I Died

Introduction

A. I suppose one of the more difficult attitudes to deal with is the desire for everything to be just right. We can call it excellence but this is the word that is often used to describe perfection. There is a difference between excellence and perfection but it is often difficult to distinguish in the mind of many. Perfection is not possible but is so much wanted. Most of us do not like making mistakes and we often beat ourselves up when we do not do as well as we would like. We say things like: I should have done better. I am so stupid. I can’t believe I did that.

B. For many of us there is a strong belief that we must be right most of the time. I have known parents who saw a report card with all A’s and one B and the parents focused on the B. The child learns that perfection is acceptable. I have known parents who watched a little league game and yelled at their child for not running fast enough to turn a double into a single. And the child learns. I have known adults who have told each other that the effort given wasn’t good enough. And a divide is created.

C. There are those who believe in perfection spiritually. There are some who believe that one must become a better person each day or God will not be pleased. Such an attitude has one of two results: Either a person constantly feels guilt and shame for not being good enough or one eventually shrugs off the defeated feeling and begins living in ungodly ways. Perfectionism does not bring one closer to God. For too many of us we look at God as some spiritual Santa Claus who is watching and checking his list twice and we want to make sure that he sees us doing more good than wrong and will bring us nice gifts.

D. This view is not new. It existed in Paul’s day. There were those who believed that one’s relationship with God was based on well they did. There were those who believed that one had to be good enough to be in relationship with God. In our text today, Paul is going to deal with this idea of what it means to be in a right relationship with God. Paul says our relationship with God is based on Jesus not on us. But saying those words and believing them are two different things. Let’s be encouraged.

Hypocrisy

A. In our text, Paul makes a final defense of himself as God’s messenger of the gospel and turns his attention to the crux of his gospel message. Paul has been defending his work as an apostle by revealing that God has led this process from the beginning. Only twice did he go to Jerusalem and on both occasions the leaders of the Jerusalem church accepted his work as being from God. Making his final defense, Paul recounts an event in Antioch with Peter.

B. Peter was in Antioch enjoying the freedom of table fellowship with the Gentiles. He had discarded the food laws of Judaism. This was not new for Peter. He had spent several days with Cornelius, a Gentile, in Acts 10. He has spent time in chapter 9 in Simon’s house. Simon was a tanner and Peter’s presence would have made him ceremonially unclean from the Jewish law. Now in Antioch, Peter is enjoying the freedom of the gospel in ignoring the Jewish food laws. And then a delegation from Jerusalem arrives and Peter along with other Jews including Barnabas withdraw from table fellowship with the Gentiles and revert to following Jewish law.

C. Someone might argue that Peter was trying to do the right thing. He was trying to honor the wishes of his Jewish brothers. Some might say he was compromising in order to accomplish a greater good. Some might say that but not Paul. In verse 13, Paul uses the word hypocrisy. Peter was an actor. He was playing a role of freedom until pressed and then he gave up his freedom. This episode makes Paul’s final point of his defense. God is leading him and he is not under Peter at all.

D. Paul quickly turns to his defense of his message. A Jew who lives like a Gentile cannot force Gentiles to live like Jews. This is the heart of his gospel. Even Jews recognize that our relationship with God is based on our trust and confidence in the work of Jesus. Paul is clear and emphatic in verse 16—no one can have a right relationship with God based on how well they do. It is through faith (trust and confidence) in the work of Jesus that one can have a right relationship with God (justified).

E. To make his point further, Paul writes in verse 19 that the law no longer has any claim or control over the person who trusts in Jesus. Dead to the law means that we are now free to live for God. Paul makes his point with the image of the crucifixion. Jesus died on a cross. Paul says if one trusts Jesus, that person also died on a cross. Symbolically but practically, when we come to Jesus, we die. We identify with Jesus to the point that we understand that we died just as he did. Faith in Jesus eliminates faith in effort. Jesus’ death is our spiritual death as well and his life is now our life. Our taking the Lord’s Supper is a reminder that we identify with Jesus. It is a time for us to acknowledge that we join with him in dying to self. We are giving our lives to him and allowing him to live through us. It isn’t joining at the cross, it is affirming that our lives matter so that he is seen through us—not my effort but my faith in him is seen. Lord’s Supper

So What?

A. Verse 21 is a summary statement which in all likelihood reflects the belief of some of Paul’s opponents. They believed that Paul was throwing out the law. His message was so focused on grace and freedom that they accused Paul of not caring about the law at all. Paul reminds his readers that the reality is that if a right relationship with God is possible through keeping the rules and human effort then Jesus died for nothing.

B. We are left with two choices—trust Jesus or trust our effort. Most will say trust Jesus but then want to point to their effort as proof that they trust Jesus. Hypocrisy. Listen to our speech. “Are you going to heaven?” “I hope I’ve done enough.” What?? Effort. I don’t feel like I’m good enough. I feel like I don’t do enough for God. Effort.

C. If we can have a right relationship with God through our effort then we are left with either great guilt or the belief that how we live doesn’t matter because God will save me no matter what.

1. Let go of the guilt and shame. Let go of the effort to prove yourself.

2. Let go of the attitude that says it doesn't matter how I live.

3. Trust Jesus. It is time to die so that Jesus can live through you. You don't have to prove good enough. Accept Jesus and let him live through you.

4. Invitation.

Follow Jesus

If you’d like to respond to this message or learn more about following Jesus, please reach out.