The Need to Confront Sin (Part 3)

TRANSCRIPT

I greet all of you in the blessed name of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us recap what we have learnt in our previous message. Peter had been eating and fellowshipping with the Gentile believers at Antioch. But when certain men came from the Jerusalem church, he immediately separated himself from them, because he was fearful of the Judaizers. His sin of hypocrisy was so contagious that it spread to the other Jews including Barnabas who was known to be a great man, a man who always encouraged others. Even he was carried away by the hypocrisy. And other Gentile believers were also affected. Paul had to confront Peter, and he had to confront his sin publicly, because Peter was a leader. The sin of a church leader and elder can have a devastating effect on the ordinary member. Therefore, it has to be dealt with openly. That is why 1 Timothy 5 verse 20 says, “[the elders] that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.”

But there was another thing very important about Peter’s sin. It was public. Every believer at Antioch will know that Peter was withdrawing and separating himself because of the Judaizers. And it had a theological implication. Because as Peter turned to the Judaizers, he was giving the impression that he was going back to Judaism, and that Judaism was right. A public sin has to be dealt with publicly. If the public son of a believer is not dealt with publicly, what would happen? Firstly, the people will think that the church does not take sin seriously. Everyone knows about it. ‘Why didn’t the pastor or elders do anything about it?’

Secondly, they will think that the church approves of that kind of behaviour. ‘If the church does not deal with it, maybe it is alright. Maybe it is acceptable.’ Thirdly, they will think that the church does not discipline the person because he is a prominent member. Maybe he is an elder, or a deacon, or a preacher. Just like Peter who was an apostle. When the church does not exercise public rebuke, she will lose her credibility, and she will undermine the biblical doctrines and standards that she is trying so hard to preach to the people. That was where we ended off last message.

Here in this passage, Galatians chapter 2 verse 17 to 19, we are still on the topic of Paul confronting Peter. So, we will still keep to the title, “The Need to Confront Sin (III)”. Some people have asked me this question about confronting sin publicly. Not the exact wordings of the question. I’m phrasing it in my own words: ‘If someone were to say something wrongly on the pulpit ministry, are you going to confront him, or the issue publicly?’

The reason why Paul confronted Peter was firstly because it was a sin. The sin of hypocrisy. Secondly, it was contagious. It had affected everyone. The Jewish believers, Barnabas, and even the Gentile believers, were all affected. Everyone knew about it, therefore it was necessary to confront that sin publicly. If a person preached something against God, something contrary to the Scriptures, then we should address it. And if necessary, confront it publicly. But we must all bear in mind that our message is not infallible and inerrant. Only the Word of God is infallible and inerrant. Sometimes the illustration or testimony we use, or the way we say certain things, it may be ambiguous, not relevant to the context. We may go off tangent, we may miss the point. This is how pastors and preachers are fallible. That is why we must always pray that God will give to the pastors and preachers wisdom and discernment to preach the Word.

We do make mistakes. From time to time. We do make mistakes. But there’s a difference between a blatant sin – as in a doctrinal error – and a mistake we may in our approach to homiletics – as in the art of preaching. So, we do not want to confront someone publicly just because of some testimonies, illustrations or applications, that is the approach to homiletics. That is being legalistic. But if a person were to preach against God and His Word, then it is necessary that we must confront the sin publicly.

By the way, what is the purpose of using illustrations and testimonies in our message? The late Reverend Timothy Tow used to say this, “Illustrations are like little windows that shed light into the dark room”. In other words, you use illustrations to give more meaning and explanation to a text which otherwise the people may not understand. Testimonies are used to enhance and encourage the hearts of the people, how the texts could be applied into our lives. So, we use illustrations and testimonies. But sometimes we make the wrong applications too. May the Lord forgive us.

