From Slave to Free and Back Again

Transcript

GR1159
07/25/1999
From Slave to Free and Back Again
Galatians 4:8-11
Gil Rugh


I want to direct your attention to the book of Galatians 4. Galatians 4. The necessary foundation for dealing with false doctrine is a clear biblical understanding of what God has done for us in Christ. Without a firm biblical understanding of God's work in Christ, of what He has said in His Word, we have no basis on which to filter out truth and error. So the number one requirement is you have a solid foundation in the Word of God. Now it's not only crucial that we have a solid foundation in the Word of God in evaluating teachers and their teaching but it becomes very crucial that we apply what we know. Sometimes we as believers are confused by Paul's teaching because we have not given careful consideration to what is being taught. This is especially dangerous when the teacher is a Charismatic kind of person. The error is presented in an attractive and applying way. And often it's offered as something not to detract from your Christian life, not to take away from the Word of God but to make you more effective, to enable you to grow more, to experience more of what God has for you. And that kind of approach can be disarming and we let down our guard and even though we may have a solid foundation in the truth, we fail to apply it.

You know they say the home is the place where a large number of the accidents in our life occur. I think part of the reason is what? We become careless there. How often does something happen and you say I don't know how many times I did that. I don't know what I was thinking of this time. Well part of what happens is we become careless and we do something that is normal for us or routine but something unsuspecting happens and we have an accident. That happens in the area of theology. That I don't know how I got caught off guard. I don't know how I became susceptible to that.

The Galatians were going through such a time. They had a solid doctrinal foundation. We can be sure of that because it was the apostle Paul who laid that doctrinal foundation. On his first missionary journey in Acts chapters 13 and 14 Paul had established the churches in the region of Galatia. He had grounded them in the truth concerning Jesus Christ and what God had done for them in Christ. However, false teachers had followed along after Paul left and they were causing confusion in the Galatian churches, raising questions about what was really necessary for salvation. What is really necessary for you to grow to maturity as God's child.

These false teachers are called Judaizers. They were Jews who professed to believe in Christ but said it was also necessary to keep the Mosaic Law and to be circumcised. Paul has dealt with this error through the first three chapters showing the sufficiency of Jesus Christ and exalted position that all who believe in Him have. In chapter 4 verse 6 Paul said, "Because you are sons God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, 'Abba, Father.'" A relationship of sonship, of intimacy with God that enables us to address Him, Abba, Father. I have a relationship of closeness, of family with God as our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit has come into our hearts to confirm this relationship, to move us in addressing God in this most intimate way--Father.

Then in verse 7 Paul sums up what he has said in chapter 3 and the opening verses of chapter 4, "Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son." Before they had been enslaved in bondage. The Jews to the Law, the Gentiles to their pagan practices. Now you have been elevated to the position of a son and if you are a son, you are an heir, one who will receive all the promises of salvation and righteousness as was promised to Abraham. Now if you have been elevated to the position of son through faith in Christ. As a son now, you are heir to all that God has promised to those who believe in Him. What could the Mosaic Law add to that? I have been elevated to the most exalted position, the position of the greatest intimacy, the Spirit moves in my being to call God Abba, Father. As a son I am a full heir of all God has promised in Christ. Now you want me to keep the Law for what purpose? I have the highest position. I have the fullest inheritance. What can the Law add to my life and my relationship to Jesus Christ? And the answer of course is nothing. All has been provided for us and the end of verse 7 says, "Through God." It is His sovereign work and I do not need to bring it to completion. It is not incomplete. It is fully done and accomplished.

Now in verse 8 to 11 Paul is going to turn his attention very personally to the situation in the Galatian churches. And he's going to express his concern. He's going to express his frustration if you will. The Galatians are turning from Christ to go back to a form of paganism. And Paul cannot understand it. He is exasperated. In fact you could probably say that verse 11 of chapter 4 is the low point of the letter as Paul expresses his fear, his frustration that perhaps you were never even saved. If you are so confused in turning down a road that can only lead to rank paganism, I have to fear that you never did understand and trust Christ as your Savior. Now before this and after this Paul will say things expressing the confidence of better things concerning the Galatians, but these are serious matters here. And Paul is going to say some rather striking and shocking things in this section especially considering their coming from a Jew who had been a Pharisee fully committed to the Law and now he's going to tell these Galatians for them to turn and place themselves under the authority of the Mosaic Law is no different than being back under the control of their pagan religions.

