Welcome to everyone. It's good to be back in the house of our God on this Lord's Day evening. for our call to worship. You can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 102. Psalm 102. We'll pick up the latter section, verses 23- 28, a section from which the apostle writing to the Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 1 quotes. So Psalm 102 beginning in verse 23, he weakened my strength in the way. He shortened my days. I said, "Oh my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years are throughout all generations. Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will endure. Yes, they will all grow old like a garment. Like a cloak, you will change them, and they will be changed. But you are the same and your years will have no end. The children of your servants will continue and their descendants will be established before you. Amen. Well, please turn in your hymn books to Psalm 145. Psalm 145D as in Delta. And we'll stand as we sing together. >> [music] >> Ever will I bless my name [music] [singing] by King [music] will thy grace [singing] proclaim great [music] our God Through his majesty [music] and reach [singing] his words trans [music] [singing] shall teach. They shall talk [music and singing] of all thy glory. All thy might [music] and greatest well. Speak of thy great acts the story and thy deings of [singing] wonder. Shall [music] fail from [singing] every treasure. Words of love [music] and mercy. Words of love [music] surpassing me. Words of mercy passing, [music] full of kindness and [music] compassion, slow to anger [music] in love. God is good to all [singing] creation. All his works his goodness. [music] All thy merc shall bless thee. He shall [singing] all thy saints [music] adore. King supreme shall [singing and music] confess and proclaim thy sovereign [music] power. Well, let us pray. Our father in heaven, we thank you for your blessings upon us. We confess with the apostle that you are blessed for having blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We praise you for your sovereign grace. We praise you for election and predestination. We praise you for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and his first advent, for his life of obedience, his death as a sacrifice and substitute, and his resurrection again the third day. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of your great grace. And we praise you for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who is that seal and guarantee of that blessed inheritance of the saints. We rejoice in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for so great a salvation. We rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ as the one who builds his church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And we thank you for this local church. We thank you for all of the brothers and the sisters. We praise you that we can gather together on this Sabbath evening. And we pray that all that we do would redown to the glory and honor of God most high. We ask that you would forgive us now for all of our sins and unrighteousness. We know from scripture that we are to live in a particular way as the bloodbought, spiritfilled children of God. Yet we have that remaining corruption not only that we read of in holy scripture, but that we see each and every day. So Lord God, we pray that you would cleanse us now in that precious blood that you would cause us to see the the the wretchedness of remaining corruption and to pursue those things that are pleasing in the sight of our holy and gracious father. We ask that you would encourage and build us up in our most holy faith and further conform us under the image of your firstborn son. We ask that you would bless our brother Pastor Porter as he comes tonight to preach the word. We pray that the spirit would give him utterance. you. I pray that you would give us ears to hear and hearts to receive these things and that we would re rejoice in what Christ has accomplished on behalf of his elect. We pray for any and all in this place and throughout this world that are dead in their trespasses and sins. We know that your gospel is powerful. We know that in it the righteousness of God is revealed. And we pray that as that gospel goes forth, the Holy Spirit would bring that conviction for sin and set forth Christ as altogether lovely and chief among 10,000. We pray that you would effectually draw sinners unto yourself that they might know the joy of being found in our Lord Jesus. We pray for your blessing upon the churches and our association. We thank you for our brothers that are laboring in the word and in doctrine. We thank you for each of these congregations and pray that they would be faithful witnesses and they would testify concerning the gospel of our Lord Jesus in the various regions you have placed them. We pray for this nation as a whole. We know that we live in a day where men call good evil and evil good. We see those sins that are associated with the government sanction and in terms of abortion and maid and all manner of sexual perversion. God, we pray for the proclamation of your truth that you would change sinners uh in their hearts and we pray that there would be a good impact and a good effect by this. We pray for your blessing upon the missionary enterprise. We know that your word is going forth and that you have purpose to save a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. So Lord, bless that word. bless those men that are uh tasked with bringing that word to those who are ignorant and those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. And may you empower and may you enable and may you indeed save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto you through your son. We pray for the persecuted church. We pray God in particular for the situation in Myanmar. We pray for a cease fire in that nation. We pray