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Galatians 2:11-21Town North Presbyterian Church – Rev. David J. RogersJune 28, 2020A few of my daughters like the Disney film and musical “Anastsia.”As some of you know, it is the story of the downfall of the last Tsar of Russia – Nicholas II. The Bolsheviks took over Russia, and murdered Nicholas and the whole Romanov family. But a rumor circulated that the Dutchess Anastasia escaped the massacre.In the Disney movie the evil Rasputin was on a continual quest to DESTROY the surviving Duchess. The Duchess lived in constant DANGER.The gospel of Jesus Christ has always been in similar danger.The gospel is the good news is that Jesus Christ came into the world to rescue sinners. But the Devil – like the evil Rasputin – is on a continual quest to DESTROY the gospel.The good news has been under constant threat throughout history.Sometimes that danger comes from false teachers.But sometimes that danger comes from our own weakness and sin as Christians.We see that here with the Apostle Peter.Many of you know that this letter was written by Paul – speaking against false teachers who taught a false gospel. They taught that a non-Jewish person had to become a Jew – and follow the Jewish law of circumcision as well as believing in Jesus Christ –to be saved from sins.Paul strongly opposed these FALSE teachers.But here in chapter 2 – we now see that Paul had to strongly oppose a TRUE teacher!In verses 11-14 we read that Paul opposed “Cephas” which is the Aramaic for Peter.Peter was a fellow APOSTLE with Paul.Peter believed the same gospel as Paul. And Peter taught the same gospel as Paul.As you know, Peter was one of the closest disciples of Jesus – and a leader in the church in Jerusalem.But Paul tells us this in verse 11:“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.”What?!Peter condemned?Peter wasn’t a FALSE teacher.So what happened?We are told exactly what happened in verses 12-14.“For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”Notice Peter fell into one of his old SIN patterns.If you know a little about Peter’s life – you know that he is the Apostle who notoriously denied Jesus at the most critical hour.Peter loved Jesus. He was one of Christ’s closest disciples. And when Jesus told the disciples they would all fall away – Peter was the first to tell Jesus: “I will NEVER fall away!”Jesus told Jesus: “Even if I must DIE with you, I will not deny you!”But you may remember what happened on that fateful night when Jesus was arrested and taken away for trial. Peter was put under PRESSURE.He followed the crowd to the courtyard as Jesus was on trial and being abused by the guards. He was out in the courtyard watching the whole affair from a safe distance – when suddenly a servant girl came up to him and asked him in front of everyone: “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”What was Peter’s response?It was a response of absolute FEAR!He quickly DENIED it saying: “I don’t know what you mean!”He ducked away to another part of the courtyard by the entrance – and another servant girl saw him. She said to everyone around: “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”Again – out of absolute FEAR – Peter DENIED it. This he made an OATH: “I DO NOT know the man!”The people around him became silent – and probably began to murmur among themselves for a few minutes. Then, after a while the group of bystanders came up and said to Peter: “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”Out of absolute FEAR Peter said to them with all intensity: “I DO NOT know the man!”Immediately the rooster crowed, and Peter was cut to the heart by his sin.Out of FEAR for himself – and what would happen to him – he was willing to COMPROMISE the Lord Jesus.And here – in Galatians 2 – we see Peter falling into the SAME sin pattern AGAIN!Peter was under PRESSURE again.This time the PRESSURE came from the false teachers from Jerusalem.Peter had been eating with the Gentile Christians in Antioch – but when these Christians from Jerusalem came – Peter became SCARED. He KNEW they didn’t think Jewish Christians should eat with Gentile Christians.He KNEW it would look really bad if they saw him doing this – so he CAVED. In FEAR he pulled away to save his own skin AGAIN.And Peter KNEW better!Peter KNEW the gospel of Jesus Christ said that JEW and GENTILE were BOTH saved through the saving work of Jesus Christ. God TOLD Peter – explicitly – that he could EAT with the Gentiles and the formerly unclean food of the Gentiles.You may remember the vision God gave to Peter (in