Let's look at verse 8 of Galatians 4. "However, at that time, when you did not know God." He starts out here with a strong contrast. We have it translated, "however." Literally, "But then." There's a contrast here and it comes out in the word "however." But you'll note it is a strong contrast. In light of what he has just said about being a son having the Spirit cry out Abba, Father. If a son, then an heir. However, there was a time when you didn't know God. "At that time when you did not know God you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods." A time when you did not know God.

Turn back to the book of Romans chapter 1. Because in Galatians chapter 4 Paul says there was a time when the Galatians did not know God. In Romans chapter 1 Paul says that everyone everywhere knows God. I want to make sure that we know the differences in what Paul is saying. Look at verse 21 of Romans 1, "For even though they knew God." He's talking about people wherever they are in the world, unregenerate people, not experienced God's salvation, they knew God. Same word for "knew" or "know" as we have in Galatians. "Even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God." How do unregenerate, unsaved people know God? Well verse 20, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Paul says you look at the creation and you see something of God's invisible attributes, His eternal power, His divine nature even manifest in what He has made. So everyone has that knowledge of God. There was no one anywhere on the face of the earth that is not confronted with the reality of God's handiwork in creation. And they know in their inner being that there is a God who has brought this into being. But they refuse to acknowledge Him. Verse 21, "Even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks." So there's that general knowledge of God. But in Galatians chapter 4 verse 8 Paul is talking about that personal knowledge of God that he has just discussed in the preceding verses, that enables you to call out Abba, Father. Before coming to Christ they did not know God in the personal relationship of intimacy as Father.

Martin Luther commented on this. If all men know God how can Paul say that the Galatians did not know God prior to the hearing of the Gospel? I answer. There is a twofold knowledge of God: general and particular. All men have the general and instinctive recognition that there is a God who created heaven and earth, who is judge and holy and who punishes the wicked. How God feels about us, what His intentions are, what He will do for or how He will save us that men cannot know instinctively. It must be revealed to them. So Paul is talking about that revealed knowledge that they have been brought into through faith in Jesus Christ. That time when you did not know God you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. In verse 3 of chapter 4 Paul said that while we were children, we were held in bondage, slavery under the elemental things. You'll remember in verse 3, "So also we." He's referring there in verse 3 to the Jews including himself who were enslaved under the Mosaic Law, the elemental things. Now in verse 8 he says, "You were slaves to those things which by nature are no gods." And the "you" refers to the Galatians and the Galatians by enlarge were Gentiles, not Jews. They were enslaved but they were enslaved to those things which by nature are no gods. They were enslaved to their pagan gods. The Jews were enslaved to the Mosaic Law. The Gentiles were enslaved to their pagan God's. So before salvation Jew and Gentile alike were in a position of slavery. The Jews to the Law, the Gentiles to their pagan gods.

And Paul says you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. And that by nature means what they are in their very being. You were slaves to make-believe gods, counterfeit gods, pretend gods, gods which are not really gods at all. What he is drawing home here is the fact of the worthlessness, the emptiness, the nothingness of all the gods of the world.

Back up to the book of Jeremiah the prophet. It's roughly toward the middle of your Bible. Really a little more toward to back of the middle. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel--so those three large prophetic books. We are going to Jeremiah chapter 10. People today become very offended if you make fun of their religion or if you ridicule it or use sarcasm. And we want to be sensitive and thoughtful but often in the Scripture the prophets become very sarcastic and mock false religion. And Paul in effect as declared false religion as a religion of nothingness, of no gods.

