What Christ has done for us

You may have heard people say, “All religions are basically the same”. Actually that is totally untrue. Every religion in the world teaches something different. All religions are radically different from each other. Some religions believe there is a God (Islam, Judaism, Christianity), others believe there are multiple gods (Hinduism), and others believe there is no God (Buddhism, Wicca, atheism). Each religion is different in what they teach about death and eternal life. Some teach reincarnation, others death as an end all, and others heaven. And those who teach about heaven disagree about that: Islam believes that heaven is place where we basically live like kings, the Jews say maybe there is a heaven but our focus should be on this world, and Christians say heaven is a place where God dwells and we go when we die.

Religions do not all teach the same thing. Here is one thing they all have in common though, except one. They all tell you what you need to do to be saved. Islam teaches that you need to submit to the will of Allah but obeying the Q’ran (Islam means submission). Jews say you need to keep the Torah, the Law and you will have Shalom, wholeness and fullness. Buddhism teaches that through virtue and meditation you can reach Nirvana, a peace and happiness. Hinduism is all about Karma, doing more good than evil. It is all about what we must do. Jesus taught something radically different. He taught that it is not about what you do to be saved, it is about what he has done for us.


You cannot keep the Law, or achieve shalom or gain enough karma or reach nirvana by what you do. You are guilty as a sinner before an All Holy God. But Jesus lays down his life for you. It is not about what we must do, but what has been done for us.

This morning I want us to look together at the letter to the Galatians. In the book of Galatians the apostle Paul is going to be looking at this very thing. That salvation comes not by what we do, but by what Christ has down for us. And in it he argues against legalism. We use the word legalism all the time, and I think we often misunderstand it. Legalism really only has two definitions.

1. Legalism is a belief that adds to what the Bible teaches “No dancing, no card playing, no loud music”. Sadly we do this all the time. We add our own traditions or our own feelings to what the Bible actually teaches.

2. legalism is a belief that we are saved by obeying the Law: “What I do, will make me right in the eyes of the Lord.”

Both of these are deadly to our souls. Both of them are spiritual diseases. In the Letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul will be dealing with the second kind of legalism: a belief that we have earned our salvation by our own works. I want us to look at the whole letter together and see if we can understand what the problem with legalism is.

Now because we are going to be looking at the whole book of Galatians, probably it is best to have your Bible open to Galatians chapter 1, and try to follow along with me as we go through the book pretty fast.

First a little background. This is a real-life letter from the Apostle Paul writing to the church in the region of the Roman Empire called Galatia. There was a group of Christians living there whom the Apostle Paul had told about gospel and who believed in Christ. Sadly soon after he left a group of people whom Paul calls the Judaizers visited them. The Judaizers were Jews who taught that, “Yes you need to believe in Jesus as Savior, but after that you need to obey the Law to be saved, especially circumcision.” Circumcision was the mark of a true Jew, and anyone who wants to be saved needs to be circumcised.

In this letter, Paul is furious. If you are someone who doesn’t read the Bible too often, you may be surprised at how furious he is here. He will say to the Galatians “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (3:1), He will say about these Judaizers that teach you need to be circumcised to be saved “I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!” (5:12). You can use your imagination as to what he is saying there.

In fact you will notice this right from the way he starts of his letter. Normally Paul will give a greeting and then a thanksgiving and then jump into his letter. In this letter, right after he gets the greeting out, he skips the thanksgiving, and jumps right into his criticism. Look with me at verse 6,


1:6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
The Apostle Paul is furious. Now you might ask, why? Why is he so upset at the Galatians? The reason why is, he knows that the spiritual sickness of legalism is deadly to our souls. To try and be good enough for God is impossible. We can never do it. It either leads to guilt “I’ll never be good enough” or to pride “I must be better than everyone else.” Legalism is a false gospel he says. It does not save.



The Apostle Paul goes on to use his own life as an example. Paul was the ideal Jew. He was rising quickly within the ranks of the Pharisees. He was like a shooting star, passing every exam, doing everything right. He was more zealous and more obedient to the law than anyone around him. And then God called him, revealing to him that he was a sinner, and saved him not by works but by grace.

1:15But [when] God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles

Paul knew like no one else, that salvation by works would be impossible. It would kill us spiritually. You can’t earn your salvation.

There was another man who came to a similar conclusion about 1500 years later. Martin Luther was a monk and a priest and a professor of theology. He used to go to confession daily and often up to six hours at a time, the priest basically told him not to come back until he had committed a big sin. Luther said, if monk a man was saved by his monkery, it was I.” But he came to realize that all his good works, all his fasting and praying and giving to the poor, were infinitely unworthy before God. He was still sinful, guilty and condemned in the sight of an all Holy God. And that his hope was in Christ alone.

Paul wants to spare the Galatians the danger of legalism. He is angry with them, not because he doesn’t like them, but because he loves them. He doesn’t want to see them go down the same path he did only to realize that there is nothing but spiritual death down that road.

He tells the story about how he had to confront Peter about this very thing. Peter comes to visit Paul. The two of them are eating together along with some Gentiles. Now according to the Law, Jews shouldn’t eat with gentiles. But Peter and Paul both know that Christ has made us all clean, so eating together is no problem. But when certain other Jews show up, Peter slyly picks up his tray of food and sneaks away from the Gentile table over to the Jew table. Paul writes, in 2:11,

2:14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”

Paul is saying Peter don’t be a hypocrite. We are not saved by the law and we should not force these gentiles to obey Jewish customs as if they are saved by the law. The gospel doesn’t divide us up “gentile sinners over here” “Jewish sinners of there” No we are all sinners who are saved sheerly by the grace of God. So Paul confronts Peter.

