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You can turn in your Bibles with me to the book of Galatians, Galatians chapter 4. As we continue to work through the book of Galatians, we've been in Galatians 4 for the last two sermons. We'll continue in Galatians 4, a significant chapter.

The section that we're in now, beginning at verse 8, is kind of transitional, but not simply transitional. Much to be gleaned as far as Paul's concern for the church as we move from this section regarding the blessing of the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the fact that it is Christ and not the law that brings life. We see here in beginning at verse 21 this analogy of the two sons and speaking with respect to the two covenants, the old and the new. And in between that we have the apostolic concern that the apostle Paul expresses here for the church and its wanderings and its being tempted to fall away from Christ.

I'm going to begin reading in Galatians 4 at verse 1 and we'll read to verse 20.

Galatians 4 verse 1, the word of God.

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. Even so, we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father. Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

But then indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now, after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. In my trial, which was in my flesh, you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that if possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? They zealously court you, but for no good. Yes, they want to exclude you that you may be zealous for them. But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I have doubts about you. Amen.

Well, let's pray.

God, thank you for this time now again in preaching. We rejoice in the fact that we can gather together as the saints of Christ for the worship of our one and only living and true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Once again, bless this time in worship. Help us to honor you, help us to give you thanks and praise, and help us to avail of what the Spirit would have for the church this evening. And we pray in Christ's name, amen. Well, Paul has previously argued in the immediate context, and at large with the general tone of the epistle, Paul has previously argued that Christians, first off, are believers, or Christians or believers are not slaves, but sons. In the immediate context that preceded verse eight, we see that blessed reality that you are not slaves, but rather sons, and God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father. So Paul has argued that Christians are not slaves but sons.

Secondly, he's been arguing that the believing status of sonship comes through Christ and not the law. Time and again, going back to chapter 2, The Apostle Paul has been arguing that. The status of sonship, our status as sons and daughters, the Galatians' status as sons and daughters of God is through Christ and not through the law's obedience. And thirdly, the Holy Spirit confirms this status of sonship internally with our spirits, sends the Son of God, or God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, speaking here of the Father. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son again into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father.

In a parallel passage in the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul says, the Holy Spirit speaks to our spirits, this internal weight of influence, causing us to know our Sonship and to cry out to the God who has given us that blessed reality of Sonship by His grace. So having argued these things, the Apostle Paul now begins the next section by making a striking and a bold and a dauntless move that might not be immediately relevant, or not, excuse me, not relevant, but might not be immediately obvious, but hopefully we'll dive into it. we will seek to do so and see. He compares Jewish law keeping with pagan idolatry and places them both into one theological category in the context of himself giving this apostolic concern for churches to simply not fall away into error and to lay hold of the truth that was once for all handed down to them.

So we're going to look at three things in verses 8 to 20. A large section of this letter, but nevertheless, first, backsliding into bondage, verses 8 to 11, broken fellowship remembered in verses 12 to 16, and then bewitching zeal and a burdened spirit in verses 17 to 20. So first off, we see backsliding into bondage in verses 8 to 11. And this is where we see the Apostle Paul comparing Jewish law-keeping with pagan idolatry. And notice the language that we read here.

But then indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. Paul is speaking to the Galatians' previous pagan idolatry, not speaking to the Jewish Christians necessarily here, but speaking to the Galatians. who were, before Christ came to them, before Christ was preached to them, they were pagan idolaters. They were those following after probably a three-fold influence of pagan idolatry in this particular area. First, the Greco-Roman gods of the Roman Empire, Zeus, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, all of the pantheon of the Greco-Roman pantheon of deities, they were following after those gods, honoring them through sacrifices, feast days, processions, and vows for protection and prosperity. As well, they would have been wrapped up in the religion of local fertility cults. Very similar to today, how mankind worships Mother Earth, they would have worshipped Sibyl, the great Earth Goddess, and would have been engaged in various ritual mournings, ritual rejoicings, self-abasements, and extreme devotions and emotionalism exercised unto the great Mother of the Earth.

Thirdly, they would have been wrapped up in Roman Emperor worship. The citizens of the Roman Empire at this time, and increasingly so as the Roman Empire went on, were called to worship the Roman Emperors as gods, to call them Lord, to call them Savior, and even to call them Son of God.

