Hello, and welcome
to 3ABN's Worship Hour.
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I'm Jill Morikone, and so glad
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that you have joined in us today
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for the study
of the Word of God.
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Our topic today is
the "Dangers of Legalism,
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and Legalism Versus Grace."
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We're going to look
at the seven dangers
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of legalism on this side.
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And then on this side,
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the seven outgrowths of grace
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or what does it look like
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when grace is manifested
in the life of a Christian?
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Before we go to
the Lord in prayer,
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let's read our
opening scripture.
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Invite you to open up
your Bibles or grab a notepad,
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so you can take notes and
write down these scriptures
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as we share them here today.
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We're in Ephesians Chapter
2, you know this scripture.
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It's a wonderful statement
of the plan of salvation.
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Ephesians 2:8-10,
"For by," what's our word?
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"Grace,
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you have been
saved through faith.
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And it is not of yourselves.
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It is the gift of
God, not of works,
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lest anyone should boast."
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But it doesn't stop there.
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It says, "For we
are His workmanship,
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created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
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which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
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Let's pray.
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Holy Father, we come
before You in the name of Jesus,
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asking right now that
you would anoint my lips
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with a coal from off your altar.
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God would You
speak, would You be seen,
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would You and Your Word
be lifted up and exalted.
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And, Father, we
seek to not only hear
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what you have for us,
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but to walk in obedience
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to the message that
you have for us today.
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And we thank you
in Jesus' name, amen.
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It was a Monday night.
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Monday night's meant,
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I went into our local jail
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and did Bible
studies with a woman there.
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It's a cement
block room quite small.
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The woman would sit
four across on the desk,
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and all the way around the room,
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they'd stand and
lean up against the wall,
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they would squat
sit on the floor.
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I was there with a
couple of my friends
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from church,
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a couple woman from church.
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And I asked the girls,
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they were always eager
to talk and eager to discuss
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and I said, "Let's
go around the room.
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And why don't
each one of you share
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how someone else
would perceive you."
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So if someone
else, maybe your friend,
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maybe the cellmate, if
they were to describe you,
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what word would they use?
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And the girl right on
my right spoke up first
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and she was all excited.
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She said, "Oh, that's easy.
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My friends
would say I'm mouthy."
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And you know what? She was.
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She was always eager to
talk and first to jump in,
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in any discussion.
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So we went around the
room, fun loving, loud, quiet,
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pretty,
boisterous, funny, sweet.
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They were having a
good time, everyone sharing,
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eager to share how they thought
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other people would look at them.
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And then I said, "Tell me,
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what word would you
use to describe yourself?"
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Instantly the
atmosphere in the room changed.
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And they looked at each other,
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and then they
dropped their eyes,
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and they looked
down at the floor.
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And I said, "It's okay.
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It's the safe place.
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Just tell me,
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what word you would
use to describe yourself."
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I looked at the
girl who was on my right.
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Remember, she was
the girl who had said,
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her friends
would call her mouthy.
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She was always eager to talk.
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And I thought maybe
she would break the ice.
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And she would
talk first this time.
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She looked up at me
and she said, "Depressed."
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My friends would
say I'm depressed.
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And then she dropped her eyes
and just looked at the floor.
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I would say, "I'm depressed."
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We went around
the circle, confused,
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lonely, afraid, angry, broken,
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very different
words with the words
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they used to describe themselves
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versus how they thought
other people looked at them.
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You know why that is?
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You and I might not be in jail.
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But, I don't know about you.
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We're all very good
at putting on a mask.
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These days, you go to the store
and you have to wear a mask,
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but I'm not talking
about that type of mask.
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I'm talking the
type of mask, we think,
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I need to be a good Christian.
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I need to appear a certain way.
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I need to say certain things.
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So we put on the mask
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as it were of good Christianity.
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Sometimes we put on
the mask of legalism.
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You know, what I love
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is that our
Father never looks at us
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through the
eyes of other people.
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Neither does He look at us
through how we view ourselves.
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When God looks at you,
He says, Jeremiah 31:3,
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"I have loved you
with an everlasting love:
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therefore with loving-kindness
I have drawn you."
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When He looks at you,
He looks at you with love.
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John 6:37.
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He says, "Whoever
comes to me," Jesus speaking,
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"Whoever comes to me,
I will never cast out."
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God looks at
you with acceptance.
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John 14:27,
"Peace I leave with you,
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my peace I give unto
you: not as the world gives,
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give I unto you.
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Let not your heart be troubled,
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neither let it be afraid."
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When God looks at you,
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He wants to give you peace.
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Psalm 30:5, "Weeping,
it may endure for a night,
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but joy,
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it always comes in the morning."
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When God looks at you,
He wants to give you joy.
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Romans 8:15,
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"You did not
received the spirit of bondage
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again to fear,
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but you received
the spirit of adoption
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by which we cry out,
Abba, Daddy, Father."
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When God looks at you,
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He sees someone
that He has adopted
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into His kingdom.
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I want to ask you today,
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are we saved by grace
or are we saved by works?
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If works don't save us,
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what role do they play
in the life of a Christian?
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And how do you know?
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How do I know if
I'm becoming legalistic?
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Now that's really the
million dollar question.
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It's not as if you would
go up to someone and say,
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"Hi, my name is
Jill and I'm a legalist."
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That's not our
common vernacular.
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That's not what we
would naturally say.
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I think legalism is
something that's easily hidden,
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hard to discern,
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hard to even know
what is in our hearts.
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I asked some
employees here at 3ABN
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and some friends said,
"How would you define legalism?
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Or how would you know,
if you've become legalistic?
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And here's some of the answers.
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If I lose my joy in the Lord,
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I think I'm becoming legalistic.
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Here's another.
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If I develop a
spirit of judgment,
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I think I'm becoming legalistic.
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Here's another.
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If love for God
is not my motivation,
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then I fall into performance
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and performance
becomes legalism.
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Here's another.
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Salvation in works
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as opposed to
salvation in Christ.
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Here's another.
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If you buy into
something so strongly
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that you follow
it by the letter,
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you probably believe
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that you've
committed to a cause.
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And that's a good
thing in your mind.
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So you know what that means?
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The legalist
probably doesn't even know
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that they've fallen
into that trap of legalism.
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Could we be thinking
that we are saved by grace,
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yet we're still
clinging to works for salvation.
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Jeremiah 17:9, what
does the prophet tell us?
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"The heart is
deceitful above all things
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and desperately
wicked, who can know it?"
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How do we even
really know ourselves?
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Turn with me to Galatians.
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Galatians Chapter 3.
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We were in Ephesians,
we're gonna go to Galatians,
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just the book before.
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Galatians Chapter 3.
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Now this whole issue
in the Galatian Church
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that Paul was addressing.
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As you read the
Book of Galatians,
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you see this time and time again
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throughout the
Book of Galatians.
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Did the Gentile Christians
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need to be circumcised
in order to be saved?
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You see, the Gentile Christians
accepted Christ as Messiah.
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They accepted all these truths
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that the
apostles preached to them.
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But some of the Judaizers,
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you could say the legalist
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said, you need to be circumcised
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in order to be saved.
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And this whole Book of Galatians
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deals with this topic.
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Now you might be saying, I
don't understand that at all,
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because clearly,
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circumcision has
nothing to do with salvation.
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But if we
substitute, not circumcision,
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but if we substitute
this concept of works,
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we understand in
the New Testament,
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we understand in
the 21st century,
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really what Paul
was dealing with.
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Does that, what
that means is this.
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Does that mean
when I accept Jesus,
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I'm saved by grace?
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And then do I have to
do something of myself?
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Is there some works
that is somehow involved
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to add to my salvation?
00:10:15.94\00:10:19.15
That would be in
today's language,
00:10:19.18\00:10:20.78
what they were dealing
within the Galatian Church.
00:10:20.82\00:10:23.22
So we're in Galatians Chapter 3.
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Galatians 3:1,
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Paul says, "O
foolish Galatians..."
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Now the word foolish in
English is kind of strong.
00:10:29.36\00:10:32.29
But in the original Greek
it means stupid, mindless,
00:10:32.33\00:10:37.70
so it's a pretty strong word.
00:10:37.73\00:10:39.53
"O foolish Galatians!
00:10:39.57\00:10:41.47
Who has bewitched you
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that you should
not obey the truth,
00:10:44.21\00:10:45.57
before whose eyes
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Jesus Christ was
clearly portrayed."
00:10:46.98\00:10:50.38
Then jump down to verse 3.
00:10:50.41\00:10:51.88
"Are you so foolish?
00:10:51.91\00:10:53.25
Having begun in the Spirit,
00:10:53.28\00:10:55.82
are you now being
made perfect by the flesh?"
00:10:55.85\00:10:59.45
So he says,
00:10:59.49\00:11:00.82
"You accepted Christ as Messiah,
00:11:00.86\00:11:04.19
as your Savior
and you believed that
00:11:04.23\00:11:07.20
and you knew that
you were saved by grace,
00:11:07.23\00:11:09.63
but now you think you have to do
00:11:09.66\00:11:11.63
some sort of works to
add to that salvation."
00:11:11.67\00:11:16.60
He gets even
stronger in Galatians 5.
00:11:16.64\00:11:18.91
Galatians 5:4,
00:11:18.94\00:11:24.18
"You have become
estranged from Christ."
00:11:24.21\00:11:27.38
Now, that word
estranged is pretty strong.