Acts chapter 10) – with the sheet lowered down from heaven with all unclean animals. God told Peter “Rise, Peter, kill and eat!”Peter said “By no means, Lord!”But God said: “What God has made clean, do not call common!”Then God had Cornelius (the Gentile) send for Peter – and told Peter to go to his house (the house of a GENTILE). Peter went to the home of Cornelius the Gentile.He proclaimed the good news of Jesus to them – and God gave them repentance and the Holy Spirit. And Peter said he saw that God sent salvation even to the Gentiles – just like as to the Jews.Peter then went up to Jerusalem, and do you remember what happened?In Acts chapter 11 – we are told that the Jewish Christians from the “circumcision party” heard what Peter had done – and they CRITICIZED Peter.They said: “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”Peter explained what happened – and told them what God had done. Peter asked: “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?”From what we know, all of that happened BEFORE this event in Antioch.Not only that, but PENTECOST even happened BEFORE these events in Antioch. In other words, Peter had already received the Holy Spirit as well.And here’s the point: Peter still fell to the same old FEAR.He KNEW the gospel. He KNEW God had saved the Gentiles by the same gospel as the Jews. He KNEW it was RIGHT for him to be able to eat with these Gentiles because of the gospel.But he felt the pressure and pulled back in FEAR.He did NOT live consistently with what he knew was true.Or, as Paul says it here, Peter was not living “in step” with the truth of the gospel.Look again at verse 14:“But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel…”Those are interesting words.Peter’s conduct was “not in step” with the truth of the gospel.The word is literally “walking straightly.”What that means is that Peter was not living CONSISTENTLY with what he believed.Peter KNEW what was true in the gospel. Peter KNEW the gospel said it was right to eat with Gentile Christians. But he wasn’t living “in step” with what he knew to be true.Have you ever done that?Have you foolishly lived in a way that isn’t consistent with what you know and believe?As a Christian, have you ever done things that are NOT consistent with the TRUTH of the gospel?You KNOW it’s not right – but you still do it.You KNOW following Christ means doing THIS – but you still do THAT.Peter’s problem is a common problem that ALL of us face.We are often driven by FEAR and ANXIETY, or ANGER, or GREED, or LUST – rather than the TRUTH of the Gospel.So what did Peter need? And what do we need?Peter needed the TRUTH of the GOSPEL. The TRUTH of the GOSPEL is precisely FOR SINFUL people like Peter.After caving in again – Peter needed it NOW more than ever.What is the TRUTH of the GOSPEL?Paul tells us what it is in verses 15-21.And interestingly enough he says it in one sentence – in verse 21.Notice Paul’s short statement to overthrow the teaching of FALSE teachers in verse 21.He describes TWO things his TRUE gospel DOES NOT DO – which the FALSE gospel DOES.Notice what Paul says:“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”The FALSE gospel NULLIFIES the GRACE of God – and it NULLIFIES the DEATH of Christ. In other words, the GRACE of God is made nothing – and the DEATH of Christ is made nothing.These are the TWO ESSENTIAL truths of the gospel:The GRACE of God and the DEATH of Christ.The whole GOSPEL rests on these two TRUTHS.If you remove these TRUTHS – the whole GOSPEL crumbles.Illus: It is like the old game “Kerplunk!” All the marbles rest on sticks – and each player takes a turn removing a stick.Eventually you get down to a few key sticks that hold up all the marbles.If you pull out those sticks – all the marbles fall.That is what Paul is saying here about these essential TRUTHS of the GOSPEL.The GRACE of God and the DEATH of Christ are the two “sticks” on which everything rests. If you take out these sticks – the whole gospel collapses.These TWO ESSENTIAL TRUTHS of the GOSPEL are what Peter needed.And they are what WE all need.Because we do not often live “in step” with the gospel, we need the TRUTHS of the GOSPEL all the more. So I want you to consider how we NEED these TRUTHS of the GOSPEL which Paul describes in verses 15-21.FIRST, we need GRACE from God.SECOND, we need GIVING from God.MP1: We need GRACE from God (15-18)FIRST, we need GRACE from God.Peter surely needed GRACE from God!He not only turned his back on Jesus at the critical moment, but he continued to follow his old pattern of sin. He turned his back on his master to save his own skin. And now, even after being restored he was quickly willing to turn his back on what God’s truth to save his own skin. This was not a “one-time” offense.And Paul reminds us in verses 15-16 that this is what God does for us in the gospel.Notice that is what Paul tells us in verses 15-16.