Look at Jeremiah 10:2 as God speaks to the nation Israel, "Thus says the LORD, 'Do not learn the way of the nations.'" So Israel should not learn the religious practices of all the nations around them. "Do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens." So much for astrology and the astronomical signs and so on. "Although the nations are terrified by them; for the customs of the peoples are delusion." And you'll see in a moment, he's talking about the religious customs. They are made up out of their empty minds. "Because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool." In other words, these idols that become focus of worship, they are nothing. Somebody made them. "They decorate it with silver and with gold." And I like this, they fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter." That's really a special God. Nail our god down good so he doesn't fall over. That's what he's saying that they have to do. Because you don't bump the god. He'll fall over and break.

"Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, nor can they do any good." This is a good section incidentally even for us today. Sometimes there's a mysticism and a superstition that comes into the church as though if you were say in a foreign country on a trip and you bought a souvenir and it was an idol. Maybe the statue of Buddha or something. I'm not saying you should or should not have it in your home. But you know you bring it home and pretty soon somebody says you know, you brought demonic influence into your home. That statue could be associated with a demon and you'll have demonic influence in your house. You have to get rid of it. I want you to know it's just a piece of wood. It's just a piece of stone. It can't do any harm and it can't do any good. So this superstitious. First, you got to clean out your house because maybe you've got something in your house that had demon connections that brought. . . I mean, that's hocus pocus superstition. Here you'll told it's nothing. It's a piece of wood. So if you have a souvenir, put it up high so it doesn't get knocked over and broken. It's not a god. It can't do any harm. It can't do any good. And if you have any valuable items like that you don't want, give them to Marilyn and we'll guard them.

Look in Romans chapter 1 on our way back into the New Testament. You see what happens when men reject the true God. We are religious beings, but when we reject the true God, we don't just go on our life through our life without religion, we create our own. So they did not honor God in Romans 1:21 but verse 22, "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures." Verse 25, "For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen." So they substituted something else for the worship of the true and living God.

Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 8. Continuing just after Romans into 1 Corinthians chapter 8. Paul addresses this subject and he writes to the Corinthians in chapter 8 verse 4, "Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one." The point is an idol is nothing. There are idols in the world but Paul is saying there is no such thing as an idol in a sense. It's just a piece of wood. It's just an object. It has no reality as god because there is only one God. "For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, their Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we exist through Him." What he is saying here is the item worshipped or what is offered to that false god is nothing. It doesn't change its character. So if that meat was offered to an idol and then you ate it, the character of that meat hasn't changed. Because the idol was nothing.

Now turn over a page or two to chapter 10 verse 19, "What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No." That settles that fact that these false gods are nothing. As Jeremiah said, they can't do any good, they can’t do any evil. "But I say that the the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; I do not want you to become sharers in demons." The danger is not that I'll catch a demon from this block of wood, but there is danger in joining in false worship which is ultimately the worship of the Devil and his hosts, demonic beings. So it's not that that particular object, that false god, is anything, but when you join in false worship, you have joined in the worship of demonic beings. So you see the difference. That inanimate object--stone, wood item--is not something, but the worship offered to that is a worship offered to demons. And that's why I could not be part of false worship. That's what Paul is warning the Corinthians of. You don't want to be joined together in the worship of demons. But that idol or the things offered to that block of wood, they are nothing. But the worship offered is an expression of submission and adoration of demonic beings.

So you come back to Galatians chapter 4. And Paul says, "You were enslaved to those things which are by nature are not gods." In Acts chapter 14 Paul was at Lystra. You have to back to Acts 14. I was going to tell you the story but I want you to see it because I want to refer to it again. Acts 14. What happens at Lystra which is one of the cities in the region of Galatia. So it would be one of the places where the Galatian churches would have been. When Paul and Barnabas were there on the first missionary journey one of the things they did was heal the man who had been lame from birth, verse 8. "At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, a man who had never walked." Paul walks by, fixes his gaze on him and says stand up. The man jumps up in the air. Immediately his legs are healed, strengthened and he does even have to now begin to learn to walk. He's running around leaping and jumping. It's a complete miracle. Verse 11, "When the crowd saw what Paul had down they raised their voice saying in the Lycaonian language." So Paul and Barnabas don't understand what they are saying. There's a lot of excitement and celebration going on in the connection of the healing of this man. But they don't understand that the people are saying, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us. And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus and Paul, Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds." And down in verse 18, "Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them." As Paul and Barnabas explained we are just men. It's all they can do to keep the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. What are they will to do? Confirm the status upon Paul and Barnabas and worship them. You see it's no problem for them. Just add. Here's our gods have come to us in human form. Now we will worship you. The priest of Zeus willing to lead in this.

