Hi friend, this is Carl Miller and you've tuned to Grace to You, the Bible teaching ministry of John MacArthur. For more than five decades, John was the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California. And he was Grace to U's one and only Bible teacher for that entire time. Grace to U continues to be the media ministry of John MacArthur. During John's decades of studying, preaching and teaching the Word of God, some consistent themes in his pulpit ministry have been clearly seen.
Call them distinctives of John's ministry, an outworking of his commitment to clear, authoritative, God breathed Scripture. John MacArthur recently went to heaven, and the leadership of Grace to You thought it would only be the right thing to bring you a number of messages that highlight some of John's ministry distinctives. It would be impossible in such a short time to cover all the key themes, but we wanted to hit some of the most significant ones. Today's message is a good example.
So follow along now on Grace to You. Here's John MacArthur with a look at the importance of doctrinal courage. The majority of Protestants believe That salvation is by faith plus works. That's exactly what Catholics believe. They aren't protesting anymore.
Those Protestants who believe what the reformers protested against. There is Large. Confusion. looming over The head of Protestantism and even evangelicalism about the gospel. Part of the problem is that There is no courage.
There is no boldness, there is no conviction. to stand for the true gospel. Against the encroachment of those systems that demand works as a part of salvation. Where is the courage of our convictions? In this age which demands acceptance and tolerance, So We have lost our courage.
So Paul wants to help us. to understand how urgent it is.
Now for that, let's turn to Galatians chapter 5. And having given his arguments For the importance of this issue early in chapter one. And then given his arguments in support of Justification by faith alone. In the first and second chapter, he gives arguments basically from his own experience with the Lord, which was. Revelational And in chapters 3 and 4, he defends justification by faith alone from Scripture, Old Testament.
So first, from his own life, His own encounter Long encounter with Christ. including the confrontation with Peter over the very issue. And in 3 and 4, he looks to the Old Testament. both by way of statement and by way of illustration.
Now he's going to come A little later in chapter 5, into his final defense. Of justification by faith, which is experiential or practical. Because Of the power of the Spirit made evident in a truly regenerated believer. If you're in Christ, you're being led by the Spirit, and you're seeing the fruit of the Spirit. But before he gets to that.
There's this very, very severe Section in chapter 5, verses 1. Down to verse 12. You might think, well, circumcision is not a big deal. Small, minor surgical Task. for someone.
Why make a big fuss out of it?
Some people think it's, you know, healthy. Maybe in ancient times that was part of the purpose. That The people of God would, as the Old Testament says, have none of these diseases. Why is Paul making a big fuss? over false teachers pushing circumcision As just a ceremonial ritual.
Doesn't it have some symbolic meaning? It does. It does. What was the symbolic meaning of circumcision? Why was that a sign?
of a people basically devoted to God, set apart to God. I'll tell you why, because never Is human depravity more evident than in procreation. You will never understand fully how profoundly sinful we are unless you understand that we produce. Only sinners. We just produce sinners and sinners and sinners and sinners and sinners.
We're so corrupt internally. And so that simple right on that very part of the human body. Where sinners are basically Conceived. Was a declaration by God that you have a sin problem that is.
so profoundly deep. That it's the very essence of your nature, and you need a cleansing equally profound. There was a symbol of that. Utter wretchedness. that shows up in reproduction.
But it was only an outward sign. It never did bring salvation to anybody. Neither did any other ritual. Nobody was saved by the blood of bulls and goats. Mosaic ritual, circumcision had no righteous merit.
It had no Saving value. Circumcision was just this painful realization. That you needed cleansing. at a profound level. But only a symbol.
So Paul is going to help us to understand that you can't push it past that and make it something necessary for salvation any more than you can make baptism necessary for salvation. or any other rite or any other ceremony. And listen to how he presents this. Verse 1. It was for freedom that Christ set us free.
Freedom from All those External laws. Yes, freedom from The law in the sense of its bondage. Yes, freedom from the law in the sense of its penalty. But he's in particularly talking about Freedom from the externals of the law, which were attempting to be imposed back on these believing Galatians. And they were buying into it.
And so he says to them. It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, keep standing firm. Do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Don't go bad.
You've been freed from Those externals. Those were the shadows. Christ is the substance, right? Do not be subject. Do not Take that yoke.
And he starts to give reasons that are, frankly, absolutely stunning reasons. Reason number one. Verse 2. Behold, I, Paul, say to you, But if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. What a statement.
You just canceled Christ. If you think there is any merit. In circumcision, you just made Christ useless. This is not a small issue. Aye, Paul.
Behold, This is pretty stunning stuff. I Paul. I'm saying to you. If you think circumcision plays any role in salvation, you have just. Made Christ Useless Why does he say I, Paul?
Because he was circumcised the eighth day. But I'm telling you, I, Paul. That if you receive circumcision, As a work. Required For salvation, Christ profits you nothing. If you get yourself circumcised, You've just eliminated Christ.