“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”Notice Paul is comparing Jews and Gentiles – and explaining how BOTH are justified.To be “justified” means to be acceptable for fellowship with God. It means to be in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.And notice in verse 15 Paul says “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners…”He is contrasting God’s chosen people with the rest of the people of the world. The Jews were the descendants of Abraham. They were God’s covenant people, and they had the special favor and adoption by God. He was their God – and they were His people.God had given them His law – and they were to be holy as God is holy.By contrast, the rest of the people of the world were “outsiders.” They were “alienated from the commonwealth of the Jews” – they were “strangers to the covenants of promise.” They were “without hope and without God in the world.” Their lives were marked by idolatry – and every other sinful practice. Thus – as Paul calls them here – they were the “sinful Gentiles.”But notice what Paul says in verse 16.“…yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”Paul says we (Jews) also know that a person is NOT JUSTIFIED by “works of the law.” In other words, even though we Jews HAVE God’s righteous law – and laws for ceremonial cleansing – we are NOT JUSTIFIED by “works of the law.”In other words, it is NOT obeying God’s laws that JUSTIFIES us before God.It is NOT obeying God’s laws that puts us in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.But it is JESUS CHRIST who JUSTIFIES us.It is the work of Jesus Christ that puts us in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.So notice Paul says:“…so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law…”Paul is talking about himself and all other Jews here.He is saying “WE ALSO” have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified.In other words, Jews and Gentiles are ALL brought into RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God in the SAME WAY. They are ALL brought in by GRACE.NONE of them will have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God by their obedience to the law.That is what Paul means at the end of verse 16:“…by works of the law no one will be justified.”Instead, ALL who are JUSTIFIED before God are JUSTIFIED by GRACE through Jesus Christ. In other words, they receive the OPPOSITE of what they deserve!Jews and Gentiles ALL DESERVED the CURSE of God – but through Jesus Christ they receive the BLESSING of God.Christian author J. I. Packer once said it like this:“To justify in the Bible means to declare of a [guilty] man … that he is not liable to any penalty, but is entitled to all the privileges due to those who have kept the law. Justifying is the act of a judge pronouncing the opposite sentence …”The man DESERVES DEATH – but he RECEIVES a COMMENDATION.This is how GRACE works.App: And that is what all of us NEED from God.Those of us who are like Peter ESPECIALLY need it!Paul is telling us here that the very HEART of the gospel is that God has given GRACE in His Son Jesus Christ to people who SIN and FAIL.In Jesus Christ God has given GRACE to people like Peter who continually FAIL to keep “in step” with the TRUTHS of the Gospel.So this is the IRONY, isn’t it?By “pulling back” from eating with the Gentiles, Peter was “sawing off” the very limb on which he was sitting! If JUSTIFICATION came by “works of the law” – then it’s NOT by GRACE. And if it’s NO LONGER by GRACE – then Peter would have to do it himself.But he had already FAILED MISERABLY at that!The LAW required the DEATH penalty from Peter for BETRAYING the Son of God!So Peter needed GRACE.And we are being told here that is PRECISELY what God does in the gospel.God gives GRACE through His Son Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, God JUSTIFIES the sinful person. God pronounces the guilty person JUST.This is truly “good news” for people like Peter.It’s good news for people who have been humbled under pressure and become traitors.It’s good news for people who have been through a few tests – and stumbled – and seen the depth of their sin.It’s good news for people who have FAILED and been brought down – and know they can’t give account for themselves in the future.It may NOT be good news for those who think they are STRONG – and live under the delusion that they will not fail under pressure.But it is SURELY good news for people like Peter – who have seen themselves FAIL.So we NEED GRACE from God.Peter surely did.And the TRUTH of the GOSPEL tells us this is exactly what God gives us in the gospel.MP2: We need GIVING from God (19-20)So again, because we do not often live “in step” with the gospel, we need the TRUTHS of the GOSPEL. We have just seen that we need GRACE from God.SECOND, we also need GIVING from God.When I say “GIVING” I am talking about the way Paul describes Christ’s DEATH for us at the end of verse 20.