So you get some inkling of what the worship was in the Galatian regions. Part of it was a worship of Zeus, a temple devoted to him and so on. Well that's what life was like for them before their conversion. Come back to Galatians 4 verse 9. But now that you have come to know God or rather to be known by God. You come to know God. In his high priestly prayer in John 17:3 Jesus said, "This is eternal life that they might know You the only true God and Jesus Christ whom You sent." That they might know You and Jesus Christ whom You sent. This is eternal life. Paul says, "Now you've come to know God or rather to be known by God." And he puts the order down here. They know God but the real issue in their salvation was that God knew them.

First John 4:10 John writes, "In this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." We love God but it was God's initiating love that enables us to love Him. We know God. Well, we know God because He first knew us. So when he says here known by God in Galatians 4:9 that really is equivalent to saying chosen by God. To be known by God is to be chosen by God. This comes out of the Old Testament usage. We've looked at it in other studies but just to remind you. Amos 3:2. Don't turn there. But in Amos 3:2 God says to Israel you only have I known of all the families of the earth. Some of the English translations have you only have I chosen among all the nations of the earth. But the Hebrew word is "to know." What God is saying to Israel is you are the only nation I have known out of all the nations on the earth. Well obviously God knows everything. He's omniscient. But Israel is the only nation that God had chosen for Himself, that He had placed His love and favor upon that they might belong to Him. So that concept of knowing.

That word "to know" is used of intimacy. Adam knew his wife and she conceived, expressing that intimacy that's involve. God's knowledge and His foreknowledge is His act of choosing. So you've known God. Rather you're known by God. God has chosen you. And emphasizing the fact that God is sovereign in salvation and it is the divine initiative of God that brings about our salvation. Second Thessalonians 2:13-14 says God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation by faith in the truth and by sanctification by the Spirit. The goal -- God choice you for salvation. By means -- by faith and the truth and sanctification by the Spirit, the Spirit's work in setting us apart. God is sovereign in salvation. You've come to know God or rather to be known by God.

Now this is one of those truths that we say all right we have as a foundation, but you must apply it, recognizing this keeps us from thinking we have to do certain things to lure people to Christ. You know, we are in effect it's like a salesman and we are trying to work them along, work them along, work them along. Do we get them here and then they will buy. No, we are presenting the truth of God so that God in His grace might draw out those He has known before time to bring them to faith in Christ.

All right that being their position and he's assuming it is right now. A time he didn't know God and now by God's grace he has chosen you and you have come to know Him, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless, elemental things to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? I mean, Paul is just dumbfounded. How can you have experienced the liberty in Christ that you by God's grace and now want to go back to slavery? I mean this makes no sense. Now note what he is saying here. He refers to the weak and worthless, elemental things. The elemental things refer to the Mosaic Law as they did back in verse 3. We Jews were enslaved to the elemental things. He's going to talk about what some of those things are in verse 10. Jewish observances. But now he characterizes them as weak and worthless, beggarly, worthless, weak. Why? They are powerless, unable to secure the riches of God's salvation and the inheritance that we find in Him. The Mosaic Law could not do that. Never could provide salvation. Never did.