Romans 11, 6 says, If it is by grace, It is no longer on the basis of works or grace is what? No more grace. Christ will be useless to you. That just seems so radical. That just seems so extreme.
I believe in Christ, I believe in his death, I believe in his resurrection, but I also believe that I need to do this. I believe that this is required for me to be saved. I believe I need to be baptized. I believe I I need to uh Receive the Mass. I believe I need to do certain works.
made Christ useless. You must choose between a religion of law and works in a religion of grace and faith. And there's no hybrid tolerated. You add anything to Christ, you lose Christ.
So first If you add any works. to faith You have rendered Christ of no benefit. Secondly, You are debtor to the whole law. Verse 3. I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, Just that Simple surgery.
As a way to to add some merit. Necessary for salvation, to every man who receives circumcision, he is under obligation to keep the whole law. You just put yourself under law. And James says in James 2:10, whoever shall keep the whole law and offend in one point is what? Guilty of all of it.
Galatians 3, verse 10: As many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. Why? Cursed is everyone who doesn't abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them. Perfect obedience. All the time throughout your whole life.
You look at circumcision or any religious ritual or rite or any work. As a part of your salvation, And you have just put yourself Under The law. It gets worse. Verse four. You're severed from Christ.
First of all, he said, the work of Christ is no benefit to you at all. if you hold to any work. Even one work, even one thing like circumcision or baptism or whatever. Secondly, you by that one work have placed yourself under the entire law. As a way of salvation, it'll crush you eternally.
And thirdly, You've been severed. From Christ. Katar Geo. A pas. It means Cut off.
Have that skin cut off. And you'll be cut off from Christ. Pretty dramatic stuff. He's not finished. You, back to verse 4.
who are seeking to be justified by law, and all it takes is one thing. One set of rituals. This is how it usually reads: You have fallen from grace. That's a little misleading. This is a simple statement.
To say you've fallen from grace gives the impression that you were in grace and you fell out of it, you lost your salvation. I think a better Translation would be to understand that this term, this verb here, fallen. Is use. Twice in X. Verses 26 and 29.
of shipwreck. of shipwreck. In fact, it it might be Good just to read its use there. Run aground. Verse 26.
Run aground. Verse twenty nine, the ship. What he's saying is this. Trust in your works. And you have just destroyed grace.
You've made shipwreck of grace. Trust in any work. You bring any work into salvation whatsoever. Then you have shipwrecked grace. The good ship of grace.
This crashed. On the rocks. Pretty serious stuff. Two Here, Christ is no benefit to you. He's useless to you.
You're under the whole law. You're completely severed from Christ. And you've shipwrecked grace. That's how devastating it is to add any work. to faith.
He's not finished. He says In verse five. This is important. For we Through the Spirit by faith. are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
Up to now, he's been saying you. We started out with us. Verse 1. And then he turned to the people. who are being seduced by works.
And he says in verse two, you. And then in verse 3, every man. And then verse 4, you, you, you. He's talking to anybody who goes that route. And then he comes back.
to the saints in verse 5 for we Through the Spirit. by faith are waiting For the hope. of righteousness. The next thing that has to be said about people who Inject works. into the gospel is that they are excluded from the very thing they seek.
They're excluded from the very thing they Seek. They are Inner yoke of slavery. They have rendered Christ of no benefit, useless to them. They are under the obligation to keep the whole law or be damned. They have been severed from Christ.
They've made shipwreck of grace. and they will never attain the righteousness they seek. You miss out on what you're working to get. For by the deeds of the law, Paul says, no flesh is what? Righteous.
Justified. The you are the ones in the legalistic system. The we are the true believers. We, through the Spirit by faith, Don't work for righteousness, we what? Yeah.
We wait for righteousness.
Now here he's not talking about the imputed righteousness that's credited to our account. By God, he's talking about the actual righteousness granted to us in the future. I do not work for righteousness. I do not work for the imputed righteousness, listen to me, and I do not work for final righteousness. I wait for it.
I can't earn it. The final righteousness is glorification. And I wait eagerly. We have hope. The implication is people who come by the Means of works have no hope.
Key words. The Spirit. By faith. Waiting. Hope.
Righteousness. It's all there through the Spirit. By faith, we are waiting. for the hope of righteousness. And again, not for that righteousness credited to our account.
But for that righteousness granted to us that makes us. as righteous as Christ. In glory. Sums it up in verse 6. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision mean Anything.
But faith Working Through love. Circumcision is meaningless. It is irrelevant. Absolutely irrelevant.
Somebody might say, well Faith, uh Is that all? No, faith. Works. Through love. If you're a true believer, the faith that the Lord gave you is a powerful faith, it is an enduring faith, it is an undying faith.
And it is a faith that works. Through love. Not through law, not through fear. But through love.
So that's That's Paul's opening Presentation of false doctrine. And it's devastating. It is devastating. Just say, I believe in Christ. I believe in his deity.
