By Faith

“And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God”

(Galatians 2:20 – Part 3, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, March 25, 2018)

Paul's Old Life

To understand how we are to live “by faith,” we need to start with the man who penned these words so long ago, the Apostle Paul. He did not always introduce himself with the word “apostle” (Galatians 1:1). He was once Paul the Pharisee, a dedicated follower of what we have been calling scribal Judaism. Scribal Judaism is all over the New Testament. For instance, here are two verses from our gospel reading today that give us examples of this false way of thinking and living where a religious person insists on scrupulous obedience to holy appearances while committing glaring sins against the weightiest matters of God's Law.

Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death.

But what about the commandments against false witness and murder?

Matthew 27:6 The chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.”

But who gave Judas the blood money? (Matthew 26:14-16)

We read about the involvement of the old Paul in a different unjust death, not long after this:

Acts 7:58–8:1 [58] Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. [59] And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” [60] And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. [8:1] And Saul approved of his execution.

Paul's New Life

(The one called “Saul” in Acts 7 is none other than Paul. See Acts 13:9.) The old life was gone for Paul, and the new life had arrived. What did that look like? Paul was honest even when it made him look bad. He was also truthful in teaching God's Word even when others might take offense. Yes, he was bold for His Savior and Lord, not caring too much about what other people thought of Him, but caring deeply about obeying the Lord. He was also loving toward God's children, including being discerning enough to protect sheep from wolves. Honest, bold, loving, genuine, holy... these are words we would use to describe God. There's something there about living by faith...

Paul says things in this letter that he never would have said in the old days. Once he hated the message of Jesus, but now he insisted it was the only good news (Galatians 1:9). Once he insisted that the only way to be right with God was through being a careful follower of the Old Testament ceremonial Law. Now he boldly pleaded with the churches in Galatia to reject that trap. He insisted that the gift of the Holy Spirit came to them not through the “works of the Law” but by “hearing with faith” the promise of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:1–2). He confronted them boldly about their old life as idol worshipers, showing them that they should not turn again to powerless ceremonies just because the customs now being promoted in their hearing were Jewish traditions rather than Gentile superstitions (Galatians 4:8–9). He reminded them that they could have a confident expectation of a future of perfect righteousness, and that the old rituals could never give them that hope (Galatians 5:5–6).

Union and Communion with the Son of God

Paul was a new creation. He was united with Jesus, the Son of God, and he grew in his new life through communion with Christ in prayer, hearing the truth, and living it out—all by the Spirit of God. That was Paul's new life, but it was also for the Galatians. He did not say to them, “I have found that Jesus and the resurrection work for me, but if you find help in Jewish ceremonies, enjoy.” No, he said regarding those who were trying to move the church toward trusting in circumcision, “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!” (Galatians 5:12). He insisted, “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9).

Your Old Life, Your New Life in the Present Age, and Your Perfected Life in the Age to Come

1. For those who have rejected any kind of life of faith: In the Name of Jesus, the Son of God, I call you to the only new life that God has authorized me to present to you.

2. For those who imagine that some kind of faith is all that counts: The truth or falsehood of any belief system is of absolute importance. There is only one true gospel.

3. For all who are here to embrace what God declares in His Word: Your old life is gone, and your new life in Christ is worth everything. Bear fruit that comes from the Spirit of God now in this current era, and believe that God has more than you could ever imagine in store for you in the age to come. This is the Christian hope, and it is yours. Enjoy! The truth matters, and you have found Him. Relax and obey.

Living by Faith in the Son of God Now

Sermon point: The same Jesus who died and rose again will be with us today and forever. You are wise to put your trust in the Son of God.

In this life you will face tribulation. The Bible urges Christians to live “by faith in the Son of God.” Faith is trust—relaxing in Jesus. It has a mind, the mind of Christ given to us in the Scriptures. It has a heart, the heart of the Son of God who loves you. It has legs and feet, arms and hands, for we walk by faith and not by sight as the body of Christ.