I. The Thought-Provoking Defence

Now back to our text for today’s message, Galatians chapter 2 verse 17 to 19. Our first point is: “Paul’s thought-provoking defense”. Let us begin with verse 17. “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.” The word “we” was a reference to all Jewish Christians including Paul himself. Paul was gifted with the ability to articulate his arguments in a very systematic way. You read his epistles you will know how gifted he was. Even in the way he defends the Word, in the way he debated against the Judaizers. Here I would like all of us to see not only the progression of Paul’s argument, but also the logic and seriousness of it.

Firstly, Paul was saying, as he had said in verse 16, ‘We as Jewish Christians, we believe in the justification of faith by Jesus Christ. We are justified by Him. We are declared by Him. But now if the Judaizers are right in their teaching that the Gentiles must first be Jewish before they could become Christians, if the Judaizers are right that the Gentiles must first be circumcised in order for them to be saved, then we are all wrong. We have all sinned. Why? Because before the Judaizers arrived at Antioch, Peter, Barnabas, all the other Jewish believers including Paul, were fellowshipping with the Gentile believers, teaching them the justification of faith alone. They are wrong. They have all sinned – if the Judaizers are right.’ That is the meaning of “we ourselves also are found sinners”. That will be the first implication. If they are right, then all of us will be found sinners.

The second point was even more devastating. ‘If we have sinned, because we did not separate ourselves from the Gentiles who were considered unclean, and we were teaching justification by faith, we were fellowshipping with them, then Christ Himself had become a minister of sin.’ A minister of sin means a servant of sin. The question is how did that happen? Well, on many occasions, Jesus had taught that all those who belong to Him were one with Him. And because of that, they are one with each other, whether Jews or Gentiles. Just before His arrest and crucifixion, in His priestly prayer in John chapter 17 verse 21, Jesus prayed earnestly to the Father for all the believers. You read that in the responsive reading, but allow me to quote, John chapter 17 verse 21, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

So, if the Judaizers were right, Peter was right to separate himself from the Gentile believers, then Jesus was wrong. Jesus did not teach the truth. Jesus had taught falsehood. Because He had taught that the Gentiles and Jews could be one. Therefore, He would be a minister of sin. My friends, can you see the logic of his argument? And the progression of sinfulness? Seriousness. To be called a hypocrite was bad enough. To be called a sinner was even worse. But to be accused of making Jesus a minister of sin, a servant of sin, that was most shocking. That would be unthinkable. That would have shaken Peter to his bones.

My friends, we must always pause and consider the implications of our actions. It does not stop with just the initial consequence of our actions, not just the initial consequence we face. Let’s say we committed the sin of gossip. We said something untrue about the leadership. It was a false accusation, and the people were affected. What happens after that? The people stop trusting in the leadership. The people stop listening to the messages anymore. And then slowly, the people start to drift away from the church and finally, they stop attending church all together. We have not only committed the sin of gossiping, we have stumbled the brethren and ultimately Jesus Christ was not glorified.

Let us consider another scenario. When we say the Bible has mistakes, which today there are these proponents – those who propagate that the Bible is not perfectly preserved for us; it has mistakes. Take a moment to consider this. When we say that, we have not only sinned in doubting the Word of God, but remember, Jesus Himself said, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5 verse 18. So, we have not only sinned in casting doubt on God’s Word, but we have made Jesus to be a liar.

Can you see how the implication of our sins can be so serious? That is why we must always consider the things we say and do. Always consider very carefully. How they are going to affect us, how they are going to affect the people around us, our friends, our family members, our children, our parents. And ultimately, how are they going to affect the testimony of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Well, Paul answered his own question with an emphatic “God forbid”, which means may it never be. May it never be. Let it never happen.

II. The Logical Testimony

Our second point is his logical testimony. Again, the flow of his argument was very logical. Look at verse 18, “For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” We all know that, formerly, Paul was a persecutor of the Christian church and the gospel. He went as far as to get legal documents from the necessary authorities to go to Damascus to arrest the Christian and then bring them back to Jerusalem to be prosecuted. He was present when Stephen was killed. In fact, he was the one consenting to the people to stone Stephen to death. In other words, he gave the green light for them to stone him. He tried so hard to destroy the church and the gospel. Then Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, and saved him, and called him. He was converted.

