Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleThe Unifying Message
Bible TextGalatians 3:26-29
Synopsis The unifying message the Spirit of God declared through Paul is that God makes his children by his grace through faith in his Son; that is the message by which God unites his people in Christ. Listen
Date03-Jan-2021
Series Galatians 2020
Article Type Sermon Notes
 
Title:  The Unifying Message 
Text: Gal 3: 26-29 
Date: Jan 3, 2021 
Place: SGBC, NJ 
  
It is instructive to see how the Spirit of God answered the division at Galatia.  He declared that the grace of God has made all his people one by faith in Christ. 
  
Galatians 3: 26: For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29: And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
 
God put a difference between Jew and Gentile, bond and free, male and female by the old covenant law.  There was no Jew and Gentile until God gave the old covenant law.  But the spiritual lesson is that God alone makes his child to differ by making his children one in Christ.  When he gives a new heart and writes the new covenant of grace on the heart. 
  
But carnal Jews—like all without spiritual understanding—only saw the outward differences.  It puffed them up.  They thought themselves better than others by outward differences and works.  They thought being born the first time as natural sons of Abraham made them children of God.  So they despised Gentiles.  They thought they made themselves children of God by the works of the law.  So they thought themselves better than the Gentiles who were without the law of Sinai. 
  
On one occasion, some Jews appeared to believe on Christ.  The Lord said that if they continued believing on him, faith would manifest they were his disciples indeed and the truth would make them free.  It offended them.  “They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” (Jn 8: 33) 
  
That was the heart of the false preachers.  The Judaizers taught Gentile believers that faith in Christ did not make them children of God and sons of Abraham, except they come under the old covenant law like themselves.
  
Proposition: The unifying message the Spirit of God declared through Paul is that God makes his children by his grace through faith in his Son; that is the message by which God unites his people in Christ. 
  
ALL THE CHILDREN OF GOD
  
Galatians 3: 26: For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
  
The Spirit of God declares that those with true faith are manifested to be equally all the children of God.  He is speaking to those God had gifted with faith in Christ whether naturally they were Jews or Gentile, bond or free, male or female.  Ye are all the children of God which is manifest by your faith in Christ.  He did not appeal to outward, carnal differences.  He made no mention of the outward distinctions or outward works of the law.  That would have created more division.  It would set one over the other. 
  
Instead, he says “ye are ALL the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”  Ye are all equally children of God—manifest—not by what you are outwardly, not by your works, but by faith in Christ Jesus.  Faith in Christ does not make us the children of God.  God-given faith is the fruit of God that manifests that God already made us his children.  God made us his children by calling us in eternity by his free and sovereign electing grace not based on anything in us.  In time God reveals it to us by sending the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, giving us spiritual life and faith in Christ.  He did not give us faith to make us children but because we already were the sons of God. 
  
Galatians 4: 4: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5: To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6: And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7: Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 
  
Christ redeem those God had made children by election that we might be given the Spirit of adoption, even as God predestinated before the world began.  To each one Christ redeemed, he sends the Spirit of his Son and gives faith in Christ “because ye are sons.” 
  
Ephesians 1: 3: [God] hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 
  
Faith is the fruit God produces which manifests we are God’s children, redeemed by Christ. 
  
Ephesians 2: 8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we [shall] walk in them. 
  
The Judaizers said except you come under the old covenant law you cannot be children of God.  But the spiritual lesson in the law is that God alone makes us to differ.  God gave the old covenant law written on tablets of stone and that put a carnal difference between the Jew and the Gentile.  Spiritually, God writes the new covenant of grace on the heart in spirit, giving us faith in Christ and faith in Christ is the evidence we are children of God. 
  
For example, the law of clean and unclean animals declared that God alone purifies and makes holy.  Before the Lord sent Peter to the Gentiles, he showed him a sheet with unclean animals forbidden by the law.  The Lord said, “Arise, Peter, kill and eat.”  Peter said, “Not so Lord, I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”  The Lord said, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.”  Then God sent Peter to preach to Gentiles that he had sanctified by electing, redeeming grace.  Peter said, 
  
Acts 15: 8: And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9: And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10: Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11: But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. 
 
So the Holy Spirit did not base their sonship on outward differences or outward works.  That would have only made the divisions worse.  He declares that ye are all children of God manifest one way, by God-given “faith in Christ.” 
  