00:11:27.42\00:11:29.55
It means
separated, pushed apart.
00:11:29.58\00:11:32.62
"You have become
estranged from Christ.
00:11:32.65\00:11:37.09
You who attempt to
be justified by law,
00:11:37.13\00:11:41.63
you have fallen from grace."
00:11:41.66\00:11:45.23
Does that mean if I attempt
salvation by my own effort,
00:11:45.27\00:11:49.37
salvation by my own works,
00:11:49.40\00:11:52.17
I literally
separate myself from Jesus.
00:11:52.21\00:11:57.41
You see works say,
00:11:57.45\00:11:59.41
what I do has
bearing on who I am.
00:11:59.45\00:12:02.98
Grace says,
00:12:03.02\00:12:04.62
who I am has
bearing on what I do.
00:12:04.65\00:12:08.52
Works say,
00:12:08.56\00:12:09.89
actions are more
important than motive.
00:12:09.92\00:12:13.60
Grace says, motive
informs my actions.
00:12:13.63\00:12:18.97
Work say,
00:12:19.00\00:12:20.34
I am what other
people perceive me to be.
00:12:20.37\00:12:24.37
Grace says, I am
who God says I am.
00:12:24.41\00:12:30.28
We're all in
need of divine grace.
00:12:30.31\00:12:32.95
Sometimes we
grow up and we think,
00:12:32.98\00:12:34.55
I have a family
member who believes this.
00:12:34.58\00:12:36.82
She said to me,
"Jill, I'm a good person."
00:12:36.85\00:12:40.62
The Bible says, Isaiah 64:6,
00:12:40.66\00:12:43.66
"All, our righteousness
is as filthy rags."
00:12:43.69\00:12:49.03
You know, even a
child understands this.
00:12:49.06\00:12:51.10
My nephew Caleb, he's
my sister's third son.
00:12:51.13\00:12:55.20
I was at their
house when he was two.
00:12:55.24\00:12:57.44
He's a lot older
now, but when he was two
00:12:57.47\00:12:59.67
and he threw
himself down on the floor
00:12:59.71\00:13:01.91
and had one of those old
fashioned temper tantrums.
00:13:01.94\00:13:05.31
Have you ever seen one of those?
00:13:05.35\00:13:06.92
Maybe a kid in the
candy aisle in the store
00:13:06.95\00:13:09.22
and they throw
themselves on the floor.
00:13:09.25\00:13:10.72
So this is what he did.
00:13:10.75\00:13:12.09
But he wasn't
in the candy aisle.
00:13:12.12\00:13:13.46
He was at home.
00:13:13.49\00:13:14.82
And he threw
himself on the floor,
00:13:14.86\00:13:16.39
and he kicked his little legs.
00:13:16.42\00:13:18.89
And he screamed,
and his face was red,
00:13:18.93\00:13:22.03
and he's crying out.
00:13:22.06\00:13:24.47
And in the midst of that,
00:13:24.50\00:13:25.83
I began to hear a refrain, okay,
00:13:25.87\00:13:28.27
he's kicking his
legs on the floor,
00:13:28.30\00:13:30.31
he's crying.
00:13:30.34\00:13:33.14
His arms are
flailing and he's saying,
00:13:33.17\00:13:35.48
"Jesus, help me be good,
00:13:35.51\00:13:38.91
Jesus, help me be good."
00:13:38.95\00:13:42.62
You see, even a two year old.
00:13:42.65\00:13:45.42
He understood that of
himself he could not be good,
00:13:45.45\00:13:50.66
that his righteousness,
00:13:50.69\00:13:52.36
we understand
this in adult terms,
00:13:52.39\00:13:54.40
but his righteousness
was really nothing,
00:13:54.43\00:13:57.30
and he could not be good
without the power of God.
00:13:57.33\00:14:02.10
I want to be clear that
legalism is not obedience.
00:14:02.14\00:14:08.58
Legalism is not obeying the law
00:14:08.61\00:14:10.55
because that is
clearly obedience
00:14:10.58\00:14:12.48
and that is a biblical concept.
00:14:12.51\00:14:14.88
But legalism is
works based salvation.
00:14:14.92\00:14:20.26
It has been concerned
with keeping the love of God
00:14:20.29\00:14:22.82
as an end in itself,
00:14:22.86\00:14:24.96
or as a means to salvation.
00:14:24.99\00:14:27.86
Legalism is
Christ-less law keeping.
00:14:27.90\00:14:32.27
It is separating the
law from the law giver.
00:14:32.30\00:14:35.47
It's not concerned
with obedience to God.
00:14:35.50\00:14:37.57
It's not concerned
with honoring Christ.
00:14:37.61\00:14:40.38
It simply seeks to obey rules
00:14:40.41\00:14:43.71
that are devoid
of any relationship.
00:14:43.75\00:14:47.08
Legalism is externally motivated
00:14:47.12\00:14:50.59
and externally driven.
00:14:50.62\00:14:52.75
It's concerned
with external obedience
00:14:52.79\00:14:56.09
instead of an inward change,
00:14:56.12\00:14:57.76
instead of a
change from the heart.
00:14:57.79\00:15:00.40
It's concerned, you can say,
about the letter of the law,
00:15:00.43\00:15:03.50
while it entirely
violates the spirit of the law.
00:15:03.53\00:15:08.40
2 Timothy 3.
00:15:08.44\00:15:10.37
Turn with me to 2
Timothy 3:4 and 5.
00:15:10.41\00:15:14.38
This is a whole list of
men and women in the last days,
00:15:14.41\00:15:19.78
and the corruption and
the evil that will abound.
00:15:19.81\00:15:24.35
And then we pick it up.
00:15:24.39\00:15:25.72
Paul's talking
to Timothy, he says,
00:15:25.75\00:15:27.42
"Lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God,
00:15:27.46\00:15:31.59
having a form of
godliness but denying its power.
00:15:31.63\00:15:35.73
From such people turn away."
00:15:35.76\00:15:40.37
Now when I read that list,
I naturally think of hedonism.
00:15:40.40\00:15:44.31
You think of an
excess of pleasure,
00:15:44.34\00:15:47.41
people who are
lovers of pleasure
00:15:47.44\00:15:49.41
rather than lovers of God,
and that is definitely true.
00:15:49.44\00:15:52.95
And it's in that verse.
00:15:52.98\00:15:54.98
But what about
the legalistic side?
00:15:55.02\00:15:56.89
It's also in that verse,
having a form of godliness,
00:15:56.92\00:16:03.39
but denying the power,
00:16:03.43\00:16:05.36
being externally
motivated and externally driven,
00:16:05.39\00:16:09.66
seeking to obey the
law in our own strength,
00:16:09.70\00:16:14.77
while not reaching out
to God for His divine grace.
00:16:14.80\00:16:19.04
Legalism is adding our own rules
00:16:19.07\00:16:22.18
to the law of God
00:16:22.21\00:16:23.58
and treating those
rules as if they were divine.
00:16:23.61\00:16:27.42
Matthew 15:8 and 9, Jesus said,
00:16:27.45\00:16:29.88
"These people draw
near Me with their mouth,
00:16:29.92\00:16:32.42
and honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
00:16:32.45\00:16:38.33
In vain do they worship Me,
00:16:38.36\00:16:40.23
teaching as doctrines
the commandments of men."
00:16:40.26\00:16:44.57
Legalism teaches as doctrines
the commandments of men.
00:16:44.60\00:16:47.54
It adds to the law of
God with manmade rules
00:16:47.57\00:16:52.94
and treats them as
if they are divine.
00:16:52.97\00:16:56.44
Legalism is an
attempt to gain favor with God
00:16:56.48\00:16:59.91
or to impress other
people by doing certain things
00:16:59.95\00:17:03.95
or avoiding certain things,
00:17:03.99\00:17:06.35
without regard to the condition
of my own heart before God.
00:17:06.39\00:17:10.69
It's really rooted in pride.
00:17:10.73\00:17:12.83
So let's look at those
seven dangers of legalism.
00:17:12.86\00:17:15.86
If you have your pen and paper,
00:17:15.90\00:17:17.33
this is danger number one,
00:17:17.37\00:17:19.07
the danger of an
unconverted heart.
00:17:19.10\00:17:23.81
Turn with me to Luke.
00:17:23.84\00:17:25.17
Luke Chapter 11,
00:17:25.21\00:17:26.54
we're going to look
at verses 37 through 40.
00:17:26.57\00:17:29.31
Luke 11:37-40.
00:17:29.34\00:17:32.95
Now, this passage in Scripture
00:17:32.98\00:17:35.88
is all dealing with the woes
to the scribes and Pharisees
00:17:35.92\00:17:40.59
or the woes to the
Pharisees and lawyers,
00:17:40.62\00:17:43.26
to the legalist of Jesus' day.
00:17:43.29\00:17:46.29
Luke 11:37, "And as He spoke,
00:17:46.33\00:17:49.06
a certain Pharisee
asked Him to dine with him.
00:17:49.10\00:17:52.03
So He went in
and sat down to eat.
00:17:52.07\00:17:54.44
When the Pharisee
saw it, he marveled
00:17:54.47\00:17:56.91
that He had not
first washed before dinner.
00:17:56.94\00:18:00.38
Then the Lord said to him,
00:18:00.41\00:18:02.01
'Now you Pharisees
make the outside of the cup
00:18:02.04\00:18:04.58
and dish clean,
00:18:04.61\00:18:05.95
but your inward part
00:18:05.98\00:18:07.42
is full of greed and wickedness.