No one was ever saved by keeping the Mosaic Law. How would you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things to which you desire to be enslaved all over again. I say wait a minute. I thought in verse 3 the Jews were enslaved to the Law. But you know the Gentiles and the Galatians--and the Galatians were basically Gentiles--never were under the Mosaic Law. Remember in Acts 14 at Lystra for example, the worship there focused in connection with the temple to Zeus and the worship of the god Zeus. Now Paul says you who served gods which were not gods, verse 8, the end of verse 8, "They were by nature no gods," now you turn back to the slavery of the elemental things. You see what he's doing. He is saying for you to turn back and put yourself under the Mosaic Law is just returning to slavery. It's a form of paganism. The peculiar element, Mosaic Law, Zeus for example is different but the position is the same. It's like pulling something out of the air. Those who are enslaved under the Roman Catholic system, those who are enslaved in Hinduism, those who are enslaved in Islam . . . Now we look at it as believers. Is there really any difference. They are all enslaved under that which cannot save them or bring them the righteousness of God. So that's what he's telling these Galatians in regard to the paganism. You turn back. You put yourself under the Mosaic Law, you basically are in the same kind of position you were paganism. You are enslaved all over again.

Now what is important to see here is you can be doing the Mosaic Law . . . There is a big difference between the Mosaic Law and the worship of Zeus. God gave the Mosaic Law. He did not give “Zeusism.” It's just a pagan system devised by men. But you know what? When they become means of salvation, they are just forms of paganism.

Go back to Isaiah chapter 1. It is striking for Paul, a former Pharisee, to be telling these people you put yourself under the Law, you are in the same kind of position you were when you were enslaved to Zeus or the other no gods. Look at Isaiah chapter 1. In Isaiah chapter 1 God is addressing Israel and their situation. And in verse 10 he says, "Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah." Well, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed centuries earlier. He referred to that fact in verse 9. What he is saying is to Israel you are like Sodom and Gomorrah before me. Vile and polluted. "What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" says the LORD. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, the fat of fed cattle. I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats. When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts?" You know what he tells Israel. When you in obedience to the Law bring your sacrifices to Me, when you come into the temple with your sacrifices that's sacrilege. You are defiling my temple. "Bring your worthless longings no longer. Incense is an abomination to me." Remember these they are coming up in verse 10 of Galatians 4. "No moon, sabbath, the calling of assemblies--I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to Me, I am weary of bearing them." When you pray I won't listen.

What does He say? Verse 18, "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool." What is needed? The cleansing of the heart through faith in Him. Salvation has always been by grace through faith. And God says to Israel under the Law. Your sacrifices, your keeping of the Law without saving faith in me which has cleansed your heart is a form of paganism. I can't tolerate it. I can't stand it. It's defiling. It's sacrilege. Now that's a striking point. It's on the same level as Hinduism, as the worship of an idol set up. You know what that means. We could carry that to our day. That means people come to a church like this and they think I go to that place, I go through all the routine and rituals and I'm sure because I do God will accept me. They are going through a form of paganism. What is to say? Well, if the worshippers of Zeus think because they offer these sacrifices and they perform these works, they'll become righteous before God. The Jew thinking if I offer these sacrifices in obedience to the Law and I do these works in obedience to the Law I will become righteous. And the modern-day person says I will go to this church and go through these routines and do these works and I'll become righteous, all what? Forms of the same works/righteousness pattern. All paganism. All paganism.

So what he is saying here is very crucial. For you Galatians to turn and put yourself under the Mosaic Law is paganism. You are no better off than you were when you were under enslavement to Zeus. Because those who worship Zeus needed what needed what? Redemption in Christ. Those under the Mosaic Law needed what? Redemption in Christ. Someone comes to you and says you know what I was a Hindu but you will be thrilled to know I have converted to Islam. I must say I don't see that anything has changed. You are just as lost and just as in need of redemption.

I was reading the account from a Roman Catholic magazine the past week of a priest sharing how he converted from Protestantism to Catholicism. Just a change. Nothing happened. He still needs redemption in Christ. He was overwhelmed with awe and mysticism as he confronted statues of Mary and came to realize what a wonderful superior person and that was his conversion. Just another form of paganism. Coming to Indian Hills and going through all the rituals and the routine expecting that God will be pleased and give you His righteousness because you've gone through all that--just a form of paganism. All works/righteousness. All defiled and unacceptable to God.

