June 17, 2007 (Father's Day)

"Righteousness:

You Can’t Do It: Jesus Can Help"
 

by Rev. Dr. Jim Carlson

Galatians 2:15-21

Opening Illustration: Spanish plane half full but working despite safety problems.

Why should you trust something you don’t understand? Because an expert tells you so?

Approach many Christians take toward their faith. Believe the experts they know and trust to be right.

What about serious issues like why we believe we’re forgiven? Can you explain it to someone who has no idea what we mean?

Passage in Galatians is so complicated that people throw up their hands and repeat what they’ve heard.

Bible study on Tuesday – got confusing.

Important because it impacts the way we live out our faith.

Explanation of conflict

Impacts us today because many Christians still think Christians must follow God’s laws.

Clergy group – pastor told us Ten Commandments are not 10 suggestions.

Which laws do we have to follow? Kinsman Redeemer: Everything except sacrificial laws – even food regulations.

Quotation of Matthew 5:16

Rarely quote Ephesians 2:14 or Colossians 2:14 or Hebrews 10:9.

Paul believed the law was in effect; he just didn’t think it applied to gentiles.

Attempting to coax God to forgive us by following some arbitrary set of laws is pointless and destructive.

Home Depot – “You can do it; we can help”

Baptist version – “You can’t do it, Jesus can help”

People who can’t accept God’s forgiveness often can’t accept themselves. Terrible consequences.

We are forgiven because of Jesus’ faithful act. Having faith in Jesus means having the faith of Jesus.

Not being under the law does not mean doing whatever you want. It means loving your neighbor as yourself.