ALL EQUALLY RIGHTEOUSNESS 
  
Galatians 3: 27: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
  
He declares that we who believe all have the same righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
  
The carnal Jews thought the law made them differ.  But spiritually the law declares no difference between any—the law concluded us all under sin.  That is what the Spirit of God used to take away the division.   First, he said the law declares us all equally guilty in sin. 
  
Romans 3: 9: What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 
  
If we would esteem other better and truly be one, the first thing the Spirit does is teach us we are all under sin.  There is no difference.  We are all guilty in ourselves. 
  
Then the Spirit declared that as many of you as have confessed Christ in believer’s baptism have put on Christ.  It means God has robed each believer in the same righteousness of Christ.  Every true believer has one righteousness.  We are equally righteous, equally perfect, in the garment of Christ’s righteousness. 
  
Romans 3: 22…the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: [in ourselves] 23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood,… 
  
Christ took down the middle wall of partition between us by fulfilling the law—he made all his people one in his righteousness. 
  
Ephesians 3: 13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15: Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16: And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18: For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 
  
God creates oneness of heart.  He does not do it by justifying us by our outward differences.  But by declaring all his people sinners in ourselves.  We who have been made the righteousness of God by Christ alone all have the same righteousness. 
  
ALL ONE IN CHRIST
  
Galatians 3: 28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
  
The Spirit of God declares that our differences are gone in Christ.  We are all one in Christ.  The world tries to create oneness by law.   The world is constantly passing new laws trying to abolish outward social differences such as racism and sexism. But it shall never work.  It makes division worse.  Those who outwardly make themselves appear accepting judge and condemn those who do not appear outwardly accepting.  Law does not create love in the heart.  We cannot legislate love between the races or genders.  Only the gospel of Christ can do so! 
  
If Paul had justified them by saying something outward in them or something outward done by them made them differ then he would have made one think they were better than the other made division worse.  But the Spirit of God made him endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit by declaring God has made each believer one in Christ JesusOutwardly, the differences still exist and culturally we have to abide by the laws and customs of the dayBut for those born of God, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. The Spirit spoke the same through Paul to the Ephesians.  Paul was doing what he exhorted: 
 
Ephesians 4: 2: With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3: Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [what was his unifying message] 4: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5: One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 
  
Brethren, if the word someone speaks to me personally turns me to my brethren away from Christ—to some done or not done which makes my brother to differ—then it is not this unifying message. It will distract me from hearing Christ. But if it turns me to Christ alone, to his righteousness alone, to the grace of God alone then it is what our great High Priest prays for his people.  Christ prayed, 
  
John 17: 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. 22: And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 
  
ALL HAVE THE SAME INHERITANCE
  
Galatians 3: 29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
  
This is the all-important thing—“If ye be Christ’s.”  The Judaizers were saying only those who had certain outward qualifications were Abraham’s children and heirs of God.  It turned the Gentile believer from Christ to themselves and made them fearful and doubting.  The Spirit of God said this is the one qualification—“If ye be Christ’s.” If ye be Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed—spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham. 
  
If ye be Christ’s then you are heirs of God according to God’s promiseaccording to God’s will and testament.  The Judaizers would even make a difference in our eternal inheritance based on outward works. Legalists are working to indebt God to pay them the biggest mansion on the best block in heaven so they can look down on those on the poor side of heaven.  But by God’s grace makes his children heirs of one inheritance 
  
Galatians 4: 6:…God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 
  
God said, “How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee…a goodly heritage…?” (jer 3:19) Listen to the answer, “And I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.”  So what is our one inheritance? 
  
Galatians 4: 7: Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 
 
What do we inherit?  God!  We are the “heir OF GOD.”  Our inheritance is God our Father and his Son Jesus Christ.  What could we want more!  He said, 

Genesis 15:1…Fear not…: I am…thy exceeding great reward. 
  
 Numbers 18: 20: The LORD said I am thy part and thine inheritance. 
  
JC Philpot said, "All the love of God, the goodness of God, the holiness of God, all his happiness, bliss, and blessedness, all his might, majesty, and glory, shining forth in the Person of his dear Son in the blaze of one eternal, unclouded day—this is the saint's inheritance.” 
  
This is the message by which God creates unity in his people: if God has given you faith in Christ then you are all children by the free grace of God.  All are equally righteous by the blood of Christ.  All are one in Christ.  All are children of Abraham.   And all are heirs of God. 
  
Amen!