In fact, in Luke's Gospel and in Mark's Gospel, I believe, there's this emphasis upon the Son of God being the Lord Jesus Christ, which would have come as the true confession of who the Son of God really is, in opposition to the Roman Emperor, the whole cultus of Roman Emperor worship.

So when Paul writes, but then indeed when you did not know God, you serve those which by nature are not God's, he's speaking concerning this pagan idolatry that marked the Galatians.

And we see here that he then moves to God having come to them, but now after you have known God, and it's interesting here, Paul either with rhetorical flair, or in the midst of penning this epistle, sort of corrects himself in a sense. It's probably the first, rhetorical flair.

But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, It's God who is the initiator of salvation. It's God who condescends to the state of man in order to make himself known, to make known his will, and to make known his Christ.

But now, after you have known God, or rather are known by God, notice, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage?

This is where the Apostle Paul, again, Striking language. Jewish Christians would have read this, would have heard it read. Well, maybe let's put it this way. Non-Christian Jews would have heard this, unbelieving Jews, and it would have been quite shocking for the Apostle Paul to equate pagan idolatry with the present existence of Judaic worship in the form of the observance of days and months and seasons and years.

In other words, Paul is saying, if you abandon Christ and follow after these Judaizers who are stealing you away from the exclusivity of Christ's salvation, if you seek to say, okay, now, yes, Christ, a little bit, but also my observance, my obedience, my doings, my strivings, my obedience to days and months and seasons and years, then you are going to a place of idolatry.

You're going to a place of being in bondage to weak and beggarly elements. It's just as, it's worse really than where you were before. Before you did it in sinfulness but in ignorance, now having been made known the riches of the Lord Jesus Christ, are you going to go again back to idolatry to observe weak and beggarly elements and to be slaves to circumcision, to be slaves to the ceremonies, the washings, the sacrifices?

And so the Apostle Paul, again, making this striking, this bold, this dauntless claim of bringing together Jewish law-keeping and pagan idolatry.

But now, after you have known God, or rather, are known by God, how is it that you turn again? This language ought not just to be sort of rolling around in our minds as Paul's saying, you know, how is it that you do this? It should be, how is it that after having heard of the glories of Christ, you're turning back? to these things, the weak and beggarly elements of the world, it should come with the weight of Galatians 3.1, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? This comes with the weight of Galatians 1 and verse 6, I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel. 

The apostolic weight of concern and the apostolic weight of care expressed in these warnings is very strong. It comes with the weight of verses 8, 9, and 10 of Galatians 1. Even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. And so Paul asks this question, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements? 

This is interesting language. When we were preaching on Galatians 4, one through seven, or at least the couple sermons that treated those particular verses, we noted the language of the elements of the world. Notice in Galatians 4.3, even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. This is the similar language here with regards to the weak and beggarly elements. 

Remember, let's remind ourselves from the book of Hebrews what the Apostle Paul is speaking about here. You can turn with me to Hebrews 9. Paul here is, not here in Hebrews, but just a reminder in Galatians, Paul is equating the ceremonies of the Old Covenant in their continued operation after the very meaning of them had come, Christ comes, he fulfills the ceremonial law, he fulfills the moral and the judicial law, but in the context of Galatians, he fulfills the ceremonial law, therefore abrogating or bringing to an end the need for the ceremonial law. 

When the substance has come, what further need was there of these shadowy elements? And so Hebrews 9 brings forth some reality here with regards to what we are reading in Galatians 4. Notice the limitations of the earthly service might be something like what your heading gives in Hebrews 9 at verse 6. 

Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priest always went into the first part of the tabernacle performing the services. But into the second part, the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience, concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of Reformation." 

The Apostle Paul here in Hebrews is telling the audience, is in essence arguing by the weight of this description of the earthly service of the Old Covenant, is saying, why would you go back to those temporary things that were only ordained unto this time of reformation, the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, why would ye go back to those things that pointed forward to this one, when the one to whom they pointed forward has come? 

And these things could not make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience, These things were only concerned with weak and beggarly elements, the elements of the world, foods, drinks, various washings, and notice, fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of Reformation. So finding our way back to Galatians 4, these weak and beggarly elements that Paul is speaking to is, they are exactly what we were just reading there in Hebrews 9. Don't follow after these Judaizers who are spoiling your minds, who are tempting you to go back to this bondage that Jesus Christ has put an end to. 