for your safety and your protection over Peter and over all the orphans under his care. And God just be merciful to them and provide what they stand in need of. And be with our brethren in Kenya. We thank you for the church in Kasumu and in Elderette. We pray for the ministers there that they would continue to be faithful. We pray for for Naftali and for Moses and Remy. God just prepare and equip Remy and Brenda for this church plant work at the end of the year. And may this go well. And may they indeed see a church planted in that that particular city. Lord God, we just pray that you would continue with us now again, that you would be glorified and honored, that you would encourage and strengthen each and every one of us. For we come into this place having having uh dealt with sin and temptation and the various things going on in the world, the various trials and struggles and tribulations associated with life in this veil of tears. And so Lord, we pray for that refreshment that comes from on high that your Holy Spirit would seal these things to our hearts. And we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, you can turn again with me in your hymnbooks to 460 460. We'll stand as we sing together. [music] My cries, sweet [music] gladness to this heart. They tell me all is [singing] [music] my heart [music] to whom save [music and singing] Lord shall [music and singing] the shameful tree. [music] Pay [singing] the goel price and purchase peace [music] for me. To whom singe [music] for [music and singing] shall I cross my Christ [music and singing] has only [music] sone [singing] in heaven on earth [music] to whom [music] you can als [music] See, shall I rightous follow [music] me? No righteousness of his wishes on [music] me to whom save me. You can shall [music] for shall [music] our scripture reading this evening as we continue to work our way through the Old Testament. 1st Samuel chapter 3. [clears throat] I'll begin reading in verse 1. Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time while Eli was lying down in his place. And when his eyes had begun to grow dim so dim that he could not see and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was and while Samuel was lying down that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered [clears throat] here am I or here I am. So he ran uh to Eli and said here I am for you called me. And he said I did not call. Lie down again. And he went and laid down. Then the Lord called yet again Samuel. So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." He answered, "I did not call you, did not call my son. Lie down again." Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore, Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down, and it shall be, if he calls you, that you must say, Speak, Lord, for your servant hears." So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel." And Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant hears." Then the Lord said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever. So Samuel lay down until morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said,"Samuel, my son." He answered, "Here I am." And he said, "What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said to you." Then Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him." So Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersa knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. Amen. Well, [clears throat] just a simple brief observation. I don't want to moralize the passage, but the lesson certainly leaps out. The problem with Eli was not that he didn't know what his sons were doing. He knew what his sons were doing, but he did not restrain them. And that's the situation that you see here in chapter 3. In chapter 2, specifically at verses 23-2, he highlights and indicates and brings to his sons the reality of what they're guilty of. But the fact is is he should have restrained them. He was causing offense. Uh they were rather causing offense. They did not know the Lord. So they lay with prostitutes. They took the sacrifices. They did not function in the capacity of faithful priests before the Lord God. And God through Samuel makes that very clear in 3:13. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them. May God indeed encourage and strengthen and bless all of the young families and the old families in our churches that we would be faithful in the rearing of our children as unto the Lord. Well, let us pray. Our father in heaven, we thank you for your written word. We thank you for the emphasis on that word coming to Samuel at a time when there was no widespread revelation. We thank you for the God breathed word from Genesis to Revelation. And we pray that you would give us ears to hear and hearts to receive it and the desire and the application or the ability rather to apply it by the spirit such that we may live in a manner that is consistent with our high calling in the gospel. We pray for our children. We pray for our young people. We pray for the babies. We pray for the babies in the womb. We just commend each one to you and to the word of your grace and pray that you would seize their hearts at an early age that they w may remember their creator in their youth that they may call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for that so great a salvation and we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Will you can turn with me again in your hymbook to 286. [clears throat] 286 will stand as we sing praise to our God. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Let us love and sing. Let us praise [singing] the Savior's [music] name. He has washed the loss [singing] of thunder. [music] He has quenched my thy slash [music] [singing] us with his blood. He [singing] has brought us to God. Let us [music and singing] love the Lord us [music and singing] [singing] [music] and gave us heart. He has [music] us with [singing] his blood. He presents our souls [singing] to God. [music] Let us sing [singing] the tempened [music] heart to bear us down. For [music] the Lord our strong salvation holds in [music] you the coner ground. He who wash [singing] us with his blood [music] soon will bring [singing] us hope to God. [music] Let us wonder [singing] grace and justice. Join and to mercy [music] when through grace [singing] in Christ our justice. [music] Justice was and last no more. He who [music] us [singing] [music] to go. Let us praise and joy the [music] forest of [singing and chant] the saints and thrown the high [music] angels [singing] in before us. Now [music] their praises fill the sky. You have us with your blood. [music] You are worthy lamb of God. >> [music] >> Good evening everyone. You can turn in your Bibles with me to Galatians chapter 3. Galatians 3 beginning at verse 19. If you were here last Lord's Day evening, we looked at verses uh 19 to 26. Sort of uh if have a look in your Bibles, it may divide the section up at verse 26. We included verse 26 in last Lord's Day's last Lord's Day's evening's sermon. Um, we're going to include it in tonight's as well because it goes with 2728 and 29. Uh, but I'm going to begin reading in Galatians 3 at verse 19. This is the word of God. What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made, and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now, a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not. For if there had been a law given which could have given life. Truly, righteousness would have been by the law. But the scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and hes according to the promise. Amen. Well, let's pray. God, we thank you for your truth. We thank you for your word. We thank you that we can read from it. We pray that you would help us to avail of it now as we engage in the act of preaching. Uh do be with us. Help us to behold the Christ proclaimed in your word and help us to honor the God who has given it to us. And we pray in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. Well, just a reminder, um, we're in the book of Galatians, and the book of Galatians is primary about primarily about and concerning Paul's, uh, combative opposition to justification by faith plus works. He's writing contrary to, uh, the Judaizing activities that were going on in the early church and in the churches in Galatia, uh, primarily concerning justification by faith alone. Paul defending that precious and central doctrine to Christianity against those Judaizers who were perverting the gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember Paul has been using some strong words in the epistle back at verse 6 of chapter 1. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel which is not another. But there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. So this is a serious matter that Paul has been dealing with in this epistle. He uses the language in verses 8 and nine of that these who preach this other gospel which is no gospel at all. These who are seeking to pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ are a cursed. Let them be accursed. He says, "Who preach a gospel other than the gospel which the apostles had proclaimed." In Galatians 3 at verse one, he uses that language. Remember, oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you was crucified. And throughout the throughout this epistle, the Apostle Paul is arguing from a number of angles pertaining to law, pertaining to gospel in order to uphold the truth of justification by faith alone and in order to dash away any notion of justification by the Mosaic ceremonies and the Mosaic laws. Last week, we had a look at the fact that the Apostle Paul is not saying that there is no purpose to the law. he anticipates or is dealing with the question, what purpose then does the law serve? If we're justified by faith alone and not by the works of the law, then what purpose does the law served? And we saw that the apostle Paul argued for the fact that the law, the Mosaic law, what's in view there, the Mosaic uh ceremonies and the old covenant law, that it served the purpose, a a temporary and a uh preparatory purpose until Christ came and inaugurated the new covenant in his blood. The apostle Paul said, it asks the question, is the law then against the promises of God? verse 21 certainly not. And then we see that there was this temporary reality. The scripture verse 22 has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Uh before faith came, we were kept under guard. Speaking to those who were under the Mosaic law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. And and it's all wrapped up in what we see in verse 4 of Galatians 4. This this pinnacle point that touches upon the incarnation of Christ. All of that was preparatory. Mosaic law. All of that was temporary. It served a purpose. But Galatians 4:4, when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those who were under it. And so there's this purpose to the law, but it does not uh it is not itself the promise and it does not itself and the promise but rather as a temporary and a preparatory age it served the true promise and the true the the true and everlasting covenant. And now we get to verse 26 and we see the Apostle Paul using the language of sunship to argue for the the primacy of place given to the gospel as that which is permanent as that which is abiding and as that which uh which captures the true promise of God to Abraham. So, we're going to we're going to try and do f um five things with these four verses and and in in a matter of time that's that's acceptable and reasonable. So for the next 29 minutes, we'll have a look at the status conferred upon those who believe, the redemptive reality of our sunship, the sign of union with Christ, the unity of and parody of believers, and the inheritance of the promise. Now, first then, the status conferred upon those who believe. Notice the wonderful language of verse 26. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. As we noted in closing last time, isn't it a blessed thing to be called the sons of God? To to be called children of God. Hopefully, all of us here who believe in the name of of the living Christ rejoice in the fact that we can be called the the sons and the daughters of God. What a what a glorious privilege we have as uh to say that uh the one who created all things in the space of six days by the word of his power calls us his his sons and his daughters. The the one who upholds all things by the word of his power. every every fabric of uh the the small from the smallest atom uh to the largest thing in the universe, the one who upholds all of these things is the one who calls us his sons and his daughters and who has made us so by the giving of of his son for for us. Uh and the one who redeems the elect by the same power visited in creation and the resurrection of Christ is the one who calls us the sons of God. And now Paul is deliberately using the language of sons here because in in Roman and in Jewish legal culture sons alone were the heirs were the recipients of the inheritance. And so he's applying sunship to men and women to boys and girls who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's doing it deliberately in opposition to the Judaizing notion and the Judeaic notion that only the males were the the true inheritors of um uh the the true inheritors of the promise given to Abraham. women and servants were connected in a particular way uh but they weren't the true recipients of the inheritance in the covenant of grace as we see here all covenant members are equally sons in the legal and in the spiritual sense and what a blessed thing it is in the Mosaic covenant which was in parts and close to the whole trying to be imposed upon the Galatian Christians and Gentiles in particular particular that was not the case. But in the covenant of grace in the promise of the spirit given to Abraham which is manifested uh manifested temporally as that eternal promise made to the son of God. We see the blessed reality that all those all covenant members so simply everyone who believes in Christ are the sons of God. And note that there is an immediate context here and we see something of this in Gala prior to this in Galatians 19-2 3:19-2 but also in Galatians 4. There's this reality of maturity, the maturity of the believer and the maturity of the age that we've arrived now at in from the vantage point of the apostle Paul. And by virtue, we're in the new covenant age. We're no longer in the time of toutelage, of pedagogy, of uh of the school master of the Mosaic law, but we've now arrived at the inauguration of the new covenant. So again, verse one of Galatians 4. Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. And so the time appointed by the father comes, the Christ comes. And so verse six, because you are sons now, [snorts] the recipients of the inheritance, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying out, "Aba, Father." And so what a blessing it is to be to be called the the sons and daughters of God. And this is the language. You don't have to turn there. I can read it for you, but if you'd like to. 1 John 3. 1 John 3 and verse 1. This is the disposition that we ought to have as as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. where the Apostle John here in 1 John 3:1, it it's almost as if as if he's interrupting himself to just glory in sunship and we can say daughterhood, but hopefully I don't have to keep doing that. When I say sunship, that includes men and women, boys and girls who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice first John 3:1. Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God. You know this this behold isn't just a simple hey look it it's it's a gaze with an intent focus upon the glory of the thing. Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God. What a blessing. Because as we'll see in a number of moments, we're not sons by nature. We're not sons even really by creation, but we're sons redemptively. And we ought to note that we are sons of God, not by virtue of our obedience. Um the language here, which we'll get to next, the redemptive reality of our sunship is that we're sons of God through faith in Christ. And so it's not our obedience that makes us children. It's rather the obedience of the obedient son Jesus Christ that makes us children. His obedience unto the whole law and his passive obedience in his death for our whole and soul righteousness. Not our obedience because we're not the obedient sons. Neither were the Israelites under the Mosaic covenant. Neither was Adam, but rather they were disobedient sons. And so are we. And so it's only by virtue of Christ, the obedient son, that we can be called the sons of God. And that is through faith, which we come to next, the redemptive reality of our sunship. For you are all sons of God. Notice and again through faith in Christ Jesus. So our sunship is specifically by virtue of the faith that we have been given by God. It's not by virtue of our obedience. It's not by virtue of faith plus our obedience to the Mosaic precepts. It's by and through faith in Christ Jesus. The the Bible brings forth a number of different sunships. Obviously it has the natural human fatherson relationship. So human sunship to to a father. It also speaks about a creative sunship. Adam was a son of God by creation. God bringing him up from the dust of the earth and breathing his spirit into him. The son, a son of God by creation. By extension, the language of the apostle Paul in the book of Acts, Acts 17 speaks of uh God as our father, as us being his offspring by virtue of him creating us. Um we also have the sunship of