Sunday's Message - The Book of Galatians: Set Free. Live Free (Grace Changes Everything! (Galatians 1:10-24)

During most of the Summer, the congregation of Sligo Presbyterian Church will explore the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians and consider how we might claim the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. During our time together, we'll explore the following:

• May 26 - One Gospel (Galatians 1:1-10)
• June 2 - Grace Changes Everything! (Galatians 1:10-24)
• June 9 - Getting the Gospel Right (Galatians 2:1-21)
• June 16 - Don't Be Stupid! (Galatians 3:1-14)
• June 23 - Children, Not Slaves (Galatians 3:15–4:7)
• July 7 - Don't Look Back (Galatians 4:8-20)
• July 14 - Effort Vs. Grace (Galatians 4:21-31)
• July 21 - Set Free! (Galatians 5:1-12)
• July 28 - Living Our Freedom (Galatians 5:13-26)
• August 4 - Sowing and Reaping (Galatians 6:1-18)

On Sunday, we continued the series by looking at Galatians 1:1-10-24 and by discussing the nature and importance of grace. Below are a recording and the text of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDST) 

And so, here we are, on the very first Sunday in June, about to focus on the second passage in the series we started last week entitled The Book of Galatians: Set Free. Live Free. And as I hope y’all remember, during the first message, we talked about the problem that motivated the Apostle Paul to write this letter in the first place, namely that some Galatian Christians had sort of drifted away from what they’d been taught. I mean, remember, this was what Paul wrote to them: 

I am shocked that you have so quickly turned from God, who chose you with his gift of undeserved grace. You have believed another message, when there is really only one true message. But some people are causing you trouble and want to make you turn away from the good news about Christ.  I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn’t matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed. [Galatians 1:6-9, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul said to the Galatians. And as we talked about last week, I think he’d say the same thing to us when we sort of drift away from that simple and clear gospel of undeserved grace and start chasing something that, at the moment, we think might sound better but actually moves us away from the good news. Now that’s what we talked about last Sunday. 

And this morning, we’re going to continue our focus on the Letter to the Galatians by looking at what this undeserved grace business is really all about. And you know, I think it’s interesting that we’re having this discussion on the Sunday when we recognize some of the graduates within our church family. You see, when you walked across the stage and got your diplomas, everything changed, didn’t it? I mean, the life that you’d lived for the last thirteen, fourteen, maybe fifteen years, man, it changed in a second. And it really doesn’t matter whether you’re going to college or getting a job or joining the military or even living for the next thirty years in mom and dad’s basement, life will never be the same again. Your graduation changed everything.

And I’ll tell you, that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. You see, we’re going to focus on something else that can change everything, and right now, I’m talking about something called grace, that undeserved gift that God had given to the Galatians, something they knew all about when they first believed but that they’d turned from in order to chase something else. And you know, the transforming power of grace, man, I think that’s something Paul knew about first hand, because it happened to him. I mean, just listen to what he wrote to the Galatians:

My friends, I want you to know that no one made up the message I preach. It wasn’t given or taught to me by some mere human. My message came directly from Jesus Christ when he appeared to me.

You know how I used to live as a Jew. I was cruel to God’s church and even tried to destroy it. I was a much better Jew than anyone else my own age, and I obeyed every law our ancestors had given us. But even before I was born, God had chosen me by his gift of undeserved grace and had decided to show me his Son, so I would announce his message to the Gentiles. I didn’t talk this over with anyone. [Galatians 1:11-16, CEV]

Now that’s what he wrote. I’m telling you, for Paul, grace absolutely changed his life.

And for the next ten minutes or so, we’re going to talk about how it can change ours too. You see, during the rest of the message, we’re going to talk about two things. First, we’re going to look at what grace actually is. And then, second, we’re going to focus on how it has the potential and the power to change us completely, and I’m talking about how we think and how we feel and even how we choose to live. In other words, we’re going to talk about how the same grace Paul taught to Galatians can actually change everything and all we have to do is to acknowledge that it’s there. 