Come back to Galatians 4. What does he say? The end of verse 9, "To which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" I want you to note something here. The verbs "desire", "be enslaved," are in the present tense. The process is already underway. We'll see this a little further in the next verse. They had already begun to adopt some of the Mosaic practices. You desire to be enslaved all over again. You are going to be right back in Slavery. There is no deliverance through the Mosaic Law anymore than there was through the worship of Zeus. For by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight. By the worship of Zeus no flesh will be justified in His sight. You see we're back in the same position--no justification. Oh, but I think the Ten Commandments are a lot better than the worship of Zeus. They get you no closer to heaven. They bring you no more righteousness from God. That is only by God's grace through faith in the death and resurrection of His Son. You see how confusing it could be.

There is a bent and an attraction in the human heart to ritual and form. Some of you experienced that. You were saved out of Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, Episcopalians, whatever, where form was a major thing. I've had a number of people over the years in my ministry have come from that kind of background and after a service like this they say I don't feel like we worshipped. We didn't even say the Lord's Prayer. I mean you get to associate worship with certain physical activities and if we don't do those certain physical activities we didn't worship. When God is seeking worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and truth. Takes place in the heart. But this attraction to form, ritual.

The Galatians had come out of this with the worship of Zeus for example at Lystra. Now they are being called this will be necessary part of your salvation. They say ah, something I can anchor on. Something I can. People what? Turning to Roman Catholicism. Why? There is tradition here that has lasted for the centuries. Turning to Eastern Orthodoxy. Why? There is tradition, something to see, tangible that has been unchanging for the centuries. There's a sense of awe created in my heart when I go through that. There's an attractiveness to it, but it's paganism. Doesn't mean you can have a form. Doesn't mean you can't have traditions but that's not the substance of worship. That's not brings a person into the presence of a living God, established intimacy in that relationship. No. And it's all a form a paganism when it is so practiced.

"You observe," look at verse 10, "You observe days, months, seasons, years." Summary . . . We saw some of those referred to in Isaiah chapter 1. Just different practices under the Law. We won't take time to look at the different ones. But you ought to note verse 10, "You observe," is the present tense. So the end of verse 9, "You are desiring to be enslaved . . . You are observing," indicating that this is already going on. They had already begun the practice of certain of the Mosaic requirements. They were well on the way to converting to Judaism. Evidently they had not yet gone completely Jewish by adopting circumcision.

Over in chapter 5 verse 2 Paul says, "I say to you if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you." We will talk about that when we get to chapter 5. But would indicate that they hadn't yet gone that far. So it's like you are on the road. Well, first you start with these observances, these rituals, they get engrained in that. OK, now we brought along the final step for full conversion to Judaism and if you are going to live under the Law, you have to convert to Judaism, will be circumcision. So he sees them on that road. Serving days months, seasons, years.

We don't have time to turn there but let me just note. He's talking about observing of these things in the context of seeking and securing righteousness before God, of expressing true worship, if you will. It doesn't mean you can't observe certain days if you should so choose. Some people use this verse to say see you shouldn't what? Observe Easter or Christmas or any holidays. Well, there may be reasons for not observing or not observing. That's a different debate, but that's not what this passage is talking about. Romans 14 says that there's room for personal conviction. If you want to observe certain days, you're free to do that. If you want to decide not to eat certain foods, that's fine. But when you say this is necessary for salvation or necessary for righteousness, that's paganism. So there is Christian liberty but the Judaizers weren't talking about Christian liberty. If you would choose to observe this day, you are free to do it. No, they are saying you have to to be acceptable before God and pleasing to Him.

Verse 11, "I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain." This may be the low point of the letter as I noted. You sense something of the despair. I don't mean that in the wrong sense because Paul before and after points to the fact he has a confidence they have really believed. But when you see someone turning and going down a road incompatible with faith in Christ alone, you have to begin to wonder did they ever understand the Gospel and believe it. "I fear for you that perhaps I have labored over you in vain." Paul had poured his life into these people. You know, for Paul the ministry was hard work. And that word "labored" "copeoto" means to toil, to struggle, to work hard.