00:18:07.45\00:18:10.15
Foolish ones!
00:18:10.19\00:18:11.62
Did not He who made the
outside make the inside also?' "
00:18:11.65\00:18:17.63
What is He telling them
that they are unconverted?
00:18:17.66\00:18:20.96
They're washing the outside,
trying to appear righteous,
00:18:21.00\00:18:25.37
appear holy before God,
00:18:25.40\00:18:27.57
but inside, they
are still unconverted.
00:18:27.60\00:18:33.04
Jesus had conflicts.
00:18:33.07\00:18:34.74
If you study Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John, the gospels.
00:18:34.78\00:18:39.35
You will discover that
Jesus had more conflicts
00:18:39.38\00:18:42.88
with the legalists
than any other group.
00:18:42.92\00:18:48.06
It was not
after all an adulterer
00:18:48.09\00:18:50.93
who put Jesus on the cross.
00:18:50.96\00:18:53.26
It was a legalist,
the scribes and Pharisees.
00:18:53.29\00:18:56.77
It was not a murderer
who put Jesus on the cross.
00:18:56.80\00:19:01.00
It was the legalist.
00:19:01.04\00:19:03.37
It was not a robber
who put Jesus on the cross.
00:19:03.41\00:19:07.84
It was the legalist.
00:19:07.88\00:19:09.44
Now we understand that
Jesus died for our sins,
00:19:09.48\00:19:13.21
I don't want to
confuse that there
00:19:13.25\00:19:14.88
and that He died
for all of our sins.
00:19:14.92\00:19:17.15
So in that sense, all of us,
00:19:17.19\00:19:19.25
my sins put Jesus on the cross.
00:19:19.29\00:19:22.76
But specifically,
the ones who were pushing
00:19:22.79\00:19:25.33
for His
crucifixion were the legalist.
00:19:25.36\00:19:29.76
Sometimes you find
as you study Scripture,
00:19:29.80\00:19:32.63
that Jesus
deliberately did things
00:19:32.67\00:19:34.80
to expose the
legalist, deliberately.
00:19:34.84\00:19:38.67
Why else did He heal
people on the Sabbath?
00:19:38.71\00:19:42.18
He could have waited till Sunday
00:19:42.21\00:19:43.55
or He could have
done it on Friday,
00:19:43.58\00:19:45.41
but He purposely
did it on Sabbath
00:19:45.45\00:19:49.32
to showcase what the
Sabbath was really made for.
00:19:49.35\00:19:53.56
He ignored their
elaborate hand washing custom.
00:19:53.59\00:19:57.29
That's what we
just read in Luke 11.
00:19:57.33\00:19:59.06
Now He clearly
could have said, well,
00:19:59.09\00:20:01.26
I'm with these
scribes and Pharisees,
00:20:01.30\00:20:03.47
they would feel
better if I washed my hands
00:20:03.50\00:20:06.13
the way they do.
00:20:06.17\00:20:07.50
So He could have done
that elaborate hand washing.
00:20:07.54\00:20:10.44
But instead,
00:20:10.47\00:20:12.71
He did not just
ignore it and not do it,
00:20:12.74\00:20:16.08
He scathingly rebuked them
for their unconverted heart.
00:20:16.11\00:20:21.58
The danger of an
unconverted heart.
00:20:21.62\00:20:23.59
Danger number two,
00:20:23.62\00:20:24.95
the danger of a false
assurance of salvation.
00:20:24.99\00:20:29.89
Legalism is
believing that your works
00:20:29.92\00:20:31.86
will somehow
merit favor with God
00:20:31.89\00:20:34.60
or somehow earn salvation.
00:20:34.63\00:20:37.40
I grew up in a
very legalistic home.
00:20:37.43\00:20:40.14
This is no fault to my parents.
00:20:40.17\00:20:42.00
I think it was just the
era, the time of when I grew up,
00:20:42.04\00:20:46.11
and that's the state of
the church at that time.
00:20:46.14\00:20:50.15
And I lived
many years of my life
00:20:50.18\00:20:54.58
trying to be good,
trying to follow God,
00:20:54.62\00:20:59.85
trying to
somehow be good enough,
00:20:59.89\00:21:03.43
say the right things,
00:21:03.46\00:21:05.06
do the right
things that somehow,
00:21:05.09\00:21:07.53
some way God could accept me.
00:21:07.56\00:21:12.37
I remember, I
went away to college,
00:21:12.40\00:21:13.74
I was 18 years old.
00:21:13.77\00:21:15.90
And I came back,
00:21:15.94\00:21:17.54
we were in church
00:21:17.57\00:21:19.97
singing whiter than
snow cover with His life,
00:21:20.01\00:21:23.81
my life of
scarlet, my sin and woe,
00:21:23.85\00:21:26.61
cover with his
life, whiter than snow.
00:21:26.65\00:21:31.05
And I remember
in church standing,
00:21:31.09\00:21:33.05
the organ playing,
00:21:33.09\00:21:34.42
singing that, I'm 18
and a half years old.
00:21:34.46\00:21:37.39
And for the first
time in my whole life,
00:21:37.43\00:21:41.10
I realized, do you
mean that God's life,
00:21:41.13\00:21:45.50
His character,
00:21:45.53\00:21:47.04
the blood of Jesus
can actually cover me?
00:21:47.07\00:21:52.17
My salvation
does not depend on me
00:21:52.21\00:21:55.08
doing things differently
00:21:55.11\00:21:56.81
or trying
harder or being better.
00:21:56.85\00:22:01.25
My salvation is
dependent on the blood of Jesus
00:22:01.28\00:22:04.22
and the grace of Jesus.
00:22:04.25\00:22:05.82
It was a brand
new concept to me.
00:22:05.85\00:22:09.49
Luke 18, jump over
to Luke Chapter 18.
00:22:09.52\00:22:12.36
This is the
Pharisee and the publican,
00:22:12.39\00:22:15.93
and the parable that Jesus told.
00:22:15.96\00:22:18.13
Luke 18:9,
00:22:18.17\00:22:20.24
and it gives the reason
why Jesus told this parable.
00:22:20.27\00:22:23.51
And He spoke this parable
00:22:23.54\00:22:25.37
to some who
trusted in themselves,
00:22:25.41\00:22:28.84
that they were
righteous and despised others.
00:22:28.88\00:22:33.01
That is a false
assurance of salvation,
00:22:33.05\00:22:35.38
trusting in yourself,
00:22:35.42\00:22:37.62
believing that
somehow in yourself,
00:22:37.65\00:22:40.86
you are righteous.
00:22:40.89\00:22:42.52
How are we saved?
00:22:42.56\00:22:43.96
We read that scripture,
it was our opening scripture,
00:22:43.99\00:22:46.83
Ephesians 2, "We are
saved by grace through faith,
00:22:46.86\00:22:52.30
and that not of
yourselves, it is a gift of God,
00:22:52.33\00:22:54.97
not of works, lest
anyone should boast.
00:22:55.00\00:22:57.84
For we are His workmanship
00:22:57.87\00:23:00.81
created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
00:23:00.84\00:23:03.88
which God prepared before
that we should walk in them."
00:23:03.91\00:23:08.55
Did you catch that?
00:23:08.58\00:23:09.92
Grace is a gift.
00:23:09.95\00:23:12.15
Faith is a gift.
00:23:12.19\00:23:14.79
Salvation is a gift.
00:23:14.82\00:23:17.66
And often we stop
there and then we say,
00:23:17.69\00:23:20.20
but works is what
I have to do myself.
00:23:20.23\00:23:23.77
Did you catch that?
00:23:23.80\00:23:25.13
That's what I grew up believing.
00:23:25.17\00:23:26.67
Maybe there's some grace
and some faith and all this,
00:23:26.70\00:23:29.60
but this part over
here, I have to do myself.
00:23:29.64\00:23:33.54
I have to conjure
up, grit my teeth, grin,
00:23:33.58\00:23:36.98
put on the mask
of good Christianity.
00:23:37.01\00:23:39.65
I need to somehow try harder.
00:23:39.68\00:23:42.35
But the truth of that verse
00:23:42.38\00:23:44.79
is that the works
are a gift as well.
00:23:44.82\00:23:49.52
We are His
workmanship in verse 10.
00:23:49.56\00:23:52.03
Ephesians 2:10,
00:23:52.06\00:23:53.40
"Created in Christ
Jesus for good work."
00:23:53.43\00:23:55.03
So there clearly it
mentions good works,
00:23:55.06\00:23:57.67
which God prepared before
that we should walk in them.
00:23:57.70\00:24:01.24
What does that mean?
00:24:01.27\00:24:02.60
That means, God by the
power of His Holy Spirit
00:24:02.64\00:24:05.67
enables you and
I, to do the works,
00:24:05.71\00:24:08.91
lives His life in us.
00:24:08.94\00:24:11.71
It's not us
trying to do the works,
00:24:11.75\00:24:13.72
it's His works lived out in us.
00:24:13.75\00:24:17.19
The danger of an
unconverted heart,
00:24:17.22\00:24:19.19
the danger of a false
assurance of salvation.
00:24:19.22\00:24:21.99
Danger number
three, the danger of pride.
00:24:22.02\00:24:26.43
We're still in Luke Chapter 18,
00:24:26.46\00:24:28.16
that parable of the
Pharisee and the tax collector
00:24:28.20\00:24:30.57
or the publican.