The Old Covenant itself, of course, was not wicked, it was not evil, but it served a particular purpose. It served a physical, and a temporary and a temporal purpose. Christ comes inaugurating that which is eternal, inaugurating that which is spiritual, inaugurating that which is everlasting, and so why go back to those things that were only shadows, that were only copies of the truth, that were only emblems, signals of the glorious one signified? 

We can think about it this way. Think about it this way. Kids here, if your father went off, if your father had to go on a long, faraway trip for a number of months, and you're weeping, you're crying, you don't want him to go because you love your dad, and your dad says, well, how about this? While I'm gone, you can put a photo of me on the refrigerator with a magnet, and Every Saturday, you can come into the kitchen, you can look at the photo, and you can miss me while I'm gone, and you can hopefully gain some rejoicing by looking at my photo upon the fridge. So every Saturday, come into the kitchen, look at me, receive blessing and joy from looking at my photo. But then when I come, the joy and the glory of me returning to you will be obvious, and we can put the photo away. 

So the father comes home from this long journey. The father comes home, he returns, and he comes to see his children. And the children are just going to the photo in the kitchen and looking at the photo and smiling. And the father says, well, no, I'm right here. I've returned. And they just keep staring at the photo. Well, this is something of what's going on, what went on with the Jews, and what these are being tempted to fall back to, looking at the picture instead of rejoicing in the fact that the one that the picture pointed to had returned. He is here. He has come. 

And so Paul, rightly, is saying And with the weight of this marveling, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again to be in bondage? You're not slaves, you're sons. So do not go back to a system of religion that was only temporary. and that only for a time served a particular purpose. The Christ has come. The promised one has come. The substance has come. The true of all of these copies has come. The one signified has come. Do not go back to the signals.

" And we see something of those signals being referred to here in verse 10. You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you. lest I have labored for you in vain." So here we see the apostolic concern. I am afraid for you. He does not want his labor to be in vain, not because his labors are so glorious, not because he's vain and selfish and wanting to have success in the number of proselytes and converts, but because it is the very gospel of Jesus Christ that is at stake. It's his very Savior, the Lord, the Master whom he serves, and His legacy, His gospel, His truth that is at stake. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. And He's concerned for their very souls. It's a pastor, the Apostle Paul here is concerned for their very souls. You observe days and months, probably referring with regards to the days, referring to seventh day Sabbath observance, the months and seasons and years, these scheduled, these events that pertain to the Judaic calendar that were observed by the Jews under the old covenant. 

And so we see slavery before they had known God. We see here again that grace is defined by the knowledge of God, but now after you have known God, or rather are known by God. It's an interesting way of referring to the grace of God. Sinners being known by God, that is an evidence of God's amazing grace being visited upon us. And by virtue of that, we then in turn, know the God who has visited grace upon us. 

And so rightly Paul is concerned and rightly Paul is marveling. This is religious regression. To go and observe Judaic things after they had ceased with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is in essence to engage in pagan idolatry, to forsake the Christ, that these things pointed to, and really to forsake the very purpose of the things you are seeking to observe. 

Secondly, broken fellowship remembered. Broken fellowship remembered. Paul now engages in some memories, in some remembrances. He wants to call to the minds of the Galatians certain things that obtained in their contact with each other. And the first thing that we see here is a past relationship of grace. 

Notice, you know, or verse 12, brethren, which is very important here. He's calling them brethren. He has not cast them yet into the flames of apostasy, or he has not yet consigned them to this place where they really are captured unsavingly in bondage. They cannot be those true Christians because of the blessedness of the fact that the God of heaven and earth. keeps those that are His in His irrevocable grip. 

But nevertheless, He still calls them, brethren, I urge you to become like Me, for I became like you. You have not injured Me at all. You know that because of physical infirmity, I preach the Gospel to you at the first. 

What we have going on here in this language, brethren, I urge you to become like Me, is not the apostle Paul saying, become an apostle. He's not saying, become like me in my apostolic office, but simply he's reflecting upon his conversion to Christ and his own casting off of those things that were brought to an end by Christ's first coming. 

become like me. I was once a Jew observing all of these days and months and seasons and years. I was once a Jew engaged in observing these ceremonies, these washings, these sacrifices. Christ came to me, the one who fulfills all of these things, the one who brings an end to all of these things by the perfection of his coming, the glory of his person and the perfection of his work. The One who effected all of these things came to me, He saved me, and showed me the way of grace. That it is by grace, through faith, in Christ alone, that anyone has salvation. That justification is by faith alone, and not by the deeds of the law. 