angels in the Bible. The angels are called the sons of God in in Job in a number of places. Uh we have a monarchical sunship that David and the kings of Israel were under under the God under their God under Yahweh. Um we have and maybe what's what's somewhat in view here in the book of Galatians there was a theocratic sunship that the nation of Israel enjoyed. They were not all of them sons of God redemptively, but they were under the theocratic fatherhood of God in that temporary and in that preparatory reality. We have the blessed sunship and the most glorious sunship that Pastor Butler uh mentioned this morning. There's only one who is son of God by nature and that is Jesus Christ. the the son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person, the one who upholds all things, and the one who has created all things. He is eternally begotten of the Father. The sunship in view here, we could call redemptive sunship, divine adoption, redemptive sunship. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And so negatively in this context, their descendancy from Abraham and their adherence to the Mosaic covenant does not make them sons of God nor sons of Abraham. And that was largely the argument. We we are sons of Abraham. There was this ethnic descendancy, a national descendancy from Abraham. But but also what they were arguing is that this the adherence to Mosaic ceremony for you Gentiles is required for you to be actually called a son of Abraham and therefore a son of God. Turn to the book of Matthew with me if you can in Matthew 3. Matthew 3 at verse 7. Backing up, backing up to verse four, this is John the Baptist. John here is speaking against the false confidence that the Jewish leaders had in physical descent from Abraham. Notice in Matthew 3:4, now John himself was clothed in camel<unk>s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance?" And now notice, "And do not think to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. He is rejecting or speaking very strongly against any notion or any false confidence that the Jewish leaders or anyone would have had in their physical descent from Abraham. You can also turn with me to the Gospel of John. This time the Lord Jesus Christ, the one to whom John the Baptist pointed and gave position to John John 8. In John chapter 8, notice what we have there. And this is picking up uh we can pick up at verse 37. And notice the strong language here that Jesus brings out. In fact, the language of Jesus is stronger than that of John the Baptism. I know that you are Abraham's descendants. This is 8:37. But you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with my father, and you do what you have seen with your father. They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father. Then they said to him, "We were not born of fornication. We have one father, God." Jesus said to them, "If you were uh if you excuse me, if God were your father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God, nor have I come of myself, but he sent me." Why do you not understand my speech? because you are not able to listen to my word. You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do." So notice the strong language that Jesus brings out here. It's not physical descendancy from Abraham that makes one a child of God or a child of Abraham. It is rather, as we'll see here in a moment, our union with Christ, our faith in Christ that makes us the sons and the daughters of Abraham. You can turn to the book of Romans. Romans first in Romans chapter 2. We noted this last time in Romans chapter 2. Then we'll look at Romans 9. But remember this language that we noted last Lord's day evening with regards to who are the true Jews? Who is a true Jew? Verse 25 of Romans 2. For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law, but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. This is why it's folly to put yourself or to put anyone under circumcision because that then makes them debtors to the entirety of the law. Verse 26. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you, who even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men, but from God. This this last clause here is something that was going on with regards to the Judaizer Judaizers in Galatia. Their their they were seeking praise from men. Their boast was in the flesh. Their boast was in the the number of circumcises, the num the circumcisions, the number of procelites gained, their praises from men, and not from God. And they were acting according to the flesh, and according to the circumcision that is in the flesh, not in the heart, and not that which was in the spirit. And they were operating according to the letter that kills, and not according to the spirit that gives life. Now notice in Romans nine, Romans 9 [snorts] verse 6. This is after the apostle Paul is grieving over and lamenting over the uh the Israelites who to whom verse four pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God and the promises of whom are the fathers and from whom according to the flesh Christ came who is over all the eternally begotten God. Amen. He had said in verse two that he had great sorrow and continual grief in his heart. If it was the case that physical descendancy from Abraham, if it was the case that national um that the the reality of being a a a national Jew or an ethnic Jew was a was the true sunship or daughterhood under God, he wouldn't have to have great sorrow. He wouldn't have to have continual grief in his heart over the Israelites because hey, they're all right. It is the Mosaic covenant that's everlasting. It is that adherence to ceremonial law, to uh the moral law, to the judicial law that commends us to God. Not that it ever did so. But according to the Judaizers, according to the Judeaic religion of the day and our own day, it is those things that commend us unto God, it would