Ever since then, he knew how wrong he was in the past, trusting in Judaism which was a religion the opposite of justification by faith alone, a religion that believed in the works of righteousness, in a system of legalism, that a man could be made right with God. That was impossible. No man could be saved by keeping the law. Remember Paul said this in Philippians chapter 3 verse 3 to 7, “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more”. In other words, if anyone thinks he can trust in his own works, he can trust in his own righteousness, I even more.

Why? Because I was “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” Which means Paul was willing to destroy all these things which he once believed in. His own works. His own righteousness. When he realised that he was very wrong, he started to do the right thing. And he tried hard to destroy the legalistic Judaism which could not save. That was what Paul did. And he did that by preaching the gospel of God’s powerful grace.

In our prayer meeting we have been considering Acts, the book of Acts. And we read about Paul’s missionary journey. In every city Paul stepped foot on, the first thing he did was to look for a synagogue whereby he would preach the gospel of grace to the Judaizers. Because of that, he faced all kinds of persecution. But imagine, if Paul were to go back to Judaism and abandon the gospel of grace, what happens? Is he not going back to build again something which he tried so hard to destroy? That was what he was trying to say here. If he did that, he had proven himself to be a transgressor, a hypocrite, and a sinner by forsaking God’s grace.

My friends, let us consider our lives. When we say we are called by God, we are saved by God, and we are converted, it means we walk away from some things, right? Perhaps there was a time when we were worshipping idols. Some of us might be atheists. Or we were living in son, worldliness, and immorality. And so, we walk away from all these things and embrace Jesus Christ. We were so glad, happy to be in church, to worship God, to listen and learn from God’s Word. And then we went around to preach against all those things we once were engaged in. Idolatry. Sin. Worldliness. Immorality. Then all of a sudden, we walk away from the church. All of a sudden, we became cold to spiritual things. All of a sudden, we went back to idolatry, sin, worldliness and immorality.

What have we proven? We have proven ourselves to be unsaved in the first place. We have proven ourselves to be transgressors and sinners by forsaking what we profess to believe in – that is, the gospel of grace. How sad, right? But this is exactly what happens when we see people walking out of the church and back to the old ways. Paul would never do such a thing. He would never go back to what he had tried so hard to destroy. He had tried so hard to tell the people that that was not true, that justification by faith alone was true. You must reject whatever has been taught in Judaism, and turn to Jesus Christ, the only one who can save you.

He emphatically said in verse 19, “For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.” When he used the word “dead”, he was referring to what had happened to him spiritually, not physically. Physically he is still alive, but spiritually something had happened. You see, the purpose of the law was to show us that we are dead in our relationship to God. It shows we are spiritually dead to God. It shows we are guilty. So, when we look at even the Ten Commandments, honestly, all of us would admit that we have not kept them.

Take the Ten Commandments. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make any graven images unto thee. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Remember the Sabbath. Honour thy father and mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witnesses. Thou shalt not covet.” Which one of us in this room is able to say, ‘I have never worshipped, nor put any gods first in my life, including ourselves?’ Which one of us is able to say, ‘I have never used the name of God in vain, not even once. I have always kept the Sabbath perfectly. Never dishonoured my parents. Never disobeyed them, nor said anything against them, not even once’?

Though we may not physically have killed someone or committed the physical act of adultery – remember Jesus said, ‘If you are angry with thy brother, or call thy brother a fool, in God’s eyes you have committed the sin of murder. If you look on a woman to lust after her, you have already committed adultery with her in your heart.’ Sin is a heart issue. And God looks into the innermost of our hearts. Which one of us is able to say, ‘I have never stolen, nor lied, or been covetous, or greedy’? We have all broken the laws of God.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The law shows we are guilty. The law proves to us we are all condemned to death because the wages of sin is death. The law shows that we are not able to save ourselves. The law has no power to save us It was never intended as a means of salvation. The purpose of the law was to point us to the Saviour, who can save us.

