Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20080914.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Galatians: Defending The Truthfulness Of Paul's Teaching On God's Grace
Part XI: Applying The Doctrine Of God's Grace To Christian Living, Galatians 5:1-6:18
E. Contrasting False With True Spiritual Ministries
(Galatians 6:11-18)
  1. Introduction
    1. Not all ministries in even every Gospel-preaching, Bible-teaching Church is empowered by God the Holy Spirit, a fact that can disillusion naive believers to the harm of their spiritual walk, cf. Acts 8:9-13, 18-22.
    2. For this reason, it is edifying to note Paul's closing remarks in his letter to the Galatian believers in Galatians 6:11-18, for he there extensively contrasted false and true spiritual ministries (as follows):
  2. Contrasting False With True Spiritual Ministries, Galatians 6:11-18.
    1. To close his epistle, Paul took the pen out of the hand of his scribe to write an important section he wanted his readers to grasp (Galatians 6:11), noting his letters were larger than were those of his scribe.
    2. Now, Paul had contrasted the characteristics of a carnal life with the spiritual life in Galatians 5:16-24.
    3. Accordingly, his key closing remarks in his epistle contrasts the false spirituality of the legalists with Paul's true ministry, and we review that Galatians 6:11-18 section to discern true from false ministries:
      1. Paul itemized the characteristics of false spiritual ministries in Galatians 6:12-14 as follows:
        1. False spiritual ministries evaluate success in terms of external appearances, Galatians 6:12a: Paul noted the Judaizers sought to look good to colleagues in constraining others to be circumcised.
        2. False spiritual ministries are marked by pressure from leaders upon their followers, Galatians 6:12b: the Judaizers tried to force Paul's readers to be circumcised only to avoid persecution themselves from other legalists, showing their ministries were marked by pressure on followers at all levels!
        3. False spiritual ministries are hypocritical, with their leaders not practicing what they say, Gal. 6:13a.
        4. False spiritual ministries feed the lusts of the leaders at the cost and discomfort of followers, 6:13b.
        5. False spiritual ministries depend on human power to perform external works, Galatians 6:13b: the Judaizers sought to circumcise Paul's readers to glory in their flesh alone, not in the spiritual realm.
        6. False spiritual ministries adhere to Biblically outdated symbols and rituals, Gal. 6:15; Col. 2:11-17. (1) Paul reported the Judaizers desired to circumcise his readers, a ritual under the Law, Gal. 6:15. (2) However, Colossians 2:11-17 reveals the believer is no longer under the jurisdiction of the Law so that physical circumcision has been replaced by a positional spiritual circumcision in Christ!
      2. In contrast to such false spiritual ministries, Paul gave characteristics of his true ministry, Gal. 6:14-18:
        1. Opposite external appearance (Gal. 6:12a), Paul saw himself as separate from the world's lust of appearance, that the world and its lusts of the eyes was crucified to him, Gal. 6:14c; 1 John 2:15.
        2. Opposite pressuring his followers (Gal. 6:12b), Paul realized his accountability to His Lord to treat his followers graciously, Gal. 6:14b, 16, 18 in accord with Luke 12:42-46.
        3. Opposite hypocrisy (Gal. 6:13a), Paul saw himself as crucified to the world to where he bore the scars of persecution for practicing his words before his worldly foes, Galatians 6:14d, 17.
        4. Opposite indulging his lusts, Paul gloried in the cross of Christ, Galatians 6:13b, 14a; 1 John 2:16.
        5. Opposite the false ministry's reliance on human power (Gal. 6:13b), Paul's true ministry focused on the Holy Spirit's enabling of the new nature, the new creation, Galatians 6:15.
        6. Opposite the false ministry's adherence to Biblically outdated symbols and rituals (Gal. 6:15), Paul's true ministry exchanged such outmoded symbols and rituals for new life in the Spirit, Gal. 6:15-18.
Lesson: Paul revealed that (a) the false ministry focuses on externals where the true focuses on the heart, (b) the false pressures followers where the true treats them kindly, (c) the false is hypocritical where the true is honest, (d) the false feeds the leader's lusts where the true has sacrificial leadership, (e) the false relies on human power where the true trusts in God and (f) the false adheres to Biblically outdated symbols and rituals where the true looks to reliance on the Holy Spirit for a new life in Christ.

Application: May we examine ministries that concern us by way of this spiritual test, and apply it for discernment and appropriate response that we might be blessed of the Lord.