And so, Paul says, I urge you to become like me. And he says, for I became like you. Much of this language is very difficult. differences of opinion on what he is saying here in a lot of these verses and clauses. But for I became like you, this might this might be for I was like you. In other words, I was observing those days and those months and those seasons and those years. But now I'm not Christ having come to me and taught me the way of righteousness. Or it could have something to do with the fact that I am like you in the sense of your present state, brethren. You are the recipients of the grace of God. You are the recipients of the proclamation of the gospel. the spirit of power coming upon you, bringing you forth from darkness to light. But whatever it may be, Paul is using this autobiographical, this historical, this memory language in order to impress upon the Galatians the weight of their departure if they seek to follow down their present path. 

You know that because of physical infirmity, I preach the gospel to you at the first. The Apostle Paul, his first forays into the missionary enterprise was to the Galatian churches, essentially on that first missionary journey. And the weight of that is something that is behind the apostle's concern here. 

Think about it for a moment. And the rest of the language in verses 14 and 15 and 16 will speak to this as well, but the apostle Paul converted on the road to Damascus, enduring much post-conversion in the way of persecution and violence against him, stonings, beatings, shipwreckings, the plundering of goods, so many things affecting the Apostle Paul. But through all of that, steadfast in his apostolic mission, he goes up through Galatia, preaching the glories of the Lord Jesus Christ, he sees many come to a precious knowledge of that Savior, he travels through the Galatian region, he turns around and he comes back through the Galatian region, visiting those same churches, rejoicing in their confession of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then he hears that some are being stolen away to follow after something that is not Christ. And so he appeals to them. I was like you and I became like you. You become like me. Cast off those things and lay hold of Christ alone. 

We see here as well We see here as well, love received as from Christ himself. This is very interesting language that we find in verse 14. And my trial, which was in my flesh, you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. He's calling upon the Galatians to remember how he was received. in order to cause them, hopefully, with the weight of a wholesome emotion and the import of the knowledge and the reflection upon their relationship with Him, to not be stolen away to those things which are not Christ and do not serve Him. 

It's interesting language, though. You receive me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. This isn't to be some sort of idolatry in some sort of weird, Catholic sense or pagan sense, the same thing, as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. He's simply saying, simply saying that you received me with this weight of respect, with this weight of honoring. You received me as of one who is a heavenly messenger bringing the good news of Jesus Christ, you even received me as Christ Himself, that is, more likely, as an ambassador of Him. Ambassadors of Christ, it is as if they are Christ Himself by that ambassadorial action that they engage in. 

Back in Galatians 3, again at the same passage that we read, if we were to read on, notice Galatians 3.1, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified. It was as if Christ was proclaimed before their eyes, even though, of course, they did not physically lay their eyes upon the crucified Christ, but by virtue of spirit-wrought preaching of the Apostle Paul, it was as if they saw him crucified. before their eyes. And so by virtue of the Apostle Paul's presence among them, it is as if he was Christ Himself, an ambassador of Him who came to speak good things of redemption, reconciliation, and the Gospel of the blessed God. And then we see here truth that now feels like enmity. 

Have I therefore become Oh, excuse me, verse 15 first. Some have seen this as possibly that the Apostle Paul The Apostle Paul, there's a lot of Ps in there, I'm trying to find myself back to what I was saying. The possibility that the Apostle Paul had a problem with the eyes, and that his particular infirmity had something to do with his eyes. Later in Galatians 6 we'll read that, see with what great words, what large words I have written to you. So some have seen that this plucking out of the eyes to give to the Apostle Paul was that the Galatians had such an affection for him that they would have tore out their own eyes to give them to him so that he could see better. 

But we're not given any certainty with regards to that being true, and it was actually a cultural, a Judaic idiom to use this language of plucking out one's eyes to give to them. It just communicates the simplicity or the grand glory of one's affection and love for another. In other words, you Galatians, having heard the gospel of truth and having received me as of an angel, even as Christ himself, you loved me so much and therefore the truth so much that you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me as this hyperbolic symbolism regarding your love expressed towards me. 

But then he says, have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? You loved me when I was with you. You loved me when I proclaimed Christ to you. You loved the truth when I proclaimed the truth to you. But now? that I write to you, now that I speak to you regarding that same gospel you've received, have I therefore become your enemy? Now because I tell you the truth? Because I write to you that you're in danger of falling away? That you're in danger of being stolen away by these Judaizers if you continue to follow down this path? 