Of course, before we can talk about why it’s important, we need to establish what this grace business is all about. And as it’s described by the Apostle Paul, I think I’m safe in saying that grace is an undeserved gift given to us by God. Now that’s how I think Paul saw it. For example, according to what he wrote, Paul certainly saw the grace, and I’m talking about the favor and the acceptance and the kindness that God has shown to us and all his people, well, I think Paul believed it was undeserved. In other words, it’s not anything that we’ve earned; therefore, it’s not anything that we can possess. As a matter of fact, it’s not something we deserve at all. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s why he wrote this to the Romans:

All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins. [Romans 3:23-24, CEV]

You see, even though we are a mess, we’re sinners, we fall short, God chose to accept us and to free us. And in that way, grace is certainly undeserved. Now, that’s what Paul believed. And just listen to how God gave it. Paul wrote, again to the Romans, 

But the gift of God’s undeserved grace was very different from Adam’s sin. That one sin brought death to many others. Yet in an even greater way, Jesus Christ alone brought God’s gift of undeserved grace to many people. [Romans 5:15, CEV]

In other words, just like sin and separation came because of one person, namely Adam, this restoration and reconciliation also came through another person, and right now I’m talking about Jesus Christ. And so grace hasn’t been gotten by us; rather, it’s been given as a gift by God through Christ. And it was offered to folks who’d done nothing to earn it. I mean, just listen to how Paul described God’s relationship with his own people, Israel:

God treated the people of Israel with undeserved grace, and so a few of them are still his followers. This happened because of God’s undeserved kindness and not because of anything they have done. It could not have happened except for God’s gift of undeserved grace. [Romans 11:5b-6, CEV]

You see, even though Israel may have assumed that they were special because of who they were or what they believed, that just wasn’t true. And I’ll tell you, even though we might feel comfortable and important and just plain special in the sight of God because of our superior righteousness or our incredible spirituality or our dashing good looks, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, that’s not true for us either. You see, although it may come as a blow to our collective ego, God’s favor is undeserved. And God’s acceptance is a gift. And God’s kindness to us was grounded in and based on his choice, not ours. You see, for Paul, that’s what grace is.

And why is this important? I mean, why was it important for the Galatians and for us to believe that grace is an undeserved gift given to us by God? In fact, why was it so important that, according to what Paul wrote, "I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn’t matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed,” [Galatians 1:8-9, CEV] My gosh, why is this idea, this belief so important? Well, I think it comes down to what we were talking about a little while ago, that grace can absolutely change everything. And I think we can see that three ways. 

For example, first, I think grace can move us from shame to peace. And let me show you why that’s important. Remember that verse I read from Romans, you know, how “all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory”? [Romans 3:23, CEV] Well, because of that, I think it’s really easy for most of us to feel guilty, but worse than that, I think it’s also easy for us to feel ashamed. I know, in my own life, there are times when I think about something I’ve done or said or something I didn’t do or didn’t say, and I’ve got to tell you, I still feel guilty. But I don’t think I’m unique. 

And you know based on what we have or haven’t done or said well, guilt is exactly what we should feel. I’ll tell you, I think guilt gets a bad rap. I mean, a little healthy guilt might actually be a good thing, because it just might prevent me, prevent us from making the same mistake over and over again. But I’ll tell you, if I’m not careful, that guilt can sort of morph into shame in a heartbeat, you know what I’m talking about, into the idea that I’m just a bad person and that I’ll never be better than I am right this minute. In other words, it’s easy for us to use what we’ve done to define who we are. But believe me, an awareness of grace can change that. I mean, suppose we accept that grace really is undeserved. In other words, suppose we recognize that it’s not based on what we do but on what God has done. I believe that perspective can change how we see ourselves. And even though from time to time, we’re going to feel guilty because, let’s get real, we’re all going to do some things that are stupid and we’re all going to say some things that are hurtful and we’re all going to ignore some things that are important, what we do and say and avoid doing or saying, man, they don’t have to define who we are. We don’t have to feel shame. In fact, because of grace, we just might be able to understand what Paul was getting at when he wrote this to the Corinthians: 

Three times I begged the Lord to make this suffering go away. But he replied, “My gift of undeserved grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. Yes, I am glad to be weak or insulted or mistreated or to have troubles and sufferings, if it is for Christ. Because when I am weak, I am strong. [2 Corinthians 12:8-10, CEV]

You see, I believe grace is important because it can move us from shame to peace. And that’s the first thing it does. 