be okay. No sorrow, no grief. Notice verse six. But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham. But in Isaac your seed shall be called. That is those who are the children of the flesh. These are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. What what an important link to the book of Galatians and specifically the portion that we're in right now. Those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. And this will go to one of the points in in in the closing as we conclude this evening. It is those who are the children of the promise, those who have faith in God, who are the true seed of Abraham, and who are then therefore the lawful recipients of baptism. The true seed of Abraham in the old covenant was not the physical seed of Abraham. the the physical seed of Abraham were not the members of the covenant of grace unless they had union with Christ in faith in saving contact with the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, in the new covenant, we only baptize those who are members of the covenant of grace, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. But let's find our way back to Galatians 3 as we close with the point that the redemptive reality of our sunship is what is in view. Not sons by creation. Not saved by virtue of our simple creative sunship. Not saved by virtue of a fleshly sunship or a national sunship or a theocratic sunship. But saved by virtue of or sons by virtue of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Which brings us thirdly to what is as well then connected to the saving reality that we have with Jesus Christ. What is connected to our sunship by faith in Christ? It is our union with Christ and our putting on of Christ in faith. We see the sign of our union with Christ. There's another four clause here. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. This is connected to the previous language in verse 25. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. And now for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And this is this is very interesting language. Baptized into Christ. It's it's not that we uh not that baptism puts us into union with Christ, but that baptism being the sign of our union with him communicates to us our adopted sunship, being united to him in his death, burial, and resurrection. We we noted this this morning that our baptism is to serve as something that strengthens our faith. Uh the confession of faith speaks to the reality that we are enabled to believe by the power of the divine God gifting us with the gift of faith enabling us to believe that the ministry of the word is the instrument by which we're brought forth from deadness of sin uh to life in Christ. That same word as well as baptism, the Lord's supper, prayer, and other means are things that strengthen our faith in God. And so we've been baptized into Christ. We're to see in our baptism the reality that we are united to Christ in faith. And that's something that baptism signifies, not the potential promise or the future possibility based upon certain conditions, but rather baptism is given to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who have faith in his most high name. And we are to look back upon our baptism with great joy. And hopefully you've had occasion to do that as as Christians. We noted this morning as well that in the early church, the preachers of the gospel would say pointedly, remember your baptism. Why? Because it's there you identified after immersion in the water and coming back out of the water. You identified with the Lord Jesus Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection. You're his. He's He's your Lord. He has put his spirit in your hearts by which you cry out, "Aba, Father." You identified in your baptism being baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. What a blessed thing. It's not just just some external right that we do where we go in and out of water and and isn't that great? We've we've checked a sacramental box. It's something that serves in the moment to the party baptized, but also after the moment to the party baptized, a glorious connection to the triune God and to the mediator, even the Lord Jesus Christ. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, notice, have put on Christ, we are clothed in his righteousness. You can turn with me to Isaiah 61. Isaiah 61. wonderful language of being clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 61, we have this wonderful language. Notice picking up at verse well specifically at verse 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. Let's just think about that for a moment with regards to our being clothed in in salvation. It the the connection here to the analogy used to a bridegroom who decks himself with ornaments and a bride who adorns herself with jewels. Our God has becked us and bejeweled us figuratively speaking in the blessed robes of the Lord Jesus Christ's righteousness. We're clothed with salvation. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. Can we say this of ourselves that we greatly rejoice in the Lord that our soul souls are joyful in my God because he has clothed us clothed us with the garments of salvation. And hopefully we can we can all say that. And while we might not all outwardly right now be smiling, inwardly we're rejoicing in the God who has becked us in the blessed robes of righteousness and salvation. Also, what may be in view as we find our way back to Galatians 3, the the fact that we're clothed in the righteousness of Christ, also the fact that we are to put on Christ in our walk with Christ. the language of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, making no provision for the lusts of the world, for the temptations of the devil, for the lusts of the flesh. But also, there may be something in view connected to the priestly garments in the old covenant. Gil