You should not see me, if we can interject or supplement some writing here, you should not see me as the enemy. I tell you the truth and therefore am your friend. Remain with Christ, remain with the substance, with the true, not with the copies, not with the shadows, not with those temporary, those weak and beggarly elements. 

And then we see finally bewitching zeal and a burdened spirit. Finally, bewitching zeal and a burdened spirit in verses 17 to 20. We see first here a false zeal that enslaves. They zealously court you. Who are the they? Let's just remind ourselves briefly by turning back to Galatians 1 for a moment. Who are these they? They zealously court you. Let's look at the they. Notice in verse 4 of Galatians 1, So these are those that were secretly brought in, who spy out the liberty that we have in Christ, seeking to bring these Galatians into bondage. And so, back to 4.17, they, those that we just read of, the Judaizers, as they're referred to in verse 14 of Galatians 2, they zealously court you, but for no good. Yes, they want to exclude you that you may be zealous for them. 

What is probably being said here is that these Judaizers were jealous for, zealous for, zealous for and jealous of are often used interchangeably. There's a measure of synonymity between these terms in the Bible and in our own parlance. But these Judaizers were jealous for this liberty that the Galatians had in Christ Jesus. They were incensed by it. They were insulted, if you will, by it, or offended by it. And they seek, by this ungodly zeal and this jealousy, to steal them away for no good. They want to exclude you. This probably has to do with exclusion from the covenantal blessings that they enjoy by virtue of Christ alone and the glory of His redemption. They want to exclude you that you may be zealous for them, not for the truth. Not for Christ alone. Not for the Apostle Paul as the ambassador of Christ, but they want you to be zealous for them. They don't want you to enjoy spiritual blessing. We'll read later in Galatians 6 how they love to boast in the acquisition of circumcisions, these Judaizers, these heretics, these wicked men. They're zealous for no good. It's not a wholesome zeal. It is an ungodly zeal. and they want to steal away these Galatians, away from the truth. 

So we see this false zeal, the agitators court zeal for selfish ends. Their aim is exclusion and control, not truth, and not the joy and the liberty of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. brings. 

And then we see true zeal rooted in what is good. We see this language in verses 18 and 19. But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always and not only when I am present with you. 

That's interesting language. It's very, if we just speak on a human level for a moment, it's very easy for us to be polished and to be holy and to be performing well and acting well when a person of authority is with us. When our boss walks into the office, or when our mom and dad walk into the room, or whatever it might be, we usually try to be on our best behavior, at least we should, and it should be genuine. 

It should remind us of some of that language that the Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians in Philippians 1, You don't have to turn there, I'll read it for you, but in Philippians 1 we see this particular language regarding the integrity, the genuineness of the Christian profession and Christian action. Verse 27 of Philippians 1, only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, notice, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. 

In other words, Be Christians of integrity. Don't just be polished and good and conducting yourselves in gospel worthiness when I'm there. If that's only the case, then it's not a true conducting yourselves in a gospel worthiness. But rather, whether I am with you or I'm absent, conduct yourselves as one man in one spirit. for the faith of the gospel and so here we read it is good to be zealous in a good thing always and not only when I am present with you my little children for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone for I have doubts about you.

He is so concerned for them. He's so concerned about this departure away from the truth. He's so concerned and wholesomely zealous for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and the integrity of the truth of justification by faith alone that he wants to come see them. He wants to see that maybe this isn't the case. I want to change my tone about you. Perhaps if it is the case and I come and visit you, our interaction, the remembrances of our reciprocal affections and the remembrances that when I came, I brought the gospel of truth to you, the blessedness of Jesus Christ, perhaps that will cause you to change your tone. For now, I do have doubts about you. 

This brings into view the reality or the goal of the apostolic preaching, the goal of preaching in every subsequent age is that Christ would be formed in the sinner and that Christ would grow, the knowledge of him, the grace of him, The glories of the Lord Jesus Christ would grow in the hearts and the souls of every believer. 