Where does faith come from and how can we get more of it to help in our daily lives? This entire life, the resting and obeying God has for us, is a gift built on the foundation of what Jesus has done. Ask for that gift and that Man, and may the resurrection of Christ be on display in your life. In the last words of Paul's letter to the Galatians, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” (Galatians 6:18)

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 50 – A Covenant by Sacrifice

Gospel Reading—Matthew 26:57-27:14 – Jesus before Caiaphas and the Council / Peter denies Jesus / Jesus Delivered to Pilate / The Death of Judas / Jesus Before Pilate

A Former Life

“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

(Galatians 2:20 – Part 2, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, March 18, 2018)

It is no longer I who live

All of us are alive today, just as the Apostle Paul was alive when he wrote these words to the churches in the region of Galatia. What could Paul mean by saying, “it is no longer I who live?” Who is this dead “I?” He answers the question himself by writing earlier in Galatians 1:13 about his “former life in Judaism.” Paul was dedicated to what I call “scribal Judaism.” Scribal Judaism came from the traditions of the rabbis over the centuries, obscuring the Word of God (Matthew 23:25-26).

Jesus had His own intense conflicts with scribal Judaism, and He administered the necessary indictment against this false Old Testament interpretation by quoting Isaiah 29:13, “This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men.” He then summed up Isaiah's point by saying, “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8).

Why would people choose the tradition of men above the Word of God? They hope to establish their right standing through this man-made plan. That was once Paul's problem, and that old Paul had to go. In fact, the old Paul, with the old worldview that was so wrong, had to die. Paul was still biologically alive, but his old “heart” died.

Christ lives in me

What happened to the old Paul? He says in the first part of this verse, “I have been crucified with Christ.” Paul still had a life to live, yet He knew that Christ was living this new life of resurrection Judaism through Paul. Paul was still very much a Jew, but the King of the Jews, Jehovah in the flesh, Jesus the Messiah, was living in Paul. Amazing. (Genesis 2:7 and John 20:21-22)

Paul wrote about his own situation as an encouragement to his young protege, Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:12–17, “I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service, [13] though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, [14] and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. [15] The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. [16] But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life. [17] To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul, New Creation in Christ, Christ in Him, Death-and-Resurrection.

The Galatians and Their Tumultuous Spiritual Struggle

This death and resurrection pattern was not only for Paul but for all who are in Christ. He wrote to the churches in Galatians 4:8, “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.” These words were not written to Jews but to Gentiles. They did not grow up with scribal Judaism, but with some other worldview big among Gentiles that enslaved them to idols. The resurrection grace of Jesus confronts every other life that people come up with to make themselves right or worthy to themselves, their people, or the powers of the universe. Here in Galatians, Paul wrote to those who once held to (1) a Gentile way of life, they then were (2) found by God and adopted into His household, only to be assaulted by people from Jerusalem teaching them about finishing their new life as Jesus-followers with a generous covering of (3) ceremonial OT Law/Jewish traditions. The final veneer had to be removed.

With all these worldviews flying around, not to mention our systems of establishing our own virtue, how can we simplify this teaching and make it more useful. Here it is: All false worldviews try to take us from our uncomfortable vice to our own manufactured virtue. All those old ways of living life have been crucified with Christ. Only Jesus living in us can bring us safely to the GRACE of God. That's where we want to be, where our virtue has come as a gift to us through the resurrected Christ.

Communion with Christ in Death and Life

Our union with Jesus in His death and resurrection gives us our status with God. That is the beginning of a lifelong adventure of communion with God, which is also a daily gift from the One who gave us life. The goal of that communion with Christ is that we would become like Him (Romans 8:29). Ephesians 4:22 says that you are “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Having problems with your new life in Christ? Could it be that you are trying to live two lives at once? The old one has to die so that the new one can flourish more and more.

Onesimus was a non-Christian slave serving a Christian master, Philemon. Onesimus ran away from Philemon, met Paul, and God claimed him as His beloved child. Paul then wrote to Philemon, and said about Onesimus, “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.” The apostle urged Philemon to willingly free his slave, so that Onesimus could serve with Paul as a free man as a part of the Lord's gospel team. It was no longer Onesimus who lived, but Christ who lived in him.

History tells us that centuries later one Patrick of Britain was captured as a 16 year old by an Irish raiding party to serve as a slave in Ireland. After six years he escaped and made his way back home until he came to a greater life of faith and calling. He believed that God was sending him back to the land of his bondage to teach the Irish about the resurrected Son of God. It was no longer Patrick who lived, but Christ who lived in him.

And then there is you and me. If you cling to your old way of life, you are a slave to that former life. Instead, why not say “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me?” Put off the old man of the autonomous I, and put on the new man of the glorious Jesus Christ. What will God do if you give your life more fully and willingly to Jesus as Lord?

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 49 – Mount Zion and The City of Our God

Gospel Reading—Matthew 26:1-56 – The plot to kill Jesus / Jesus anointed at Bethany / Judas to betray Jesus / The Passover with the disciples / Institution of the Lord's Supper / Jesus foretells Peter's denial / Jesus prays in Gethsemane

You have been freed! You have been found!