00:24:30.60\00:24:31.93
Luke 18.
00:24:31.97\00:24:33.30
Let's look at verses 11 and 12.
00:24:33.34\00:24:36.94
"The Pharisees stood and
prayed thus with himself,
00:24:36.97\00:24:40.88
'God, I thank you, that
I am not like other men,
00:24:40.91\00:24:46.21
extortioners,
unjust, adulterers,
00:24:46.25\00:24:49.65
or even as this tax collector.
00:24:49.68\00:24:52.72
I fast twice a week,
00:24:52.75\00:24:54.22
I give tithes of
all that I possess.'"
00:24:54.26\00:24:59.13
Would you say
that's a prideful man?
00:24:59.16\00:25:01.73
Absolutely.
00:25:01.76\00:25:03.10
God, I thank you, I'm
not like these people.
00:25:03.13\00:25:05.73
I am better
00:25:05.77\00:25:07.64
because of the
works that I do for you.
00:25:07.67\00:25:10.97
Luke 11:43.
00:25:11.01\00:25:12.34
Here's the woes again
00:25:12.37\00:25:13.71
to the
Pharisees and the lawyers.
00:25:13.74\00:25:15.34
"Woe to you Pharisees!
00:25:15.38\00:25:17.45
For you love the best
seats in the synagogue
00:25:17.48\00:25:21.32
and the greetings
in the marketplace."
00:25:21.35\00:25:24.85
Again, pride
wanting the best seats,
00:25:24.89\00:25:27.79
wanting to be greeted,
00:25:27.82\00:25:29.46
wanting to be thought
00:25:29.49\00:25:30.83
of as better
even than themselves.
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.86
You know, when I was
young, my maiden name is Penny.
00:25:33.90\00:25:37.27
And when we were in church,
00:25:37.30\00:25:40.04
my sister and I would sit
next to each other in church,
00:25:40.07\00:25:42.77
having some sort
of private sister war.
00:25:42.80\00:25:45.71
I don't even know it was about,
00:25:45.74\00:25:47.28
but I just remember
us arguing in church.
00:25:47.31\00:25:49.98
Sitting there
00:25:50.01\00:25:51.35
and she would kick
me underneath the pew,
00:25:51.38\00:25:53.58
and then someone would
come walking into church
00:25:53.62\00:25:55.95
and instantly my
sister and I would smile,
00:25:55.98\00:25:59.45
look up at the person.
00:25:59.49\00:26:00.82
We're probably six
and eight years old.
00:26:00.86\00:26:03.32
Look up at the person
and say, happy Sabbath.
00:26:03.36\00:26:07.56
And the person would say,
00:26:07.60\00:26:08.93
"And how are the
Penny angels doing today?"
00:26:08.96\00:26:13.90
Why was that?
00:26:13.94\00:26:15.27
Because we
clearly were legalistic.
00:26:15.30\00:26:18.81
We had pride in that.
00:26:18.84\00:26:20.84
And we had an
outward show of Christianity
00:26:20.88\00:26:26.15
but inward, we were unconverted.
00:26:26.18\00:26:29.45
We had a false
assurance of salvation
00:26:29.48\00:26:31.65
and there clearly
was pride in our life
00:26:31.69\00:26:33.49
because as soon as
that person would leave,
00:26:33.52\00:26:35.62
I would kick my
sister under the pew
00:26:35.66\00:26:37.63
and we would begin
our private war again.
00:26:37.66\00:26:41.80
Danger number four,
the danger of judging.
00:26:41.83\00:26:47.20
John Chapter 8, we
won't read that passage.
00:26:47.24\00:26:51.01
But John Chapter 8,
00:26:51.04\00:26:52.37
this entire passage
is focused on the woman
00:26:52.41\00:26:56.14
who was caught in adultery.
00:26:56.18\00:26:58.21
You know the story.
00:26:58.25\00:26:59.58
She's dragged before
Jesus, the disciple says,
00:26:59.61\00:27:02.45
she's caught in the very
act, throw her at His feet.
00:27:02.48\00:27:07.69
And there's all these Pharisees,
00:27:07.72\00:27:09.52
these scribes gathered
around waiting to have Jesus
00:27:09.56\00:27:16.30
pick up a stone and
stone her for her sin.
00:27:16.33\00:27:20.44
And yet Jesus
stooped down in the dust
00:27:20.47\00:27:23.00
and He began to write.
00:27:23.04\00:27:25.17
And they looked
down and they thought,
00:27:25.21\00:27:28.08
these are my sins.
00:27:28.11\00:27:29.84
Oh, here's pride.
00:27:29.88\00:27:32.11
Here's so and so.
00:27:32.15\00:27:33.52
And as Jesus began to
write their sins in the dust,
00:27:33.55\00:27:38.72
one by one, they looked,
00:27:38.75\00:27:41.19
gathered their
righteous robes about them,
00:27:41.22\00:27:43.96
and they turned
around, and they walked off.
00:27:43.99\00:27:48.36
Pretty soon it's just Jesus
00:27:48.40\00:27:50.10
and the woman
left standing there,
00:27:50.13\00:27:53.20
laying there, however she was.
00:27:53.23\00:27:56.17
And Jesus said,
"Where are your accusers?"
00:27:56.20\00:27:58.57
And she said, "They're
gone. They're not here."
00:27:58.61\00:28:02.34
And He said,
"Neither do I condemn you,
00:28:02.38\00:28:05.25
go and sin no more."
00:28:05.28\00:28:06.88
You see these legalists,
the Pharisees, the scribes,
00:28:06.92\00:28:12.35
thinking they're
doing God a service
00:28:12.39\00:28:14.86
by bringing a woman
00:28:14.89\00:28:16.26
who clearly was in sin to Jesus.
00:28:16.29\00:28:19.66
They thought in
themselves, they were holier.
00:28:19.69\00:28:23.03
But yet what Jesus
showed is that their sin
00:28:23.06\00:28:26.94
was just as wicked in
the sight of God is that,
00:28:26.97\00:28:30.04
of that woman who was there.
00:28:30.07\00:28:32.11
And that they needed conversion.
00:28:32.14\00:28:35.61
They needed a new
heart just as much.
00:28:35.64\00:28:41.98
We judge others
by our own standards.
00:28:42.02\00:28:45.35
You ever see that?
00:28:45.39\00:28:46.72
We don't usually
judge others by the standard
00:28:46.76\00:28:48.32
from the Word of God.
00:28:48.36\00:28:49.69
Usually we judge
others by our own standards.
00:28:49.72\00:28:53.26
We have little tolerance
00:28:53.29\00:28:54.86
for people who sin
differently than we do.
00:28:54.90\00:28:59.77
2 Corinthians 10:12,
Paul tells us, "But they,
00:28:59.80\00:29:02.90
measuring
themselves among themselves,
00:29:02.94\00:29:04.67
and comparing themselves
among themselves are not wise."
00:29:04.71\00:29:09.08
Danger number five, the
danger of hard hardheartedness.
00:29:09.11\00:29:14.15
Let's go back to Luke.
00:29:14.18\00:29:17.69
Luke Chapter 10, we'll
look at verses 30 to 37.
00:29:17.72\00:29:22.02
We won't read it all.
00:29:22.06\00:29:23.39
This, of course, is the
parable of the Good Samaritan.
00:29:23.43\00:29:26.09
And most of the
parables that Jesus told,
00:29:26.13\00:29:29.16
doubt, answered a question.
00:29:29.20\00:29:31.57
Someone had asked a question,
so it answered a question.
00:29:31.60\00:29:35.70
And it dealt with an attitude.
00:29:35.74\00:29:38.67
The attitude we see here
00:29:38.71\00:29:40.58
in this parable
of the Good Samaritan
00:29:40.61\00:29:42.58
is the attitude of
self righteousness.
00:29:42.61\00:29:46.75
We also see the
attitude of a hard heart
00:29:46.78\00:29:49.38
as we'll get into it.
00:29:49.42\00:29:50.92
So the lawyer had
stood up in verse 27.
00:29:50.95\00:29:55.96
Well, he had said,
00:29:55.99\00:29:57.33
"What do I do to
inherit eternal life."
00:29:57.36\00:29:59.09
And in verse 27, Jesus said,
00:29:59.13\00:30:01.50
"You shall love the
Lord your God with heart,
00:30:01.53\00:30:03.16
soul, mind, strength and
your neighbor as yourself."
00:30:03.20\00:30:06.17
And he said, "You
have answered rightly,
00:30:06.20\00:30:08.77
do this and you'll live."
00:30:08.80\00:30:10.14
But the lawyer
wanted to justify himself.
00:30:10.17\00:30:12.34
So he said, "So
who is my neighbor?"
00:30:12.37\00:30:15.41
So we pick up the
story in verse 30.
00:30:15.44\00:30:18.18
"Then Jesus
answered him and said..."
00:30:18.21\00:30:20.68
Now, the word
00:30:20.72\00:30:22.05
answered in
English is very mild.
00:30:22.08\00:30:24.05
It just says, He answered him.
00:30:24.09\00:30:26.32
But in Greek,
it's literally took up.
00:30:26.35\00:30:29.46
So the lawyer
laid down a question,
00:30:29.49\00:30:31.89
and Jesus took up the
challenge, as it were.