Turn over -- Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians -- to Colossians chapter 1. A few books further back. Colossians chapter 1 verse 28, "And we proclaim Him [Christ], admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor," and there's our word "kopiao" what he used in Galatians 4:11. Toil. "Striving," and that word "agonizo," agonizing, "according to His power." The service of the Lord is toil and struggle and agonizing work done in the power of the Holy Spirit that works mightily in us. And the Holy Spirit doing it it ought to be easy? No. So here you see the apostle Paul labor and toil. Why didn't he wear out? It was his power in Him. And it is always sufficient.

So Paul says back in Galatians 4. I have labored over you but now he is concerned that that labor may have been in vain. What is he saying here? Maybe you didn't really understand and believe the Gospel at all. My whole purpose in there was to bring the Gospel of salvation to you that you might believe in Christ but your actions now do raise a serious concern. Maybe you never did believe. If they continue a pursuit of the La, they will be demonstrating a rejection of the Gospel of grace and thus will show they were never saved. So the line is drawn. You cannot go both ways. It's like the writer to the Hebrews concerned that they understand. You can't go back to Judaism. To do so is to turn your back on Christ and thus to reject the only hope of salvation.

"I fear that perhaps I have labored over you in vain," you see how serious the matter is. Look the differences aren't that great. They still believe in Christ. They just think they also need to keep the Law. Paul says no. If you continue to pursue that road, that will be a demonstration all my labor over you was to no effect for you will lost, you will be enslaved, you will be in need of redemption. It will be like I never came. What a sad situation.

Let me summarize what we have said in these verses. Number one, the unsaved have no personal knowledge of God. The first part of verse 8. In spite of all that goes on, tragedies, you watch the TV and they refer to God and they go through . . . There is no personal knowledge of God. There is an innate recognition there is a God. There is religious activity and forms that people go through but there is no knowledge of a true and living God.

Number two, the unsaved are enslaved to counterfeit gods and it is slavery. You see their religious leaders, their priests, they come, they minister their forms. There is slavery. Why do people both going to church on a beautiful summer morning? There is something in their heart that tells them. I'm talking about unregenerate, unbelieving people going through the forms of all these religious activities around the world. Why do people do this? They are enslaved to counterfeit gods.

Number three, salvation is the work of God. The first part of verse 9. We must keep that ever before us. I would beg you to be reconciled to God. I would beseech men and women to come to Christ, to present the Gospel as clearly as I can that you might believe and be saved. But that's all I can do. Salvation is God's work and we can praise Him for that.

Number four, very crucial. All works done to secure the favor of God are a form of paganism. If you come to this church, faithfully give your money, work hard because you think that will make you acceptable to God, that is a form of paganism. Not in reality any different than any of the false religions in the world that we might recognize whether it's Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other. To try to secure God's favor, His salvation by our works is paganism. Now I won't elaborate that right now.

Number five, an emphasis on religious ritual is a cause of great concern. What is your focus in coming to worship? I want my heart to bow before Him. I want His truth to take hold of my heart and mind, my inner being. I want to bow before God and exalt Him and hear His voice from His Word, what He says. That's our true worship. We come on the basis of the finished work of Christ as those acceptable in Christ alone. We need to be careful of our ritual and we all easily fall into the pattern because we have our ritual. We do a certain order, a certain form, and if we change that, some people are unsettled. If you come next week, and I preach the sermon first and then we take the offering, then we sing, people will say, I can't . . . that's not worship. We need to be careful. The form becomes the reality very easily in our thinking. And it's not the physical form that is the reality. It's simply a means that we are using to express right now the reality of our heart. But we worship Him in Spirit and truth and only through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Have you responded? "Come now and let us reason together says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they can be as white as snow." And the provision of that is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who loved s and died for us. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for the riches of our salvation in Christ. Thank you that it is a salvation that is full and complete. And Lord, we are burdened as we study the letter to the Galatians and realize how alluring error and false teaching can be and how the Galatians established on apostolic doctrine that you gave to Paul were now on a road that was a denial of what Christ has accomplished. Make us alert and sensitive individually and as a church and I pray Lord, for any who are here who have been deluded in their thinking by attending this church. They work and try to follow all that is required and expected yet they have never come to believe in the Savior. Lord, may they see the emptiness and futility of such paganism and turn to Jesus Christ as the One and only Savior.