Galatians 6:11-18
I’m glad to be back in the pulpit. I miss it when I’m not
here, but I’m grateful to have had the time to spend with
Heather and meet some other servants for the kingdom.
It was nice to meet other pastors who are also
bi-vocational. I’m thankful for Dr. Wilson who shared with
y’all last week and I’m grateful for the association for
providing the hotel and food for us. But like I said, I’m
glad to be back.
Today we are going to finish our series through Galatians.
Paul is going to give some final remarks to remind the
Galatian churches that what matters is the change
brought on by the Spirit, not works, not law, not
circumcision. It’s all about God’s grace and the completed
work of Christ on the cross.
Galatians 6:11
Paul’s Closing Remarks
Paul presumably had someone writing the letter for him,
but at the end of many of his letters he would take the
pen and write a personal conclusion. Let’s look at a few:
1 Corinthians 16:21-22 “I, Paul, write this greeting
with my own hand. If anyone has no love for the
Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!”
Colossians 4:18 “I, Paul, write this greeting with
my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with
you.”
2 Thessalonians 3:17-18 “I, Paul, write this
greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of
genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I
write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you all.”
Many people wonder why Paul mentions the large letters
he is writing with. The most likely answer is that he is
placing emphasis on what he has taught throughout his
letter.
Today it would be like typing in all caps or underlining or
highlighting the text.
Galatians 6:12-13,15
The Contrast between Flesh and Spirit
Paul concludes his letter to the Galatian churches by
contrasting the dangerous teaching of the Judaizers with
the true message of the gospel. The Judaizers were
focused on the flesh, but Paul knew that what mattered
is the Spirit and the transformation that comes at the
point of salvation.
Paul exposes the method, motivation and goal of the
Judaizers as being incorrect.
The method of the Judaizers was to force the Galatian
Christians to be circumcised.
This is what was being taught in Acts 15:1 “But some
men came down from Judea and were teaching the
brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to
the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’”
This is contrary to the true gospel. God never forces
anyone to trust Him or to follow Him. He invites us!
The motivation of the Judaizers was fear of
persecution.
They were so afraid of not making a good showing in the
flesh so they wouldn’t be persecuted for the cross of
Christ. The Judaizers had been sent to make sure all of
Paul’s converts were following the Jewish law and being
circumcised. They considered circumcision to be of
primary importance.
The goal of the Judaizers was to boast in the flesh.
13b “but they desire to have you circumcised that they
may boast in your flesh.”
They were looking to report back to Jerusalem and boast
about the number of circumcisions they obtained. Just
because someone receives circumcision doesn’t
necessarily mean they have been converted.
In the same way, not everyone who is baptized is truly
saved.
Baptism is a physical act symbolizing an internal decision
that was made. It is also an act of obedience.
Circumcision was not required for Gentiles. The Judaizers
were merely looking for bragging rights.
It’s interesting because the first part of verse 13 says
that even those who are circumcised do no themselves
keep the law.
So they are basically saying, “do as we say, not as we
do.”
This reminds me of Jesus calling the Pharisees
whitewashed tombs. He said outwardly they appear
beautiful, but inside they are full of dead peoples bones.
He also said they were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
In verse 15 Paul gets to the heart of the gospel.
“For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creation.”
What Paul is saying here is that what matters is the
internal transformation that takes place when a person
surrenders to the Lord and asks Him to forgive them of
their sin. It is at that moment that the Holy Spirit takes
up residence in the person’s body and he is made into a
new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed
away; behold, the new has come.”
It is not enough to know about God or to wear a cross
around your neck or attend church. We must be born
again just like Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3.
Galatians 6:14-16
The Contrast between Man’s work and Christ’s
Work
The Judaizers have placed circumcision, a human work
above the completed work of Christ on the cross.
Paul mentioned this back in Gal 2:21 “I do not nullify
the grace of God, for if righteousness were through
the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
We don’t earn our salvation by our works.
Paul has been reminding the Galatian churches of this
throughout the entire letter.
Listen to what Paul wrote earlier in the same chapter
“yet we know that a person is not justified by
works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ,
so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to
be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of
the law, because by works of the law no one will be
justified.” Galatians 2:16
The truth is that we are all sinful and our sin separates us
from God. Paul writes, far be it from me to boast except
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s consider the cross.
Christ went to the cross as a sinless sacrifice. He went
because it was meant for us. If He hadn’t gone, we would
have had to endure the cross. But God loved us so much
that He sent His Son who knew no sin to become sin on
our behalf that we might become the righteousness of
God in Him.
He became the curse for us so that we could be
reconciled to the Father.
Listen to the words of John Stott regarding the cross.
“Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to
say to us, ‘I am here because of you. It is your sin I
am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I
am paying, your death I am dying.”
Paul understood the completed work of Christ on the
cross at Calvary.
The cross is essential to our salvation. It’s all about what
Jesus did, not about anything we have done.
We cannot boast in ourselves and the cross. It’s one or
the other.
The Judaizers boasted in the external, their flesh and
their works.
Paul boasted in the cross and the work of the internal
work of the Holy Spirit to justify and sanctify him.
In verse 16 Paul writes that everyone who walks by this
rule will receive peace and mercy.
What rule? He’s referring to becoming a new creation and
being transformed by God to walk by the Spirit.
Those who trust in Christ for salvation will receive mercy
and grace.
The Israel of God refers to the church; those who have
received God’s grace.
Galatians 6:17-18
Paul’s Persecution
Many people who served heathen gods would receive a
brand on themselves to identify that they worshiped this
particular God.
Paul describes the marks on his body as being branded
for Christ. He suffered much for Christ.
He was beaten, stoned, snakebitten and more all for
preaching the name of Christ.
The cross is offensive to many in the world.
They don’t want to be confronted with their sin or be told
that there is only one way to heaven.
Christians must be bold and unafraid of the consequences
of sharing the truth with the world. Our reward in heaven
will far outway the consequences here on earth.
Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:33 “but
whoever denies me before men, I also will deny
before my Father who is in heaven.”
Paul closes with the grace of our Lord Jesus be with your
spirit brothers. This is the grace that is woven throughout
this whole letter. We are saved by grace alone through
faith alone. Not by works or circumcision.
APPLICATION
Consider the Cross
Jesus said in Luke 9:23 “If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and
follow me.”
Jesus died on the cross, he became a curse for us, taking
our pain and shame so that we could be reconciled to
God.
We should daily consider the cross and deny our natural
selves and let the Spirit guide us to follow Him wherever
He leads.
We should never take the cross for granted.