00:30:31.93\00:30:35.80
And he talked about the man
00:30:35.83\00:30:37.17
who went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho.
00:30:37.20\00:30:40.10
Now it's a distance of 18
miles from Jerusalem to Jericho,
00:30:40.14\00:30:43.54
and they probably
descended 3,000 feet.
00:30:43.57\00:30:47.38
I've been there and it's
dry, it's barren, it's rocky,
00:30:47.41\00:30:52.15
it's desert like,
00:30:52.18\00:30:54.58
and the thieves
got ahold of him,
00:30:54.62\00:30:56.52
and they stripped him
and beat him and left him
00:30:56.55\00:30:59.65
at the side of the road.
00:30:59.69\00:31:01.16
And then we see verse 31,
a priest come by that road.
00:31:01.19\00:31:07.10
And it says, "When he saw him,
00:31:07.13\00:31:09.16
he passed by on the other side."
00:31:09.20\00:31:11.30
The danger of
hard hardheartedness.
00:31:11.33\00:31:14.67
The danger of you and I
00:31:14.70\00:31:16.84
seen a brother
and sister in need,
00:31:16.87\00:31:19.97
whether it's a Jew or
a Gentile or a Samaritan,
00:31:20.01\00:31:23.21
whether it's
someone from our religion,
00:31:23.24\00:31:25.01
whether it's someone
00:31:25.05\00:31:26.38
who even claims
the name of Jesus,
00:31:26.41\00:31:29.35
the danger of us hardening,
00:31:29.38\00:31:32.45
hardening our hearts
against the needs of others.
00:31:32.49\00:31:38.69
The Levite did the same thing.
00:31:38.73\00:31:40.06
Verse 32, "The
Levite when he arrived,
00:31:40.10\00:31:41.96
he looked and
then he ran over here
00:31:42.00\00:31:44.83
and he passed by,
on the other side."
00:31:44.87\00:31:48.70
33, "A certain
Samaritan as he journeyed
00:31:48.74\00:31:51.44
came where he was, and
when he saw him, he had, "
00:31:51.47\00:31:55.48
what's that word?
00:31:55.51\00:31:56.85
"Compassion."
00:31:56.88\00:31:58.21
Ooh, I love that word.
00:31:58.25\00:31:59.58
That is the contrast to
the priest with a hard heart
00:31:59.61\00:32:05.15
who just looked and walked away.
00:32:05.19\00:32:07.46
It's the contrast to the
Levite with the hard heart,
00:32:07.49\00:32:11.13
who looked and crossed
the street and walked away.
00:32:11.16\00:32:14.53
The Samaritan came,
00:32:14.56\00:32:16.00
looked and had compassion
and he bound up his wounds
00:32:16.03\00:32:21.10
and he paid for his care.
00:32:21.14\00:32:25.64
The danger of
hard hardheartedness.
00:32:25.67\00:32:30.35
1 John 3:16-18.
00:32:30.38\00:32:33.08
"By this we know love,
00:32:33.11\00:32:34.78
because He laid
down His life for us.
00:32:34.82\00:32:37.42
We also ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren.
00:32:37.45\00:32:42.36
But whoever has
this world's goods,
00:32:42.39\00:32:44.53
and sees his brother in need,
00:32:44.56\00:32:46.70
and shuts up his heart from him,
00:32:46.73\00:32:49.50
how does the love
of God abide in him?
00:32:49.53\00:32:51.73
My little children,
00:32:51.77\00:32:53.10
let us not love
in word or in tongue,
00:32:53.13\00:32:56.57
but in deed and in truth."
00:32:56.60\00:32:58.51
Danger number six,
00:32:58.54\00:32:59.87
the danger of
hindering people's salvation.
00:32:59.91\00:33:04.65
This is probably
the saddest one to me
00:33:04.68\00:33:06.61
of all the seven
dangers of legalism
00:33:06.65\00:33:08.78
is danger number six,
00:33:08.82\00:33:10.42
the danger of hindering
someone else's salvation.
00:33:10.45\00:33:16.42
Luke 11:52, we're
back to the woes again,
00:33:16.46\00:33:20.73
to the scribes
and the Pharisees.
00:33:20.76\00:33:23.80
"Woe to you lawyers,
00:33:23.83\00:33:25.63
for you have taken
away the key of knowledge."
00:33:25.67\00:33:28.90
That's the
knowledge of salvation.
00:33:28.94\00:33:30.91
So they took away the
knowledge of salvation
00:33:30.94\00:33:33.58
from other people.
00:33:33.61\00:33:35.58
Jesus said, "You did
not enter in yourself
00:33:35.61\00:33:38.88
and those who were
entering in, you hindered."
00:33:38.91\00:33:44.09
So not only did
they were they in danger
00:33:44.12\00:33:48.16
of losing their own salvation,
00:33:48.19\00:33:51.09
other people who
wanted to find Jesus,
00:33:51.13\00:33:56.63
who wanted to find salvation,
who wanted to find a way out,
00:33:56.67\00:34:02.14
they hindered
their walk with Jesus.
00:34:02.17\00:34:07.41
Matthew 23:13 says
something very similar.
00:34:07.44\00:34:10.45
Matthew 23:13,
00:34:10.48\00:34:13.28
"Woe to you
scribes and Pharisees,
00:34:13.31\00:34:15.55
for you shut up
00:34:15.58\00:34:16.92
the kingdom of
heaven against men,
00:34:16.95\00:34:19.42
for you neither go in yourself,
00:34:19.45\00:34:21.59
nor do you allow
00:34:21.62\00:34:22.99
those who are
entering to go in."
00:34:23.02\00:34:27.00
To me that is the most critical,
00:34:27.03\00:34:29.13
dangerous, danger of a legalist,
00:34:29.16\00:34:33.23
because if I walk in legalism,
00:34:33.27\00:34:36.04
sure, it could
hurt my own salvation,
00:34:36.07\00:34:38.67
and it could steal my
joy and rob me of peace
00:34:38.71\00:34:41.54
and assurance of salvation.
00:34:41.58\00:34:44.05
But right here it says,
00:34:44.08\00:34:45.61
it could cost
someone else their salvation,
00:34:45.65\00:34:50.09
their walk with Jesus.
00:34:50.12\00:34:52.45
Danger number seven,
the danger of inconsistency.
00:34:52.49\00:34:57.63
Luke 11:46, "And He
said, 'Woe to you also lawyers,
00:34:57.66\00:35:02.40
for you load men
with burdens hard to bear,
00:35:02.43\00:35:06.20
and you yourselves
do not touch the burdens
00:35:06.23\00:35:08.70
with one of your fingers."
00:35:08.74\00:35:11.87
That's really a double standard,
00:35:11.91\00:35:13.24
that saying, do what I
say, but don't do what I do.
00:35:13.27\00:35:18.25
So don't look at my actions.
00:35:18.28\00:35:20.72
Don't look at
the fruit of my life.
00:35:20.75\00:35:22.32
Just do what I say.
00:35:22.35\00:35:25.35
I'm so grateful that
there is freedom in grace.
00:35:25.39\00:35:30.36
Turn with me to Romans 5,
00:35:30.39\00:35:31.79
we're going to spend
a little time in Romans.
00:35:31.83\00:35:34.46
I love the Book of Romans.
00:35:34.50\00:35:36.53
Romans Chapter 5.
00:35:36.56\00:35:38.30
This is a powerful passage.
00:35:38.33\00:35:40.40
Romans 5, we're going to start
in the second half of verse 20.
00:35:40.44\00:35:44.27
"But where sin abounded..."
00:35:44.31\00:35:45.87
Now sin abounds
with murder and adultery.
00:35:45.91\00:35:50.75
Sin abounds with lying,
and backstabbing, and gossip.
00:35:50.78\00:35:54.28
Sin abounds with
all kinds of sin,
00:35:54.32\00:35:56.99
but sin also abounds
where there is legalism.
00:35:57.02\00:36:00.52
So no matter what
end of the spectrum
00:36:00.56\00:36:02.82
we are talking about,
00:36:02.86\00:36:04.19
this verse is for you.
00:36:04.23\00:36:06.09
"Where sin abounded,
grace abounded" how much?
00:36:06.13\00:36:10.87
"Much more."
00:36:10.90\00:36:12.23
Verse 21,
00:36:12.27\00:36:13.60
"So that as sin
reigned in death,
00:36:13.64\00:36:15.90
even so grace might
reign through righteousness
00:36:15.94\00:36:19.57
to eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
00:36:19.61\00:36:23.38
What is Paul saying?
00:36:23.41\00:36:24.81
He's saying that sin abounded,
yes, it controlled you,
00:36:24.85\00:36:27.25
it lived in your life,
00:36:27.28\00:36:29.15
and whether that's
the sin of legalism
00:36:29.18\00:36:30.89
or a different
sin, but sin abounded,
00:36:30.92\00:36:33.66
it abounded in all of our lives.
00:36:33.69\00:36:36.22
But yet grace is stronger,
and grace abounded even more.
00:36:36.26\00:36:42.16
And through the
death, life, the life, death,
00:36:42.20\00:36:45.43
resurrection of
the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:36:45.47\00:36:48.00
you and I can have
assurance of salvation.
00:36:48.04\00:36:51.57
You and I can have deliverance
from those things that bind us.
00:36:51.61\00:36:56.75
So let's look
00:36:56.78\00:36:58.11
at the seven
outgrowths of grace.