“I have been crucified with Christ.”

(Galatians 2:20 – Part 1, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, March 11, 2018)

The Cross of Christ as Historical Fact

The ancient observers of first century life, Josephus and Tacitus, both wrote about the historical fact of the cross of Christ. Josephus recorded that “one Jesus, a wise man who performed surprising works” died when Pilate “condemned him to the cross.” He also recorded that the followers of Jesus were “not extinct” in the time when he wrote his book of “Antiquities.” In the “Annals” of Tacitus, the Roman author calls our Lord by the word “Christus” who “suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate.” He also referred to the extent of the Christian Jewish movement which “broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome.” One historian has summarized the facts this way, “That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be since both Josephus and Tacitus … agree with the Christian accounts on at least that basic fact.”

By “the Christian accounts” the author refers especially to the Bible, which is not lesser historical evidence just because it is the Word of God. By any objective criteria, the gospels and epistles of the New Testament are far more reliable than any other documents that have come down to us from ancient times. “The New Testament has been preserved in more manuscripts than any other ancient work, having over 5,800 complete or fragmented Greek manuscripts, 10,000 Latin manuscripts and 9,300 manuscripts in various other ancient languages.” (Wikipedia). In contrast, we have zero manuscripts from the same period of the works of Josephus and only two early copies of Tacitus' Annals.

Furthermore, in the Bible we have not only thousands of ancient copies, but a wealth of verses to consider from multiple authors about what is a central subject of life-changing concern for the people involved. For example, we can look at the five times that the one Greek word was used which is translated with the two English words “crucified with.” Three of these are from Matthew, Mark and John, and two from Paul:

Matthew 27:44, “And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.”

Mark 15:32, “'Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.' Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.”

John 19:32, “So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him.”

These three give us the most obvious meaning of what it was to be crucified with Jesus, but they also establish the fact that every fair observer must admit, or else deny all of history: Jesus was crucified. The final two uses of “crucify with” make the same point, but then move on to the meaning of this fact for the church:

Romans 6:6 “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Before we leave the fact of the cross, remember the military observers on the scene. In John 19 we read that “they saw that He was already dead.” To further confirm this “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear.” John adds these earnest words: “He who saw it has borne witness, his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth.” Finally, we read the reactions of the Roman centurion in charge (Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, and Luke 23:47). The fact of the crucifixion demands your intellectual assent.

The Cross of Christ as Theological Doctrine

But Paul was insisting on much more than this intellectual assent when he wrote “I have been crucified with Christ. Here we need to examine the context of our verse and the life of Paul as recorded in Galatians 1 and 2. The apostle wanted his readers to understand what he called “my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.” Paul had a life that sprung naturally from his worldview prior to the Lord meeting him on the road to Damascus. That old life was gone. It had been crucified with the Christ—that is, the Messiah. In his new life, Paul had received the “right hand of fellowship” from the church authorities in Jerusalem, but more than that He had been given his mission by God. The Lord gave Paul the boldness to confront even Peter when Peter was acting according to Jewish rules of separation from Gentiles.

Paul had been a confirmed Pharisee, an accomplished and rising intern of scribal Judaism. He was ready to kill for his old faith. That old man (Paul) could never have said, “I have been crucified with Christ.” Now he was giving his whole life for something a scribe would never have said, since they rejected any suffering Messiah. Paul had given up his old trust (right standing through devotion to the Jewish traditions) and embraced a new trust in the Jesus of Isaiah 53, the lamb that was led to the slaughter and died for many. Paul was not alone. We read quotes of Isaiah 53 in John 12:38, Matthew 8:17, and Acts 32-33 where even an Ethiopian eunuch is brought to the right interpretation of Isaiah's song. They all came to see the truth that Peter preached as recorded in Mark 10:45, that the Son of Man came to “give His life as a ransom for many.” (See 1 Peter 2:22-25.)

The Cross of Christ as a Way of Life

Matthew 16:24-28 tells us that this was not the isolated experience of a few disciples but the pattern of life for the church. We all lived with some old set of trusts. Who owns you? For Paul it was scribal Judaism, so he hated the Christian interpretation of Isaiah 53. Now he was “not ashamed of the gospel” but saw it as “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,” Jew and Gentile (Romans 1:16). The gospel claim that “I have been crucified with Christ” was not just about Paul, and was not just a speculative religious doctrine, but a practical demand of the only Christ for all who put their trust in Him. (Today many must say “So long!” to an “I own me!” bondage.)