notes that there is an illusion here either to a the disrobing and reclo at baptism where one is fully immersed in in water. Uh so in the the right of baptism in the sacrament of baptism we remove our common clothing and put on clothing that is fitting for the baptism. We're being immersed into water. So, it's the disroing of clothes and the reclo of robes uh to be washed or B the Old Testament priestly consecration where priests would wash and then put on holy garments in order to now serve their god in the divine service. It's an a very interesting connection there that's being made that's put in view. It's it's essentially speaking to the fact then that we have as believers put on priestly robes in consecration unto service. It's not the case that uh it's not the case that circumcision and that some sort of some sort of class reality as being a Jewish male makes us consecrated unto God. but it's rather we've been baptized into Christ and have so then put on the robes of Christ, the priestly robes of consecration unto service to our God. What a blessed thing we have in our baptism that symbolizes our union with Christ. We have put on Christ. We're not under a tutor. We're now sons. We're baptized into Christ. We've put on Christ. And now notice fourthly this language of the unity and the parody of believers. Verse 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. So there's this three-fold three-fold negative statement and then a positive assertion. There is neither Jew nor Greek. Now what does what does this mean? I well I think in all of these things it speaks to the reality that there is no partiality with God in salvation with the blessed new covenant reality. There is no partiality. There is no particularity. There is there is no respector of persons with regards to the blessed economy of salvation. There is neither Jew nor Greek. Gil says in the business of justification and salvation, it signified nothing whether a man was a Jew or a Greek. Now is there Jew or Greek? Yes, of course there is. But again, with respect to salvation, with respect to the effectual call, with respect to election first, with respect to those things that take place in time, the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ with the effectual calling by the Holy Spirit, justification, adoption, sanctification, ultimately glorification. There there is neither Jew nor Greek, for all are one in Christ Jesus. And the Apostle Paul brings this to an elaboration elsewhere in his epistles in Ephesians chapter 2. Notice the language there. Speaking with respect to Gentiles and their inclusion in the covenant of grace. Notice in verse 14, for he himself is our peace, who has, this is 214 in Ephesians, who has made both one Jew and Gentile, Jew and Greek, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby thereby putting to death the enmity. And he came and preached peace to you who were a far off and to those who were near. For through him we both have access by one spirit to the father. The blessed unity that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek there. And notice verse 19 as well. Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. In the business, again, Gil of justification and salvation, it signified nothing whether a man was a Jew or a Greek. And as well, there is neither verse 28 slave nor free. Now, were there slaves and were there free men at that particular time? of course, but he's not talking in socioeconomic terms. He's speaking with regards to Christianity with Christ and salvation. It doesn't matter whether you're a slave or you're a free man. Both are one in Christ Jesus. There is no disparity, but there is rather a blessed parody amongst masters and slaves, free men and bond in Christ Jesus. God is no respector of persons. One of the things that obtained in heathen or amongst the pagan peoples is that only free men were admitted to the worship of idols to the worship of their gods. What a blessed thing we have in the only living and true God where all are called to the worship of God in the house of God with the people of God. There is neither slave nor free. And notice as well, there is neither male nor female. Again, again, it's not the obliteration of gender distinctions or something like that. There are still men and there are still women, but it's the reality that there's no preeminence given to males in the economy of the covenant of grace, but rather God's blessing comes equally to all. And and notice or recognize the connection here to circumcision. Who did or who were the recipients of circumcision? It was the males on the eighth day. Of course, who were the recipients of circumcision? Um, the circumcision being po imposed upon the Gentiles upon the Galatians in in this context it were it was the males. And so this comment comes yes largely with regards to the all are one in Christ Jesus but also specifically to the Galatian Judaizing issue. You women are included in the inheritance in you are heirs of the promise promise. You are the recipients of divine blessing. Uh, notice Gil on this because this three-fold formula used by the Apostle Paul probably has in view the Jewish sayings and prayers made in public as they gave thanks to their God. The apostles design, this is Gil, is to show [snorts] the common right of believers of every nation, condition, and sex, and to encourage the Gentiles and demolish the pride, vanity, and boasting of the Jews. their men especially who valued themselves upon these three very things which the apostle here makes no account of as that they were Israelites and not Gentiles, free men and not servants, men and not women. And in their public prayers they gave thanks to God in this form. This is the the public form of the Jewish prayer. Blessed be the Lord our God, the king of the world that he hath made me an Israelite. Blessed be the Lord who hath made who