Paul speaks of his labor as labor in Christ as the labor that a woman goes through throughout her pregnancy and unto that point of bringing forth the young one. I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. The height, the weight, the strength of the apostolic concern is very significant. And we ought to, as Christians 2,000 years removed, yes, but worshiping the same God and rejoicing in the same Christ, we ought to mark ourselves as those who should keep an eye out for error, for heresy, for things that would steal us away from the perfection of Jesus Christ. 

in closing and as a means of application on that note, it's very often the case that Christian hearts can be allured and stolen away by novelties and new and shiny things. I think it's true with regards to human nature that familiarity breeds contempt or breeds an unwholesome contempt. you know, some sort of unwholesome opposition to those things which are themselves familiar. 

We have the same truth. The fact that we have the blessedness of the one and only living and true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each having the whole essence and the essence undivided. The blessedness of the Son of God, the second person of that trinity, who came into this lower world to assume our humanity, and in so doing affects salvation perfectly. 

the glorious doctrines of the Trinity, the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, justification by faith alone, an atonement that is perfect and definitive, all those truths, and do we become tired by them? Do we become exhausted by them? Do they become the drudgery of familiarity, or are they the blessed and the joyful constant reminders of a triune God who has condescended, who has brought us forth from the darkness and the madness and the deadness of sin, and has caused us by His grace to behold the glories of Christ? That is the blessed familiarity that we have in Christianity, the steadiness of the truth that we are to lay hold of without wavering. 

Thomas wrote, it is a love of novelties which men are wont to wonder at the most. There's a lot of novel doctrines that have come and have gone throughout the centuries of Christianity that seek to steal away Christians to sideline things and to erroneous things. It is the love of novelties which men are wont to wonder at most. 

Vincentius wrote, speaking of Paul's words to Timothy, On the opposite side of this, Spurgeon writes, on the positive side, it is a great mercy to be kept from the silly love of novelties and to be helped to adhere to the old faith. This is a great mercy, because Christian hearts can be taken away by weird pseudo-Christian nonsense. Christian hearts can be taken away by the madness of novelties, things that do run under the banner of pseudo-Christianity, but which are really pagan idolatry, the danger of the Galatians. It is a great mercy to be kept from the silly love of novelties and to be helped Adhere to the old paths, the stuff of Jeremiah.

Return to the old path, the good way, where the truth is and find the peace and the glory of God upon that blessed trail. John Cassian wrote, fourth century, pour upon all whose eyes the darkness of heretical obstinacy has blinded. He is, not as if, but is praying in writing to God here.

Pour upon all whose eyes the darkness of heretical obstinacy has blinded the light of thy compassion and truth that they may at length with clear and unveiled sight behold the great and life-giving mystery of thine incarnation. These were seeking, the Judaizers were seeking to steal away that light, to put these Galatians into darkness, to blind them from the light of compassion and truth, to blind them from the unveiled glories of Jesus Christ and the perfection of His person and work.

And in our own time and age, let us lay hold of this old and blessed and familiar truth. What a blessed constancy in our life that there is one and only living and true God who sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem us from our sins. That we have a Savior, a champion, who has gone before us to perfect righteousness, to secure forgiveness, and to bring a multitude of sinners to everlasting life in Him.

Be on guard. Guard the deposit and call it a great mercy to be kept from the silly love of novelties and to remain in the old path. And if you're here this evening and you're outside of Christ, the gospel summons always comes genuinely to you from this pulpit. God is holy. We have all sinned against this God, this holy God. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. And we justly deserve the recompense, the condemnation, the judgment for our transgressions against God, both in this life and in the life which is to come.

But praise God that He sent forth His Son. That He sent forth the Son of His love to take upon Himself our humanity. to redeem us, to live a life of perfect obedience to the law of God, to die a perfect death upon Calvary's cross, to be raised again victoriously the third day, that he might perfectly bring a multitude of sinners to glory. Believe on this blessed Christ and you will have everlasting life.

Let's pray. God, we thank you for your truth. We rejoice in the goodness of Jesus Christ, the goodness of your revelation to us in the Holy Scriptures. We thank you so much for what we read here concerning the Apostle Paul's concern for the churches in Galatia. We pray that though 2,000 years removed, we would hear these same concerns, that we would lay hold of Christ with an unwavering constancy, that we would rejoice in his truth, that we would rejoice in the old paths, in the old ways, in the reality that there is justification to be had in Christ, not by deeds of righteousness, which we have done, but solely according to your mercy, according to the perfection of the work of our blessed Savior.

Do go with us into this upcoming week. Help us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And might we, as a church, be found as one man with one spirit, striving for the faith of the gospel. And we pray in Christ's name, amen.