And when we believe in Jesus Christ in faith and in repentance, we have been freed from the law that condemns us, to embrace grace and be made alive in Jesus Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17 tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Notice Paul did not say the law is dead. The law is not dead; the law is very much alive. We are dead to the law. What does it mean to be dead to the law? It means the law is no longer our master. It has no more power over us. It has no more dominion over us. Because Christ is now our Master.

Maybe you can turn with me to Romans 7 verse 1 to 4, which will give us a clearer picture. Let us look at Romans chapter 7 verse 1. Paul said to the Romans, “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,)” – referring to all those Jewish people who knew the law, the Mosaic law. And then he went on to say, “How that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?” Here Paul as not only speaking about the Mosaic law, but any law – whether Roman law, Greek law, Australia law, or even God-given biblical law. Any law has jurisdiction over a person only as long as he is still alive. For example, a criminal, when he dies, he no longer is subjected to prosecution and punishment.

No matter how wicked his crime may be. Most of us here would remember Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who killed President John F. Kennedy. He was never brought before the law for his crime. Why? Because he was assassinated before his trial even began. When he died, the law of the United States had no more dominion over him. As long as a person is still alive, yes, the law has dominion. But when a person is dead, it has no more dominion over that person.

Another way the law – any law – would have no more dominion over a person is when the person is when the person has paid the penalty for it.  For example if a person is convicted of a crime and he is sentenced to one year imprisonment. And he served that one year in prison, as far as the law is concerned, the price, the penalty has been paid. He’s no longer subjected to be prosecuted and punished again.

Then Paul went on to give the analogy of the marriage law. When a couple is married, they are bound by the marriage law, just like all married couples here, you are also bound by the marriage law. Look at verse 2, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”

In other words, a, woman is bound to her husband by the marriage law. And if she ever has any marital relationship with another man, the marriage law condemns her. The marriage law finds her guilty. She shall be called an adulteress. But when her husband is dead, she becomes a widow. And as a widow, she is freed from the marriage law that binds her to her late husband. She is now free to be married to another man.

Using that analogy, Paul applied it spiritually to the life of the believer. And he explained in verse 4. Look at verse 4. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law”. You are dead to the law which condemns you. How? How can you be dead to the law which condemns you? “By the body of Christ” who suffered the penalty of death on your behalf. The price has been paid, the penalty has been paid, by Jesus Christ. “That ye should be married to another”.

Just as the widow is free to be married to another man, the believer is freed from his relationship to the law – to be married so to speak, to be joined together with him. And this him, he went on to say, “even to him who is raised from the dead”. Who was Paul referring to? He was referring to none other than Jesus Christ. Now you are united, you are joined together to Christ Himself. And the purpose God saved you and joined you together with Christ is “that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

Now that was exactly what Paul was saying in Galatians 2 verse 19. “For I through the law am dead to the law” ‘because Christ, He paid the penalty of my sins on the cross – by the body of Christ. Now the law has no more dominion over me. I am dead to the law because of Jesus Christ. Now I might live unto God.’

My friends, this is what Jesus Christ has done for us. There comes a time when the law shows us that we are all guilty. The law condemns us. The law has power and dominion over us. And the only way for the law to have no more dominion over us is that we must pay the penalty of our sins. If you and I were to pay the penalty of our sins, we would be sent to the eternal Lake of Fire. None of us can save ourselves. That is why “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus came and He died on the cross. He took our place. He shed His precious blood to wash away all our sins so that you and I no longer need to be prosecuted and punished again; so that you and I no longer would be under the dominion of the law. We are dead to the law, but we are alive in Jesus Christ.

So today you and I must live our lives to produce fruits for Him, to His glory. Ask ourselves this question: What fruits have we been producing for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has saved us? What have we done in our lives to glorify Him since the day of our conversion?

When we come back next week, we will learn what it means to live our lives for Jesus Christ. And may the Lord help us as we not only learn His precious Word, not only know that we are saved because of Jesus Christ, but we live our lives to glorify Him. Praise be to God. Let us pray.

Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for Thy Word. We thank Thee for the opportunity to even consider these three verses. Indeed, there are so many spiritual lessons for us to draw from Thy precious Word. Help us even as we learn, that we may apply into our lives. If not for Jesus Christ, we would be eternally lost. If not for Him, we would face the penalty of our sins. The law will still have dominion over us. We will be condemned, and the penalty of our sins, the wages of sins is death. Forever and ever we will be cast into the Lake of Fire. But our Lord Jesus, He came, He died for us. He took our place on the cross, paid the penalty of our sins, that today we no longer are subjected to prosecution and punishment, that today, we are dead to the law because of Him: we are made alive in Jesus Christ.

We who are spiritually alive in Him must live our lives to glorify Him. Oh Lord, remind us that every day of our lives must be lived in view of producing fruit for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So help us, oh Lord. We cannot do this but by the working of Thy Spirit. May Thou empower us and cause us to be good and faithful believers, producing fruit that will glorify our Lord. And when we see Him face to face, we long and desire to hear Him say to us, ‘Come, Thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord’. We give Thee thanks, and we pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

SERMON OUTLINE

• I. The Thought-Provoking Defence
• II. The Logical Testimony

THE BOOK OF GALATIANS

A Letter To The Galatians

A Letter To The Galatians

Galatians 1:1-5

The Danger of Preaching Another Gospel

The Danger of Preaching Another Gospel

Galatians 1:6-9

Be a God-Pleaser, not a Men-Pleaser

Be a God-Pleaser, not a Men-Pleaser

Galatians 1:10-12

But When It Pleased God

But When It Pleased God

Galatians 1:13-24

Standing for the Truth of the Gospel

Standing for the Truth of the Gospel

Galatians 2:1-5

One Gospel, Different Ministries

One Gospel, Different Ministries

Galatians 2:6-10

The Need to Confront Sin (Part 2)

The Need to Confront Sin (Part 2)

Galatians 2:14-16

The Need to Confront Sin (Part 3)

The Need to Confront Sin (Part 3)

Galatians 2:17-19

Dead, Yet Alive!

Dead, Yet Alive!

Galatians 2:20-21

Remember How You Were Saved!

Remember How You Were Saved!

Galatians 3:1-5

Saved by Faith

Saved by Faith

Galatians 3:6-9

The Age Old Promise of the Gospel

The Age Old Promise of the Gospel

Galatians 3:6-18

Christ Bore Our Curse

Christ Bore Our Curse

Galatians 3:10-14

Will God Keep His Promise?

Will God Keep His Promise?

Galatians 3:15-18

Why Then Have the Law?

Why Then Have the Law?

Galatians 3:19-22

What the Law Meant to Us?

What the Law Meant to Us?

Galatians 3:23-29

The Son of God Became the Son of Man

The Son of God Became the Son of Man

Galatians 4:1-7

No More a Servant and Child, But a Son

No More a Servant and Child, But a Son

Galatians 4:1-7

Until Christ Be Formed In You

Until Christ Be Formed In You

Galatians 4:8-20

Freedom in Christ or Bondage to Works

Freedom in Christ or Bondage to Works

Galatians 4:21-5:1

By Faith Or By Works!

By Faith Or By Works!

Galatians 5:2-6

The Dangers of False Teachers

The Dangers of False Teachers

Galatians 5:7-12

The Christian Freedom

The Christian Freedom

Galatians 5:13-15

The Works of the Flesh

The Works of the Flesh

Galatians 5:19-21

The Fruit of the Spirit (Part 2)

The Fruit of the Spirit (Part 2)

Galatians 5:22-25

Restoring the Sinning Brother

Restoring the Sinning Brother

Galatians 5:26-6:5

Restoring the Sinning Brethren

Restoring the Sinning Brethren

Galatians 5:26-6:6

You Shall Reap What You Sow

You Shall Reap What You Sow

Galatians 6:7-10

Living for the Praise of Men

Living for the Praise of Men

Galatians 6:11-13

Living for the Glory of God

Living for the Glory of God

Galatians 6:14-18