Now you have to understand that is not an easy thing to do. Peter is the disciple who was with Jesus during his life, he was one of the first one’s at the tomb, he was with him after the resurrection. He is like a celebrity. This would kind of like confronting Billy Graham or Rick Warren on something. Pretty intimidating. But Paul knows the gospel is too important. He says at the end of chapter 2

2:21: I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

He goes on to explain once again to the Galatians what this gospel is all about. Paul explains that all who rely on the Law are under a curse, but that those who trust in Christ recognize that Christ has taken that curse for us

3:10All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, …13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

Breaking the law brings a curse upon us: God’s judgment, his righteous wrath. But Christ took that curse for us by dying on the cross in our place.

This is the time of year for sicknesses. The Flu, colds, coughs are flying around. I know a lot of people have been getting this head cold that is going around. I have never met actually enjoys being sick. They might enjoy getting to stay home from school or work for a day, but they don’t actually enjoy getting the flu. Of course having a cold is not the worst thing in the world, there are much worse sicknesses than these: there is heart disease, or cancer, or Alzeimers. These are more serious. Well there are even worse sicknesses than these, there are also spiritual sicknesses. Physical sicknesses eventually go away. Either we get better, or God forbid we die, but eventually we get over them. Spiritual sicknesses effect us forever. They so often go unnoticed. In fact many of us here today may have a spiritual disease and not even know it. The disease is legalism. It is deadly to our souls. To believe that what we do can save ourselves will only lead to a curse. But Christ is the great Physician, and the gospel is the cure.

He tells the Galatians that those who believe in Christ become sons and daughters of God through faith. Not slaves to the law, but sons and daughters.

3:26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.






Think about it, what do you have to do to get adopted? Nothing. It is not something you do, it is something someone does for you. Someone who says to a kid, “You mow the lawn twice a week, take out the garbage, babysit for my kids, and then maybe I’ll adopt you.” Is not fake. No God adopts us completely by his grace, not based one what we do, but on what Christ has done for us.

Now, don’t think that Paul is just some theological academic, dealing with the fine points of systematic theology. No, Paul cares for the Galatians. He loves them, that is why he is trying to be so clear about this. He knows that their joy is dependent on their trust in Christ alone as Savior. God’s salvation alone can bring true joy. You see since the Galatians have started accepting legalism, they lost their joy. That is what always happens. The most legalistic churches are the most joyless churches. Somebody said, we need to put the fun back in fundamentalism.

4:12I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. 13As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. 14Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?




Just as a side note, parents do you want your kids to love God? Make sure it is a home filled with grace. If you have a legalistic home, you know what will happen? You will turn your kids off to God so fast, you won’t even know what happened. Make sure your kids understand that you are a sinner just like them. Make sure they understand that you need to extend them the same grace that God has shown to you. That is a family with joy.

Next, is probably the most confusing part of the letter, but try to follow it. He gives them a little lesson from the Old Testament. He tells them the story of Sarah and Hagar. Now, probably most of us don’t know too much about Sarah and Hagar. But Abraham had two wives, and two sons one by each wife. God promised him that God would use his son to bless many nations. But he and Sarah never got pregnant. So years go by and he loses faith in God’s promise. So he takes Hagar as a sort of second wife, and has a son by her, Ishmael. He did it, not God. Then, year later, Sarah gets pregnant and has her son Isaac. One was the work of Abraham, the other the work of God. Paul’s question to the Galatians is, “Which of the two do you fit under?”

4:24These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother…Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.”


Are you slave to the law, unable to fulfill it, or are you a son or daughter, by the grace of God? Are you of Ishmael, or of Isaac?

Now what kind of life should we live if we are saved by grace and not law? First a life of Freedom

5:1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

Now probably a lot of guys here are circumcised, I am not going to ask for a show of hands, don’t worry. Don’t worry he is not saying you are not a Christian. He is saying if you try to be saved by the law (get circumcised for that reason), then why do you believe in Christ as a Savior? You can’t have it both ways. Either Christ is a savior who sets us free from the burden of the law to save ourselves, or you are still under the law. Which is it? Christ wants us to be free.

Now you can guess what the next question often is. If we are free, does that mean we go out and sin? It is amazing how sinful we are that is so often our first question. We are not under the law, so we can live fully for Christ. It has been said that the good works we do is simply gratitude to God for saving us?


Let me give an example. Let’s say a woman is married and her husband cheats on her. She is devastated. But she recognizes that it was a horrible mistake her husband made, that he is truly repentant, that he is totally broken about it. The wife somehow finds a way to forgive him. Imagine if his next question was “So does that mean I can go out and cheat all the time and you will forgive me? I mean how much can I do and still have you forgive me?” You would say that guy doesn’t have a clue about forgiveness. How much more so friends when God forgives us for our sin, should our response not be “What can I get away with?” but “How can I love you more?”

The difference is we have the Holy Spirit. Look at 5:22, the Fruit of the Spirit. If we are in Christ, we have been given a new life.

5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.



As Paul comes to the end of his letter, he emphasizes one last extremely important point. If our salvation is all of God and none of us, than there is no boasting, no pride, no bragging, except in Christ.

6:14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 16Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

When we recognize that our salvation is all of grace, how can we be proud? How can we look with judgment upon another sinner? How can we look down on someone else when we know it is only by Christ’s death are we saved? It is not about what we do to be saved, it is about what Christ has done for us.

This is where Jesus was worlds apart from religion. They couldn’t be more different. The idea of Heaven, or Shalom, or Nirvana, or Loka is not something we can earn. No obedience, submission, or karma could ever earn it. It is not found it what we do. We are sinners who stand guilty in the sight of an All Holy God. Eternal life is found it what Christ has done for us. Trust in him and what he has done for us. May we never boast except in the cross of Christ our Lord