hath not made me a gentile. Blessed be the Lord who hath not made me a servant. Blessed be the Lord who hath not made me a woman. Uh and he and he notes that the women at that time wouldn't say that clause. Of course, they would simply have to say, "Blessed be the Lord who made me as he did." And so this wonderful language that we have here that there is neither Jew nor Greek, that there is neither slave nor free, that there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus, comes and it rails against the arguments of the Judaizers who were upholding these Judeaic tendencies with regards to covenant inclusion. The apostle Paul is saying in the new covenant which was always the case for members of the covenant of grace there is no respector of persons at the point of ethnicity at the point of socioeconomic class or at the point of sex but rather it is the case and as he writes that all are one in Christ Jesus. What a what a blessed truth. The gospel is not the gospel does not divide on nationalistic and socioeconomic and and uh gender lines if we can use that word but rather it unites all whether Jew or Greek. It unites all whether uh uh whether a bondman or a freeman. It unites all whether ma male or female. What a blessed thing that that should have been for the Galatians and that it should be for us as well. God is no respector of persons but calls all to believe in his blessed son. What a what a glorious thing that we have. I uh verse 29 the the um point number five here with regards to the inheritance of the promise. I think it may be helpful to treat that uh next time because there is significant um significant theology theology here that is going on with regards to what his argument will be that follows and with regards to with regards to covenant theology properly speaking and the doctrine of baptism. So we'll lead that we'll leave that for next time. But in closing then just a couple just a couple of observations. First, no one is a son or daughter of God except those who are elect, regenerated, justified, and adopted and who are now of course being further sanctified unto glorification. In other words, Christians who by grace believe in Christ are the true and only children of God and the children of Abraham. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Verse 26, verse 29. And if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed and hes according to the promise, the blessed promise of the spirit, the blessed promise of redemption. The blessed promise that Abraham was not the first recipient of, but rather he was just one among more farther steps of the bringing along of the revelation of what? The seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent. that hero born of woman who would crush the serpent with his heel. The blessed savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Galatians being Christs were not to be stolen away then from uh faith in Christ to the deeds of the law but to remain faithful clasping the son in their Christian hands. Thomas wrote this. If then you are the sons of God by faith, why do you wish to become slaves by the observances of the law? For faith alone makes man the adopted son of God. Indeed, no one is an adopted son unless he is united to and cleaves to the natural son, that is the son of God, even Jesus Christ, for whom he forneew, he also predestined to be made conform conformable to the image of his son, that he might be firstborn among many brethren. For faith makes us sons in Jesus Christ, that Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts. And this in Christ Jesus, you are sons of God through Jesus Christ. And and secondly and lastly, kind of where we started, we should all rejoice that we are the children of God. having once been those who the Apostle Paul calls, including himself, children of wrath, just as the others, sons of our father, the devil. What a what a blessing it is to be those who have been called forth from that cursed sunship by the grace of God to the glorious sunship of being found in Jesus Christ. Not having our own righteousness which is from the law, but having that righteousness which is through faith in Christ. that righteousness not ours but alien to us even the alien uh even the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing to be called the children of God. And if you're here this evening whether young or old and you're not a child of God, uh the answer is as it always has been by proclaimers of the gospel. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. What a blessed thing we have in the blessed one. rest on him and count yourselves blessed to be those who are the children of God by grace. Well, let's pray. God, we thank you for your word. We rejoice in your goodness towards us in revealing the son of your love to us in the holy scriptures. We thank you for what the scriptures proclaim with regards to our sunship by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we are inheritors, recipients of the promise by virtue of our union with him. We pray that you would impress upon us the glory of this reality. Do go with us into the remainder of the Sabbath and into the the remainder of this week. Help us to count ourselves blessed, the undeserved recipients of sunship and daughterhood. And Lord, help us to put on Christ in that manner where we walk worthy of the calling by grace. And we pray in Christ's name. Amen. >> Amen. Well, >> let's close by a singing of the doxology. It's 568 in the hymbooks. Let's stand and sing together. [music] Praise God [singing] all blessings. [music] Praise him all [music] creatures here. Praise him [music and singing] above the heavenly host. Praise [music] father, [singing] son, and holy ghost. [music] >> Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Well, please be seated. We'll have a brief time of prayer. When the piano's finished, you're dismissed.