00:36:58.15\00:37:01.65
What does it look like
when grace has worked out
00:37:01.68\00:37:04.55
in the life of a Christian?
00:37:04.59\00:37:06.39
Number one, repentance.
00:37:06.42\00:37:08.46
Romans 2, turn back
a chapter, Romans 2:4.
00:37:08.49\00:37:11.23
Did you know
00:37:11.26\00:37:12.59
that we cannot even
come to God and repent
00:37:12.63\00:37:17.10
unless the Holy Spirit draws us,
00:37:17.13\00:37:20.50
unless his work of grace
works in our hearts and lives?
00:37:20.54\00:37:24.57
We might think, "Oh,
yeah, I'll repent on my own."
00:37:24.61\00:37:26.84
No, repentance is a gift.
00:37:26.88\00:37:30.68
Romans 2:4,
00:37:30.71\00:37:32.05
"Do you despise the
riches of His goodness,
00:37:32.08\00:37:35.12
forbearance and longsuffering,
00:37:35.15\00:37:37.39
not knowing that
the goodness of God
00:37:37.42\00:37:42.59
leads to repentance?"
00:37:42.62\00:37:45.76
You see, even
repentance is a gift of grace
00:37:45.79\00:37:50.03
given from Jesus
freely to you and to I.
00:37:50.07\00:37:53.90
We can't repent on our own.
00:37:53.94\00:37:55.94
Jesus is the one who
gives us the gift of repentance.
00:37:55.97\00:38:01.28
Outgrowth number two,
forgiveness and justification.
00:38:01.31\00:38:06.78
Let's look at Romans 3.
00:38:06.82\00:38:08.15
We cannot repent on our own,
00:38:08.18\00:38:09.75
but we certainly
cannot be forgiven on our own.
00:38:09.78\00:38:12.89
And we clearly cannot
be justified on our own.
00:38:12.92\00:38:16.56
Romans 3, let's
pick it up in verse 23.
00:38:16.59\00:38:19.63
"For all have
sinned," what was that word?
00:38:19.66\00:38:22.16
All have sinned, not one or two,
00:38:22.20\00:38:24.63
not just the person
00:38:24.67\00:38:26.00
who went out and killed someone,
00:38:26.03\00:38:27.37
not just the person
who went into Walmart
00:38:27.40\00:38:28.90
and stole something.
00:38:28.94\00:38:30.51
"All have sinned
00:38:30.54\00:38:32.84
and fall short of
the glory of God."
00:38:32.87\00:38:36.38
Verse 24, "Being
justified freely by his,"
00:38:36.41\00:38:40.35
that's right, "grace."
00:38:40.38\00:38:42.15
"Being justified
freely by his grace,
00:38:42.18\00:38:45.99
through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus."
00:38:46.02\00:38:48.89
You see, justification
is a gift of grace.
00:38:48.92\00:38:53.36
Forgiveness is a gift of grace.
00:38:53.40\00:38:57.93
Whom God sent forth,
who did God sent forth?
00:38:57.97\00:39:00.70
Jesus as the
propitiation for by his blood.
00:39:00.74\00:39:05.47
Propitiation,
00:39:05.51\00:39:06.84
of course, in Greek there
literally means the mercy seat,
00:39:06.88\00:39:09.94
that covering
between the holiness of God
00:39:09.98\00:39:13.55
and your and my sin.
00:39:13.58\00:39:15.98
Jesus stood in the
gap for you and for me.
00:39:16.02\00:39:20.76
Let's go back to verse 24.
00:39:20.79\00:39:22.12
"Being justified
freely by his grace,"
00:39:22.16\00:39:24.63
that's a gift,
00:39:24.66\00:39:25.99
"through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus."
00:39:26.03\00:39:28.30
That's a gift.
00:39:28.33\00:39:29.66
"Whom God sent forth as a
propitiation by his blood,
00:39:29.70\00:39:34.07
through faith," that's a gift,
00:39:34.10\00:39:36.57
"to demonstrate
His righteousness,
00:39:36.60\00:39:39.01
because in his forbearance,
00:39:39.04\00:39:41.38
God had passed over the sins
that were previously committed.
00:39:41.41\00:39:45.85
To demonstrate
at the present time,
00:39:45.88\00:39:47.32
his righteousness,
00:39:47.35\00:39:49.18
that he might be just
and the justifier of the one
00:39:49.22\00:39:52.52
who has faith in Jesus."
00:39:52.55\00:39:54.86
When you and I
buy the gift of grace
00:39:54.89\00:39:57.33
are drawn to Jesus.
00:39:57.36\00:39:59.66
When we come in repentance,
another gift of grace.
00:39:59.69\00:40:03.80
When we confess
our sins, 1 John 1:9,
00:40:03.83\00:40:06.80
"He is faithful
00:40:06.84\00:40:08.17
and just to forgive us our sins,
00:40:08.20\00:40:09.84
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
00:40:09.87\00:40:13.91
Forgiveness is a gift.
00:40:13.94\00:40:15.74
Justification is a gift.
00:40:15.78\00:40:17.95
You and I been brought back
00:40:17.98\00:40:20.35
into right
relationship with God.
00:40:20.38\00:40:23.25
You see, sin
created a disconnect.
00:40:23.28\00:40:25.65
It separated us.
00:40:25.69\00:40:27.02
We're on this side of the chasm,
00:40:27.06\00:40:28.79
and God's on this
side of the chasm.
00:40:28.82\00:40:32.06
And there's this great gulf,
because sin brings separation.
00:40:32.09\00:40:37.27
But God sent Jesus
to bridge that gap,
00:40:37.30\00:40:41.90
His perfect life
00:40:41.94\00:40:44.07
and death for you
and I bridges that gap
00:40:44.11\00:40:47.11
and brings us back
00:40:47.14\00:40:48.48
into right
relationship with Him.
00:40:48.51\00:40:51.28
So grace brings repentance,
forgiveness and justification.
00:40:51.31\00:40:55.42
Number three, it
brings salvation.
00:40:55.45\00:40:59.19
Ephesians 2, we
have quoted this before.
00:40:59.22\00:41:01.79
Verse 8, "By grace are
you saved through faith."
00:41:01.82\00:41:05.36
So the gift of salvation,
00:41:05.39\00:41:08.23
the gift of
assurance of salvation
00:41:08.26\00:41:12.40
is a gift of grace through faith
00:41:12.43\00:41:16.34
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:41:16.37\00:41:18.27
Gift number four or
outgrowth number four
00:41:18.31\00:41:22.98
is growth.
00:41:23.01\00:41:25.41
Now who would have thought
that grace leads to growth?
00:41:25.45\00:41:28.52
Many times in
the Christian world,
00:41:28.55\00:41:33.25
we are taught...
00:41:33.29\00:41:36.99
Let me rephrase that.
00:41:37.03\00:41:38.36
I want to make sure
I say this properly.
00:41:38.39\00:41:41.23
When I was young,
00:41:41.26\00:41:42.73
so I'm not saying
other people were taught.
00:41:42.76\00:41:44.43
When I was young,
00:41:44.47\00:41:45.90
I was taught
00:41:45.93\00:41:47.27
that the concept of
grace is not biblical.
00:41:47.30\00:41:52.57
I was taught
that grace led to sin.
00:41:52.61\00:41:56.88
So when we would sit in a church
00:41:56.91\00:41:58.98
and there was maybe a
sermon on the grace of God,
00:41:59.01\00:42:02.32
instantly my little
antennae would go up and say,
00:42:02.35\00:42:05.82
"Uh-huh, that's cheap grace.
00:42:05.85\00:42:08.12
We don't believe that.
00:42:08.16\00:42:09.86
We need to stand on the
law and the Ten Commandments."
00:42:09.89\00:42:16.56
But biblical grace
leads to growth in Jesus.
00:42:16.60\00:42:22.54
Biblical grace
leads to holiness.
00:42:22.57\00:42:27.64
Grace leads to holiness.
00:42:27.68\00:42:29.04
If you forget
nothing else today,
00:42:29.08\00:42:31.45
remember this.
00:42:31.48\00:42:32.85
Grace leads to holiness.
00:42:32.88\00:42:36.15
Legalism leads to sin.
00:42:36.18\00:42:39.59
Did you catch that?
00:42:39.62\00:42:40.96
Grace leads to holiness
00:42:40.99\00:42:44.66
and legalism leads to sin.
00:42:44.69\00:42:48.23
So let's, we're on number four,
00:42:48.26\00:42:49.70
outgrowth that
grace leads to growth.
00:42:49.73\00:42:52.13
2 Peter 3.
00:42:52.17\00:42:53.87
2 Peter 3:18.
00:42:53.90\00:42:55.77
Peter admonishes the believers,
00:42:55.80\00:42:58.27
"But grow in the grace
00:42:58.31\00:43:00.54
and knowledge
00:43:00.58\00:43:01.91
of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ."
00:43:01.94\00:43:04.15
We're called to grow in grace.
00:43:04.18\00:43:09.55
Outgrowth number five.
I already touched on this.
00:43:09.58\00:43:12.12
Grace leads to holiness.
00:43:12.15\00:43:16.02
Romans 6.
00:43:16.06\00:43:17.76
Romans 6:1 and 2, I love this.
00:43:17.79\00:43:22.23
"What shall we say then?
00:43:22.26\00:43:23.87
Shall we continue in
sin that grace may abound?
00:43:23.90\00:43:28.00
Certainly not!"