I believe in his... Virgin birth, I believe in his sinless life, I believe in his death, I believe in his resurrection, I believe in his ascension, I believe in his exaltation, I believe all of that. And I also believe that I can't be saved without Baptism. Or moral goodness. Or compassion.
For philanthropy. And you have just been put into a category. Where Christ, no matter what you believe about him, is useless to you. You are under obligation to keep the whole law. You've chosen law.
You are severed from Christ. You have shipwrecked grace. And you haven't No hope. of righteousness. You owe that to somebody who thinks their works are part of their salvation.
Do you not? Will you leave somebody in the condition they're in? Will you not tell them? that they're hoping in their rituals and they're hoping in their works. Would you put your arms around the Pope and say he's my brother?
Character of False doctrine with regard to what it does, he turns. to the false teachers starting in verse 7. First of all, the false doctrine and then the false teachers. He starts in verse 7 with a rhetorical question, you were running well. As a congregation, you were doing fine.
You'd begun in the spirit. Who messed up your thinking? And of course, what he's concerned about here, first of all, the people who are part of that congregation who haven't yet come to Christ. But what he's concerned about, particularly, is the people in the congregation who are believers who are now confused about the message. And I would say most Christians in most churches.
are bewitched. And they're bewitched on this issue. of the gospel.
So he leaves the doctrine and attacks the purveyors of. This Deadly error. He makes several statements. Number one, they hinder the truth. You were running well.
Who hindered you from obeying the truth? Secondly, False teachers. are not of God. Verse 8, this persuasion didn't come from him who calls you. This did not come from God.
He's clear on the gospel. This didn't come from the God who calls you. Thirdly, false teachers, he says. contaminate the church. Verse 9, a little 11, 11's a whole lump.
Do you So they hinder the truth. They rebel against God. They contaminate the church. They end in judgment. And hurrying a little bit, the fifth.
Characteristic, they persecute true teachers. Verse 11. But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.
So Paul has Spoken with such candor and Such direct language. But it's nothing like the last verse. Verse twelve. I wish Those who are troubling you would castrate themselves. Yeah.
They've ignored the cross. They're persecuting Those who preach the cross. I wish they'd castrate themselves. The cross is so offensive because it leaves no room for works, right? What in the world is he saying here?
Galatia was near Phrygia. In Phrygia, the great worship of that part of the world was the worship of Sibile. And it was the practice of the priests and very devout worshipers of Sebiel to castrate themselves. There were eunuchs. Paul is not wishing on them some painful physical injury.
He's just saying this. If you believe circumcision. is necessary for salvation. Why don't you just go all the way and become a pagan priest? Why don't you just go all the way and become a pagan priest?
You're a Pagan. That's stunning. Do not wake up to the corruption of the gospel. This thing is going to get worse and worse and worse and worse. We've got to call it what it is.
No matter what they call it. Or, no matter how often you hear the name of God and Jesus. It is paganism. And they might as well go ahead and castrate themselves and become. Pagan priests I um Can't imagine how that Ripple through the Galatian congregations at Iconium and Lystra and Derby.
These condemnations are not for godless atheists. They're not for immoral agnostics. They're for so-called Christians who corrupt the gospel. You're listening to Grace to You with John MacArthur. I'm Carl Miller.
In today's special program, we've showcased one of the distinctive themes from John's 56 years of Bible teaching ministry. The title of the lesson, The Importance of Doctrinal Courage.
Well, friend, as we remember the life and legacy of John MacArthur, we continue to find comfort and strength in the knowledge that John is now rejoicing in the presence of his Savior. And hopefully, you'll be encouraged to know that for however long God sustains grace to you, through the support of his people, we'll be here, unleashing God's truth one verse at a time. And this ministry will always and only feature the Bible teaching of John MacArthur. Speaking of being encouraged, we've been so encouraged by the notes that we've received from many friends like you. And if you have a story about how God has used grace to you in your life, we'd love to hear it.
It doesn't have to be anything long. If John's Bible teaching has made a difference in your life, let us know that when you contact us today. Reach us by email, letters at gty.org. Again, that address, letters at gty.org. Using the regular mail right to GraceTU, Post Office Box 4000.
Panorama City, California, nine one four one two. If you prefer, you can call our special remembrance phone line. It's 661-295-6288. You can record a message letting us know how John's teaching has strengthened your walk with Christ. You can also express your condolences to the MacArthur family.
Leave your message on the remembrance phone line at 661-1. 295-6288. And again, if you've benefited from John's verse-by-verse Bible teaching, let us know when you contact us. Thanks, too, for praying for John's family, for the congregation of the Grace Community Church, for the team at this radio station, and for the staff of Grace to You. Your prayers are crucial.
In fact, taking us before the throne of grace really is the most important way you can support us. Thanks for your prayers. And now, on behalf of the entire Grace to You staff, I'm your host, Carl Meller, inviting you to join us for another half hour of Unleashing God's Truth one verse at a time on the next Grace to You.
