And that's how many of them think, well, he's a political. Sovereign. It's much deeper than that. He is the very pattern for humanity. His rule is to shape the way humanity thinks, feels, and acts. Have you heard about the new order? There's all kinds of new orders. Nothing's new. There's always new orders. But let me tell you about the ultimate order. There's one ultimate order, a kingdom that is never going to pass away, one that only increases in strength and depth and breadth. That's the ultimate order. And the good news, it's in the Lord. And those who are in the Lord receive the favor of God, the same favor that He has for Christ Himself. That's the gospel.

27:51His grace is giving rise to an empire of blessed souls who will reign with Him forever. Do you have faith in Christ? It's a kingdom that knows no end. Well, Paul has confidence in this category of people, you who are in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view. Those who are in the Lord, they're like, Yeah, what else is there? Of course, it's all by grace. They're not going to think otherwise. You will adopt no other views. Other view, you will think, you will not regard another option but grace alone through faith alone. Certainly not a performance-based gospel. That is not a gospel, as Paul said. You're leaving for another gospel, and it's not good news. It's not a gospel.

28:54Those who are truly in Christ know that their relationship with God is based upon his redeeming grace. You want to be part of the Redeem? Then don't embrace a performance-based relationship with God. That thinking is foreign to the saints. So do not embrace a performance-based relationship with God. It is not from Him. It will negatively impact everything about you, and it is not the view of the Redeemed. And fourth and finally, do not embrace a performance-based relationship with God because Christ will be of no benefit to you if you do.

29:33Look back at verse 10. But the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. Notice in verse 10, I and he. Notice the distinctions, the pronouns. There's an I that's referring to Paul, and the he is referring to somebody that seems like Paul doesn't even know who he is, whoever he is. But it reduces it. Now it gives us insight into what's going on. The conflict in Galatia really boils down to two primary spokespeople: Paul and another unnamed individual, whoever he is.

30:15This is the one who is disturbing you. He is stirring up trouble. What he's doing is he's throwing you into confusion about the very basics of life with God. It is favor-based, it comes out of his heart in spite of us. It's the same individual in chapter 3 and verse 1, where he says, You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? Somebody has come in and taken hold of your mind and getting you to regard something else. And he is like a sideline tackler that is making you ineffective. So when you abandon, and friends, listen, when you abandon a grace-based relationship with God, when you abandon that for a works-based relationship, you're more than just misguided. You're bewitched. Something has come in. A satanic mentality has come in.

31:34Regardless of who he was, and Paul doesn't seem whoever he is, end of verse 10, whoever he was then, and whoever may be doing the same today, Paul makes something very clear. What is that? He will bear his judgment. The one who is disturbing you will endure his judgment. He will bear the judgment that comes upon such a position. And so will you, and so will I, if we embrace a performance-based relationship with God, it will slow you down, if not completely incapacitate you.

32:22What is this judgment? Well, look back at chapter 5, verse 2, just a few verses. Paul says to them, Behold, I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. You go back to the law. If you want to go under a principle of a performance-based relationship with God, Christ will be of no benefit to you. That's the judgment. The benefits of Christ are many. We could spend weeks speaking about that, but this.

33:01Statement should frighten you. Christ will be of no benefit. That's the judgment. We read Psalm 103 earlier today. Let me read a portion of that beginning in verse 2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of his benefits, who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion, and who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. You see, friends, to believe that God demands a performance-based relationship from you is to place yourself outside of the benefits of Christ. No pardon. You will bear your iniquities. No healing.

33:59Your crookedness and the maladies that come with them will remain with you forever. No redemption. You will go to that eternal burn pile of good-for-nothings for eternity. No benefits from Christ. That's what he redeems us from. No pardon, no healing, no redemption, and no satisfaction. You will never enjoy the blessings of heaven. Friends, do not embrace a performance-based relationship with God. It is not from Him, it will negatively impact everything you do. It is not the view of the redeemed, and Christ will be of no benefit to you if you do.

34:50It's like a sideline tackler, this performance-based relationship. But aren't you glad that you don't have to prove yourself to God? That is the message of the gospel. Come to Him, turn, receive His favor, receive His grace in the gospel, and walk therein no more in your former way of life. That's the message. And this was a fitting text for a baby dedication service, wasn't it? We want our children to go with God, don't we? We want them to run well the race that God has for them, and to do so, they must know Christ.

35:42Let me say something to you, parents. I know you know this already, but your children will not flourish in your household if they think they have to earn your love. You know that. Now, let me say to some of you kids here: listen to me. Some of you are not going to be able to learn. Y'all are stinkers. Some of y'all are real stinkers, and you try your parents. You don't honor them like you should. But guess what? Your parents keep you around, don't they?

36:18You know why? Because you don't have to earn their love. You know, none of us will flourish. in life if we think we have to earn God's love. He keeps us around. It's incredible. You see, the gospel testifies that your relationship with God is secure. Now go and live the life that God has given you. Run in the lane that He has given you. Run in grace and strength and truth and beauty. Advance in the graces that He saved you for. You have been freed for freedom. Now you have been freed to run. Now go, run. That's the gospel. And don't let some sideline tackler take you down. Ah, you really have to please God. You have to perform well to earn His favor. No, we want to perform well because we have been saved and for His glory, and we regret it when we don't, but that's not the basis of our relationship.

37:28Yes, we are to hold our children to The highest standards of integrity because God holds us to the highest standards of integrity, but not as a condition of his love, but as an expression of it. It is right and good that our children be brought up in the ways of the Lord because he is right and good. Christ and Christ's likeness is God's expression of love for you. It's not the basis of his love, it's the expression of his love. That he sent Christ. That's favor. That he transforms you into Christ is favor.

38:14Do you believe in that? Do you really believe in the God in the Bible? This is who scriptures declare him to be. Well, is your relationship with God performance-based or grace-based? Some of you need to embrace the gospel today. And some of you need to go back and remember this grace and let it shape you today. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this great grace that you have freed us to run and not just to run, but to run well.

38:50Father, and there are a lot of things that come against us in this world, some things that we have no answer for. But no matter who we are, Or what the situation is today, there is a way forward in beauty and in the grace and the strength that is given to us in the gospel. Help us to take the next step in the way you have for us for your glory and because of your grace. We will live in your way. In Christ's name, amen.