00:43:28.04\00:43:29.37
I think King
James says, God forbid.
00:43:29.40\00:43:32.27
"How shall we who died to
sin live any longer in it?"
00:43:32.31\00:43:37.08
You see, Grace
actually leads to holiness
00:43:37.11\00:43:40.62
in the life of the Christian.
00:43:40.65\00:43:43.82
Romans 7, I love this contrast.
00:43:43.85\00:43:46.35
Romans 7:17,
00:43:46.39\00:43:47.89
and we'll compare
it with Galatians 2:20.
00:43:47.92\00:43:50.76
So first, we'll
look at Romans 7:17,
00:43:50.79\00:43:54.03
then compare that
with Galatians 2:20.
00:43:54.06\00:43:59.50
Every morning when
we wake up, wake up,
00:43:59.53\00:44:02.40
you and I have a choice.
00:44:02.44\00:44:04.11
Who do we want to serve?
00:44:04.14\00:44:05.67
Who do we want as our master?
00:44:05.71\00:44:09.78
Romans 7:17 says,
00:44:09.81\00:44:12.58
"Now it is no
longer I who do it,
00:44:12.61\00:44:14.85
but sin who dwells in me."
00:44:14.88\00:44:17.95
Did you catch that?
00:44:17.99\00:44:19.32
It's not me
engaging in the sinful acts,
00:44:19.35\00:44:22.29
it's not me
walking out in that sin.
00:44:22.32\00:44:24.96
It is sin
00:44:24.99\00:44:26.33
that actually
literally has taken up
00:44:26.36\00:44:28.93
residence in me.
00:44:28.96\00:44:31.53
By contrast,
Galatians 2:20 says,
00:44:31.57\00:44:35.10
"I've been
crucified with Christ,
00:44:35.14\00:44:36.54
it is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me."
00:44:36.57\00:44:41.78
So if you see over here,
it's not me doing the sin,
00:44:41.81\00:44:44.75
it's sin that has
taken up residence in me.
00:44:44.78\00:44:47.68
Over here, it's not me
doing the righteous acts,
00:44:47.72\00:44:50.29
it's not me living a holy life,
00:44:50.32\00:44:52.72
it's Christ who lives in me.
00:44:52.75\00:44:57.06
The difference is
who I choose to serve.
00:44:57.09\00:45:00.50
Outgrowth, number six,
grace leads to love for others.
00:45:00.53\00:45:07.10
2 Corinthians 5:14.
00:45:07.14\00:45:09.90
Either way,
00:45:09.94\00:45:11.27
this is the New
Living Translation,
00:45:11.31\00:45:12.64
usually I quote New King James,
00:45:12.67\00:45:14.11
but I like it here in
New Living Translation.
00:45:14.14\00:45:16.78
"Either way,
Christ's love controls us.
00:45:16.81\00:45:22.15
Since we believe
that Christ died for all,
00:45:22.18\00:45:24.15
we also believe
00:45:24.19\00:45:25.52
that we have
died to our old life."
00:45:25.55\00:45:29.66
Turn with me to 1 John.
00:45:29.69\00:45:31.09
Remember that God is love.
00:45:31.13\00:45:34.83
I love that.
00:45:34.86\00:45:36.20
God is love.
00:45:36.23\00:45:37.70
And if we are,
we're in 1 John 4:7,
00:45:37.73\00:45:42.17
"Beloved, let us
love one another,
00:45:42.20\00:45:44.71
for love is of God,
00:45:44.74\00:45:46.88
and everyone who loves is
born of God and knows God.
00:45:46.91\00:45:51.21
He who does not
love does not know God,
00:45:51.25\00:45:55.58
for God is love."
00:45:55.62\00:45:58.49
If we love others,
00:45:58.52\00:46:00.69
it shows that we
have first loved Christ.
00:46:00.72\00:46:04.83
And we know in Romans 5
00:46:04.86\00:46:06.19
that God
commended His love toward us
00:46:06.23\00:46:09.03
and that while
we were yet sinners,
00:46:09.06\00:46:11.10
He died for us.
00:46:11.13\00:46:12.47
So you see, even the love
00:46:12.50\00:46:14.37
that we are to
exemplify for others is a gift.
00:46:14.40\00:46:19.07
Love is a gift.
00:46:19.11\00:46:20.54
The love from God for us
00:46:20.58\00:46:22.38
and that love
that we are to pour out
00:46:22.41\00:46:24.61
to our brothers and sisters,
00:46:24.65\00:46:26.51
that is a gift.
00:46:26.55\00:46:27.88
The fruit of the Spirit
00:46:27.92\00:46:29.98
that will be evident in
the life of a Christian,
00:46:30.02\00:46:33.62
that is a gift.
00:46:33.66\00:46:35.52
Number seven,
outgrowth number seven,
00:46:35.56\00:46:38.29
grace provides
motivation for service.
00:46:38.33\00:46:42.53
1 Corinthians 15:10,
00:46:42.56\00:46:45.67
"But I, Paul,
00:46:45.70\00:46:47.04
labored more
abundantly than they all,
00:46:47.07\00:46:49.90
yet not I,
00:46:49.94\00:46:51.27
but the grace of
God which was with me."
00:46:51.31\00:46:55.28
Why did we labor?
00:46:55.31\00:46:56.64
Why did Paul go
through and do all he did?
00:46:56.68\00:46:59.51
Because of the grace of God.
00:46:59.55\00:47:01.45
You see, we don't
get out of ourselves
00:47:01.48\00:47:04.09
in our comfort zone
00:47:04.12\00:47:05.45
and seek to minister for others
00:47:05.49\00:47:07.96
without the grace of
Christ controlling our lives.
00:47:07.99\00:47:13.13
It was another Monday night.
00:47:13.16\00:47:16.13
I was at jail with a woman.
00:47:16.16\00:47:18.77
And I asked them I said,
00:47:18.80\00:47:20.14
"How many of you have
heard the story of Daniel
00:47:20.17\00:47:22.50
in the lions' den?"
00:47:22.54\00:47:24.01
Not a single hand went up.
00:47:24.04\00:47:26.54
So just as I launched
into the story of Daniel
00:47:26.57\00:47:30.18
in the lions' den,
00:47:30.21\00:47:31.55
I heard a woman scream,
00:47:31.58\00:47:33.92
it echoed as
everything cement in there,
00:47:33.95\00:47:36.95
it echoed and
reechoed down the hallway.
00:47:36.99\00:47:41.06
And I was startled.
00:47:41.09\00:47:42.49
I could hardly
concentrate and I turned around,
00:47:42.52\00:47:45.56
and yet, everyone seemed calm.
00:47:45.59\00:47:48.16
They were clearly used
to this woman screaming
00:47:48.20\00:47:50.17
and I thought, Jill,
00:47:50.20\00:47:51.63
if your sisters
here can concentrate,
00:47:51.67\00:47:53.54
surely you can
ignore all of this
00:47:53.57\00:47:55.24
and you can concentrate too.
00:47:55.27\00:47:57.64
And so I continued
with a story of Daniel
00:47:57.67\00:48:00.58
in the lions' den.
00:48:00.61\00:48:01.94
And then the scream came again.
00:48:05.01\00:48:06.82
And I put it out of
my mind and I focused.
00:48:06.85\00:48:10.09
And then the scream came again.
00:48:10.12\00:48:11.89
And I put it out of
my mind and I focused.
00:48:11.92\00:48:14.96
And then I
couldn't take it anymore.
00:48:14.99\00:48:16.89
And I just said to the woman,
00:48:16.93\00:48:18.29
I said, "I'm so
sorry, what is wrong?
00:48:18.33\00:48:20.20
Who's crying?
00:48:20.23\00:48:21.56
Do they need help?"
00:48:21.60\00:48:23.20
And they kind of
rolled their eyes
00:48:23.23\00:48:24.60
and they said,
"Oh, that's Amber.
00:48:24.63\00:48:26.60
She's been in and out of jail."
00:48:26.63\00:48:30.21
She's crazy.
00:48:30.24\00:48:31.57
She's in solitary
confinement down the hall.
00:48:31.61\00:48:34.41
And I kept thinking, Amber,
where do I know that name?
00:48:34.44\00:48:37.48
And then it hit me.
00:48:37.51\00:48:38.85
I remembered her.
00:48:38.88\00:48:40.25
She had been in
our Bible study before.
00:48:40.28\00:48:43.42
But what was she doing back?
00:48:43.45\00:48:44.92
Why had she come back in jail?
00:48:44.95\00:48:47.49
And so the Bible study ended
00:48:47.52\00:48:49.49
and I went to the
guard at the desk.
00:48:49.52\00:48:51.26
Now, we're not allowed
to walk around the jail.
00:48:51.29\00:48:53.46
When you go in, you go
in, you do your Bible study,
00:48:53.50\00:48:56.73
then you get out of there.
00:48:56.77\00:48:58.27
That's just how it operates,
00:48:58.30\00:49:00.77
but I thought
maybe they would make
00:49:00.80\00:49:02.24
an exception for me.
00:49:02.27\00:49:03.61
So I went up to
the guard and I said,
00:49:03.64\00:49:05.47
"Do you mind? Could
I go talk with Amber?
00:49:05.51\00:49:08.94
I'd love to pray with her."
00:49:08.98\00:49:10.98
And he said, "Oh, Amber,
00:49:11.01\00:49:12.75
she's probably been
in and out 20 times.