But that’s not all, because second, I also think grace can also move us from fear to hope. And that’s also important. I mean, give me a break, if I’m told my ultimate future is all about me, you know what I do and say and don’t do and don’t say, man, I have all kinds of reasons to be afraid. In a way, it’s like being back in school all over again. I mean, what if I forget to do an assignment? Or what if I fail a test? Or what if my grades just aren’t good enough? Man, I’m going to fail the class. And then I won’t be able to go to college. And I won’t be able to get a job. And I won’t be able to join the service, although I might be able to live in my parent’s basement. Still, that ain’t good, right? Now, let’s apply this to God and our eternal destiny. Good night nurse, even if I’m working really hard to be good and doing everything I’m supposed to do and following every single spiritual law I can find, what if Paul was right and “all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory”? [Romans 3:23, CEV] I’m telling you, if it’s all about me, if it’s all about us, more likely than not, we’re all heading to Hell in a handbasket; therefore, we have plenty of reasons to be afraid. But that’s where grace steps in, reminding us that it’s not about me and it’s not about us; it’s about God. It’s about the one who loved us before he laid the foundation of the universe. And it’s about the one who loved us so much that he entered our space and time to live and to die and to be raised again. And it’s about the one who still surrounds us with his Spirit so that we see and understand and feel. You see, it’s about God, isn’t it; and I’m talking about the same one that the Apostle Paul described to Titus:

God our Savior showed us

    how good and kind he is.

He saved us because

    of his mercy,

and not because

of any good things

    we have done.

God washed us by the power

    of the Holy Spirit.

He gave us new birth

    and a fresh beginning.

God sent Jesus Christ

our Savior

    to give us his Spirit.

Jesus treated us much better

    than we deserve.

He made us acceptable to God

and gave us the hope

    of eternal life. [Titus 3:4-7, CEV]

You see, I believe grace can move us from fear to hope, and that’s the second reason it’s important.

And third, I think it can also move us from work to response. But let me be clear, having said that, I don’t want y’all to think I’m not anti-work. That couldn’t be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, I believe work is good for everybody. And y’all know that I’m always talking about how we can share our faith through the words we use and the work we do. I’m pro-work. Still, let’s get real, work isn’t fun. As a matter of fact, it’s not supposed to be. I mean, we work to earn. We work to eat. We work to live. It’s like the actress, Diane Lane said, “That’s why they call it work, because it’s not what you’d prefer to do with your free time.” I guess you could say that, for most of us, work is more of a “have to” rather than a “want to.” But if you’re talking about a response, well, that’s really different, isn’t it? I mean, even though it may involve the same amount of effort and energy, I think there’s a freedom and joy associated with a response we want to do, that’s greater than with a work we have to do. And I believe that’s as true in our relationship with God as it is with anything else. And I also believe that, when we accept the fact that when you get right down to it, God chose us way before we chose God, well, what we end up doing becomes less a work to earn what we want and more a response to what we already have. And I’ll tell you, when that happens, I think our whole attitude changes. As a matter of fact, I believe we might actually to share Paul’s understanding of his own call, when he wrote this to the Corinthians:

I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God’s church that I don’t even deserve to be called an apostle. But God treated me with undeserved grace! He made me what I am, and his grace wasn’t wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God’s grace at work and not me. But it doesn’t matter if I preached or if they preached. All of you believed the message just the same. [1 Corinthians 15:9-11, CEV]

You see, just like it moves us from shame to peace and fear to hope, I believe an understanding of what grace is all about can move us from work to response. And that’s the third thing it does. 

And I’ll tell you, that’s why I believe grace is so very important. I mean, it certainly made an enormous difference for the Apostle Paul when he went from being a persecutor to a promoter of Christianity. And in my opinion, it can do the same thing for us. You see, when we accept that grace is an undeserved gift given to us by God, I believe this understanding can move us from shame to peace and from fear to hope and from work to response. That’s what grace can do. And you know, to y’all who now have a diploma in your hands, and I’m talking about you graduates for whom one door has closed but another door, right now, might not be as open as you might want it do be, you want to give yourselves some of the same kind of thing God has given us all, because, when you get right down to it, grace really does change everything.