“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.”When Paul says the Son of God “GAVE” himself – he is talking about Christ’s DEATH for sins and His RESURRECTION.This is the SECOND ESSENTIAL TRUTH of the gospel I mentioned earlier.Christ DIED and ROSE again from the DEAD.And it is by GIVING Himself in HIS DEATH and RESURRECTION – that Jesus accomplished our salvation.He DID IT ALL!That is what Paul says in verses 19-20.“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. 20 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.”Notice Paul is describing what Jesus Christ accomplished for him – and all other Christians – when Jesus GAVE Himself for us.Paul says…Christ’s DEATH brought HIS DEATH. And Christ’s LIFE brought HIS LIFE.Paul says Christ’s DEATH – brought his DEATH to the law’s condemnation.And Christ’s RESURRECTION – brought his LIFE to LIVE to GOD.Look closely at what Paul says in verse 19.“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ.”In other words, “through the law” (that is, the LAW’S demand for his DEATH) – “I died to the law” – meaning he died to the law’s condemnation.The LAW demanded the DEATH penalty for him. And when Christ DIED on the CROSS as his substitute – that DEATH penalty was PAID! In this way he DIED to the LAW. It has no more condemning power over him.Paul is talking about the UNION that every Christian has with Jesus Christ.So he says it this way at the end of the verse: “I have been crucified with Christ.”In other words, Christ’s DEATH for SIN – was OUR DEATH for SIN.And notice in the SAME way – Christ’s LIFE (through His RESURRECTION) means OUR NEW LIFE. Look at verse 19 again:“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.”Notice, Paul says I now LIVE to God. I live a NEW LIFE – to God and for His glory.Paul says the same thing again in verse 20:“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.”Notice Paul says he lives a NEW LIFE. The LIFE of Jesus Christ is now at work (ALIVE) in him! Paul would say He is a completely NEW CREATION.The OLD has gone – and the NEW has come!This is the result of Christ GIVING Himself for us.App: Again, this is EXACTLY what we NEED as people who are like Peter!This is what is NEEDED for people who DO NOT keep “in step” with the TRUTH of the GOSPEL. We NEED LIFE and RESOURCES from somewhere else – from Jesus Christ.We NEED LIFE and POWER because we simply DON’T HAVE IT ourselves!And God tells us here that is what He has GIVEN us in Jesus Christ.God has GIVEN us all the SUPPLY of RESOURCES we need in Jesus Christ. Peter himself tells us in his second letter that God has supplied ALL that is needed for LIFE and GODLINESS!If Jesus Christ LIVES in you – it means God has given you all the resources you need.Are you WEAK like Peter? Christ LIVES in you!Call on Him for your need.Are you FOOLISH and FORGETFUL like Peter? Christ LIVES in you!Call on Him for your need.Do you need PERSEVERANCE?Do you need WISDOM?Do you need STRENGTH?Christ LIVES in you!These are some of the most powerful words in the Bible.Christ LIVES in you!Conclusion: So we see here that the gospel faces DANGER in this world.Sometimes that danger comes from FALSE teachers.And sometimes that danger comes from TRURE teachers – like Peter.Peter was a man who fell back into SIN PATTERNS just like the rest of us. We see here that he FAILED to keep “in step” with the TRUTH of the gospel just like the rest of us.But it is in his FAILURE that we see the true BEAUTY of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ.The gospel is precisely for people who SIN – and FAIL to keep “in step” with the TRUTH of the gospel. God has supplied GRACE to “out of step” people – through His Son.And God has GIVEN LIFE to “out of step” people – through His Son.God has supplies ALL that we need in Jesus Christ.That is the truth of the gospel we must never lose.Let’s pray… ................
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