00:49:12.78\00:49:15.55
Sure, you can talk with her."
00:49:15.58\00:49:18.29
So I started down the hall
and he followed hand on the gun
00:49:18.32\00:49:22.12
at his belt.
00:49:22.16\00:49:24.86
And even before I
got to her window,
00:49:24.89\00:49:26.80
it's just a clear
like a glass window
00:49:26.83\00:49:28.86
with a little slot
to put the food in.
00:49:28.90\00:49:30.97
They have no human contact.
00:49:31.00\00:49:33.67
Even before I got to the window,
00:49:33.70\00:49:35.90
she saw me and she
started hollering out,
00:49:35.94\00:49:39.34
lady, lady, come over here.
00:49:39.37\00:49:42.38
I want to talk to you.
00:49:42.41\00:49:44.15
And so I stepped up to the glass
00:49:44.18\00:49:45.91
and I said, Hi, Amber.
00:49:45.95\00:49:47.28
My name is Jill.
00:49:47.32\00:49:48.75
I'd like to talk to
you if you have a minute.
00:49:48.78\00:49:51.39
And so she was excited
and she was glad to talk,
00:49:51.42\00:49:54.06
but I knew I
didn't come to talk.
00:49:54.09\00:49:55.49
What did I come for?
00:49:55.52\00:49:56.86
I came to pray for Amber.
00:49:56.89\00:49:58.73
And so, I said, "Oh, Amber,"
00:49:58.76\00:50:00.10
I said, "I'd
love to pray with you
00:50:00.13\00:50:01.93
before I go."
00:50:01.96\00:50:03.43
And she began to get agitated.
00:50:03.47\00:50:05.83
And she said,
00:50:05.87\00:50:07.20
"I don't want
prayer. I don't need prayer."
00:50:07.24\00:50:10.91
And then she stepped
right up to the glass
00:50:10.94\00:50:12.91
and she looked at me.
00:50:12.94\00:50:14.64
She said, "Lady,
look at your teeth.
00:50:14.68\00:50:17.81
That's what I'd
like teeth like that."
00:50:17.85\00:50:21.18
And I said,
"Amber, I'm so sorry.
00:50:21.22\00:50:24.49
I can't give you my teeth.
00:50:24.52\00:50:27.76
But we can talk to
the God of the universe."
00:50:27.79\00:50:31.83
She said, "Oh, I
don't want prayer.
00:50:31.86\00:50:33.73
Look at those teeth."
00:50:33.76\00:50:35.76
And I tried one
more time and I said,
00:50:35.80\00:50:37.43
"Amber, please, would
you let me pray for you?"
00:50:37.47\00:50:41.60
Look at your teeth.
00:50:41.64\00:50:44.27
And so, in sorrow I turned away.
00:50:44.31\00:50:48.24
And as I drove home,
00:50:48.28\00:50:50.15
God reminded me in
the recesses of my heart,
00:50:50.18\00:50:55.32
that I too have been like Amber.
00:50:55.35\00:50:57.99
I have prayed for
teeth, maybe not literally.
00:50:58.02\00:51:04.26
How many times
have I tried harder
00:51:04.29\00:51:08.46
to be a better Christian?
00:51:08.50\00:51:10.37
How many times have I thought
if I only do this or say that,
00:51:10.40\00:51:16.97
or grit my teeth
or hold my temper
00:51:17.01\00:51:20.21
or whatever in check,
00:51:20.24\00:51:22.44
that somehow I can
earn favor with God,
00:51:22.48\00:51:27.22
somehow I can be accepted,
00:51:27.25\00:51:32.15
somehow I can be saved.
00:51:32.19\00:51:35.99
And yet God in His mercy
00:51:36.02\00:51:39.96
said, Jill, "why
do you ask for teeth
00:51:40.00\00:51:42.76
when I could
give you everything."
00:51:42.80\00:51:45.53
His grace is
free, extended to all,
00:51:45.57\00:51:51.27
His grace can break
the chains that bind us.
00:51:51.31\00:51:58.08
Listen as Tim sings.
00:51:58.11\00:51:59.95
Amazing grace!
00:52:05.79\00:52:10.03
How sweet the sound
00:52:10.06\00:52:13.93
That saved a wretch
00:52:13.96\00:52:17.50
Like me
00:52:17.53\00:52:21.17
I once was lost
00:52:21.20\00:52:25.37
But now am found
00:52:25.41\00:52:29.51
Was blind, but now I see
00:52:29.54\00:52:34.32
'Twas grace
00:52:37.72\00:52:39.75
That taught my heart to fear
00:52:39.79\00:52:45.63
And grace
00:52:45.66\00:52:47.20
My fears relieved
00:52:47.23\00:52:53.40
How precious
00:52:53.44\00:52:55.80
Did that grace appear
00:52:55.84\00:53:01.01
The hour
00:53:01.04\00:53:02.74
I first believed
00:53:02.78\00:53:07.78
My chains are gone
00:53:07.82\00:53:11.55
I've been set free
00:53:11.59\00:53:15.72
My God, my Savior
00:53:15.76\00:53:19.23
Has ransomed me
00:53:19.26\00:53:23.03
And like a flood
00:53:23.06\00:53:26.87
His mercy rains
00:53:26.90\00:53:30.97
Unending love
00:53:31.01\00:53:34.98
Amazing grace
00:53:35.01\00:53:40.85
For Lord has promised
00:53:43.95\00:53:47.56
Good to me
00:53:47.59\00:53:51.89
His word my hope secures
00:53:51.93\00:53:58.47
He will my shield
00:53:58.50\00:54:02.40
And portion be
00:54:02.44\00:54:06.37
As long as life endures
00:54:06.41\00:54:12.58
My chains are gone
00:54:12.61\00:54:16.12
I've been set free
00:54:16.15\00:54:19.95
My God, my Savior
00:54:19.99\00:54:23.56
Has ransomed me
00:54:23.59\00:54:27.26
And like a flood
00:54:27.30\00:54:30.97
His mercy rains
00:54:31.00\00:54:34.77
Unending love
00:54:34.80\00:54:38.64
Amazing grace
00:54:38.67\00:54:43.65
The earth shall soon
00:54:47.35\00:54:51.32
Dissolve like snow
00:54:51.35\00:54:55.22
The sun
00:54:55.26\00:54:56.79
Forbear to shine
00:54:56.83\00:55:02.43
But God
00:55:02.46\00:55:04.67
Who called me here below
00:55:04.70\00:55:11.27
Will be forever mine.
00:55:11.31\00:55:18.28
Thank you, Tim.
00:55:22.62\00:55:24.42
Are you grateful
for His grace today?
00:55:24.45\00:55:28.39
Are you grateful
that He can set you free
00:55:28.42\00:55:31.46
from whatever binds you?
00:55:31.49\00:55:33.76
Many times when
we accept Christ,
00:55:33.80\00:55:38.43
we think, I got this God.
00:55:38.47\00:55:41.34
I can do this.
00:55:41.37\00:55:42.90
I can carry this on my own.
00:55:42.94\00:55:45.31
We claim to be Christians
and yet we carry with us,
00:55:45.34\00:55:49.64
our invisible prison house.
00:55:49.68\00:55:52.71
It might not be
evident to other people
00:55:52.75\00:55:55.18
that we associate with.
00:55:55.22\00:55:57.22
This is the
prison house of doubt,
00:55:57.25\00:55:59.32
the prison house of shame,
00:55:59.35\00:56:01.32
the prison house
of guilt, of fear.
00:56:01.36\00:56:05.63
Whatever your
prison houses today,
00:56:05.66\00:56:08.66
Christ said He
came to set you free.
00:56:08.70\00:56:12.40
Whoever the Son sets
free, is free indeed.
00:56:12.43\00:56:16.97
Do you want to
be set free today?
00:56:17.01\00:56:18.87
Do you want to be
free from those addictions,
00:56:18.91\00:56:21.28
from those bands,
from that trap of legalism?
00:56:21.31\00:56:25.88
Free to walk in newness of life.
00:56:25.91\00:56:30.02
Free to walk in Jesus.
00:56:30.05\00:56:31.92
Let's pray.
00:56:31.95\00:56:33.29
Holy Father, we
come before You right now
00:56:33.32\00:56:35.89
in the name of Jesus.
00:56:35.92\00:56:38.33
Thank You, God, that
You came to set us free.
00:56:38.36\00:56:42.86
Thank You that Your grace
00:56:42.90\00:56:47.64
reached down
00:56:47.67\00:56:50.17
and that You could save even me.
00:56:50.21\00:56:52.81
God, thank You.
00:56:52.84\00:56:54.18
Thank You
00:56:54.21\00:56:55.54
that Your grace
leads us to repentance
00:56:55.58\00:56:57.38
and Your grace
leads us to forgiveness,
00:56:57.41\00:56:59.75
Your grace enables us
to be justified and saved
00:56:59.78\00:57:03.75
that Your grace enables us
to walk in newness of life.
00:57:03.79\00:57:09.72
Thank you, God, that
we can walk in holiness,
00:57:09.76\00:57:13.80
not through any
merit of ourselves,
00:57:13.83\00:57:16.50
not through
anything that we have done.
00:57:16.53\00:57:19.57
But because Your grace
is sufficient in our lives
00:57:19.60\00:57:23.97
and in our hearts.
00:57:24.01\00:57:25.44
In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
00:57:25.47\00:57:27.94