Union with Christ in His Death

The church has been united with Jesus in His death, a truth that empowers a new life.

1. You have been freed from something old, old trusts with their bad passions and hopeless despair. You still feel pain, but you also taste glory.

2. You have been found by God for a better life as a soldier of the cross. More coming...

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 48 – Mount Zion and The City of Our God

Gospel Reading—Matthew 12:38-42 – The sign of Jonah

The Christian and Worldly Views of Worship and Living

The King and His Worship Servants

(1 Chronicles 23, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, March 4, 2018)

[1] When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

[2] David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. [3] The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men. [4] “Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said, “shall have charge of the work in the house of the LORD, 6,000 shall be officers and judges, [5] 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the LORD with the instruments that I have made for praise.” [6] And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

[7] The sons of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei. [8] The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. [9] The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan. [10] And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. [11] Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, therefore they became counted as a single father's house.

[12] The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. [13] The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to dedicate the most holy things, that he and his sons forever should make offerings before the LORD and minister to him and pronounce blessings in his name forever. [14] But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi. [15] The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. [16] The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. [17] The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. [18] The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. [19] The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. [20] The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

[21] The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. [22] Eleazar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the sons of Kish, married them. [23] The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

[24] These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the LORD. [25] For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. [26] And so the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service.” [27] For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. [28] For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. [29] Their duty was also to assist with the showbread, the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size. [30] And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the LORD, and likewise at evening, [31] and whenever burnt offerings were offered to the LORD on Sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, according to the number required of them, regularly before the LORD. [32] Thus they were to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the service of the house of the LORD.

When David was old

David prepared his son for the future, providing him with materials that would be used for the building of the temple, as we saw in the previous chapter. He insisted that Solomon be ready to govern Israel's worship as God's chosen king.

A new era for the Levitical clans

David had great concern for the worship of God's people. He considered it his duty to see that the various clans of the Levites were in place to serve according to the Lord's commandments. This required some additional direction in light of the change from a simple mobile tabernacle to a beautiful temple with some additional instructions for worship including the use of musical instruments and singing. David was used by God to provide whatever direction was necessary for this new phase of Old Testament life. The Lord worked through the king in order to grant whatever was lacking. There would be officers, judges, gatekeepers, singers, and other musicians, all organized for the Lord's service. The clans of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari—still remained intact, but the king provided additional direction for them.

In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. (Heb 8:13)

The change from Moses to David is often overlooked, as if all the commandments regarding the worship of the Old Testament were given on Sinai. God brought something new through David. Even more significant changes would come through a later Son of David. These would be appropriate because of a far more significant change in the temple of the Lord. No longer would a central structure be the focus of the Lord's people. The worldwide church welcoming in the nations would lead many to wonder if the followers of Jesus had gone too far. Circumcision would be replaced by baptism, a new rite that could be received by both men and women. A new meal celebrating the death of Jesus our Redeemer would bring fulfillment to centuries of Passovers.

It was the right of Jesus to institute these changes as the new David. He is the Lord's Anointed forever. He has prepared the way for His church to worship God through Him. One day He will return with a new Jerusalem from above, and all God's people will worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

The story of David's anticipation of a new life centered around a fixed temple is now 3000 years old. What does it teach us today? Jesus, the King over a new and better covenant, established new roles for all of us who have been granted bold access to God through His blood. We are servants of God through Jesus, the premier worshiper of the Father. He has granted to us faith, a variety of gifts, and appropriate callings. Our genealogical descent does not determine our acceptability or usefulness.

While all of our ceremonial life as Christians is so different from the preparations that David made so long ago, this much has not changed: Worship of the Almighty is supposed to be at the very center of our lives. The world will always find the worship way of living extreme, but Christians should understand why God and His worship must come first. We are part of God's good tree of life, and Jesus, our root system, is bringing forth good fruit through us. We call upon His Name and then grow in our knowledge of God and the gospel (Genesis 1:1, Romans 1:16-32, 3:20-21), committing ourselves to a life of continuous prayer and obedience (1 Thessalonians 5:10-18, James 5:13-20). Our confidence is in Christ alone, who is the perfect worshiper of the Father. He will lead us.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 47 – He is Highly Exalted

Gospel Reading—Matthew 12:33-37

[33] “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. [34] You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. [35] The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. [36] I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, [37] for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”