Title: The Cross of Christ

Text: Gal 6:14-17

With this message we will conclude our series from the book of Gal. The book of Galatians contains some of the most important theological and practical teachings of the Christian faith found in the Bible.

To review Galatians was written as a defense against an attack on Paul’s calling(1:1-10), he was called by God and not by man. It was a defense of his apostolic authority (1:11-2:21), like his calling, it was God given authority, the gospel message Paul proclaimed did not have it’s origin in a human source. In other words he didn’t receive it from another person, but from the Lord Himself, yet it was the same message the other apostles taught. The letter was a defense of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, in Christ alone and justification by faith was for all people (3:1-4:31). And, it was also a defense of Christian liberty (5:1-6:10).

Early on we studied the importance of the doctrine of Justification by faith alone. The doctrine, which sparked the Reformation, is not only the beginning of the Christian life, but how we continue to live the Christian life as well. There is only one means of salvation – by faith in Christ.

Christians, Paul wrote, have died to law, and are to live to God (2:18), and the Christian life is about Christ living in us (2:20). We are justified by faith and we live by faith.

Paul explained the gospel meant there was equality before God for all people because everyone must come to Him the same way, through Christ (3:26-29). And as believers we become His spiritual children and heirs of his promises (4:7). Paul explained that spiritual equality by referring to believers as sons, and we talked about the cultural significance of sonship and how Paul used that cultural significance to explain the spiritual relationship of believers to God the Father.

On a more practically level Paul explained and contrasted the ways of the sinful nature with those of the spiritual nature (5:16-24). He explained how freedom in Christ was not license to live in any manner we choose, but we freedom from the bondage of living according to the desires of the sinful nature and freedom to live by the power of the Spirit of God, because the Spirit resides in us, enabling us to live according to God’s will. He gave us those two representative lists. Then of course he issued the warning against being led astray into believing there are many pathways to salvation or that you can live any way you choose and presume upon God’s grace, because God isn’t mocked. God alone is the author and finisher of faith, God alone is sovereign and we will reap what we sow, whether that be good seed in accordance with His will or bad seed in defiance of His sovereignty (6:7-10). One day every person will stand accountable to the Supreme Judge of creation (Rom 14:10-12; 1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 Cor 5:10).

As we come to the conclusion of the book of Galatians, Paul makes a final statement to the Galatian church and to us about what he’s taught in this letter. He wrote beginning in verse 12 of chapter 6:

12 Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

13 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh.

14 But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. NAS

Paul brings his argument back to the cross. The Judaizers, he said, wanted to look good outwardly, they wanted to be seen as religious, but they didn’t want to take a stand that would cause them any problems and they wanted the Galatian Christians to follow their lead that they might boast in them.

Paul on the other hand says that he should not boast in anything but the cross of Christ. The word translated boast means to find joy or to glory. Paul was wasn’t finding joy in the brutality or the cruelty of the cross. He saw the cross as more than just piece of wood where a man was condemned and died. He saw the cross for what God intended it to be. There are three things about the cross Paul saw and wants us to see as well.

First, Paul saw the person of the cross. Many, many people were put to death by the Romans on crosses. It was a not only a punishment, but a warning against standing against Roman law. But it wasn’t just anyone who died on that cross outside of Jerusalem – it was Jesus Christ. Jesus is mention some 45 times in the book of Galatians. One third of the verses contain references to Him. It was Jesus who made this cross glorious.

Jesus took all of the cruelty, all of the hatred, all of the bitterness all of the sinfulness of humanity and bore the curse of the cross and turned it into a glorious emblem of freedom, restoration and reconciliation.

Secondly Paul saw the power of the cross. The cross was seen as the ultimate example of humiliation and shame. Yet, the humiliation and shame of the cross had transform Saul of Tarsus, the Jewish Rabbi, the persecutor of the church, into Paul the apostle, the spokesman for Christ.

For Paul the cross meant liberty from self (2:20); from the sinful flesh (5:24) and from the world (6:14). In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross, the power of Almighty God is released to give believers deliverance and victory. Through the power of the cross it is Christ who lives in us and through us and as we yield to Him we have victory over sin and death.

The world doesn’t care if we are religious as long as the cross is left out. The world even accepts religion as long as Jesus Christ is left out. But it was on the cross the power of God was manifest and it was on the cross Jesus Christ was lifted up that all men might be drawn to Him and in Him alone find salvation.

No matter how good or moral a person is in his or her own power they fall far short of God perfect standard. All of our righteousness amounts to nothing but filthy rags (Isa 64:6). But on the cross the perfection of God is graciously made available to all who would believe and receive the righteousness of Christ.

Finally Paul saw the purpose of the cross. The purpose of the cross from the human perspective was eliminate Jesus, His teaching and His followers. But, from God’s perspective the cross was to bring into the world a new people of God. Upon the cross of Christ God completed His work of redemption for all mankind. The purpose of the cross was to call out a people unto God, to bring about a new creation. Paul used the idea of a new creation in 2 Cor 5:17 where he wrote: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” NAS

Individually the new creation implies the whole process of conversion; the regenerating work of the Spirit, continual growth in holiness, a new nature with a new system of desires and standards that lead to growth in becoming more and more Christ like. This new creation comes about not by legalism but only by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus told Nicodemus, a religious man, a “teacher” of Israel, you must be born again.

But verse 16 seems to indicate that the new creation is more than just individuals. The new creation is the “Israel of God.” In other words this new creation is the church, the corporate body of Christ on earth. Just as God worked through the nation of Israel during the Old Testament period he now works through the church. The church is the “people of God” on earth today. That doesn’t mean any particular denomination or any particular local body of believers is “The” church. But all true believers are the source through which God conveys his message to the world, we are His representatives on earth, His ambassadors. Peter wrote 1 Peter 2:9:

“But you” [referring to believers] “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” NAS

Let me ask you are your glorying in cross of Christ, or are you just being religious? Are you just a member of this church, or are you a member of

His church? Do you know the person, the power and the purpose of the cross personally or are you just going through the motions of religion?

Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,

The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;

A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,

from the burning of the noon-tide heat and the burden of the day.

Upon that cross of Jesus Mine eyes at times can see

The very dying form of the One who died for me;

And from my smitten heart with tears Two wonders I confess,

The wonders of His glorious love And my unworthiness.

I take, O Cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;

I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;

Content to let the world go by, To know no gain or loss,

My sinful self my only shame, My glory all the cross.

(Beneath the Cross of Jesus; Elizabeth C. Clephane)

Is your glory in the cross? If not there is room at the cross for you.