A NEW CREATION
Galatians 6:1-18
Key Verse 6:15
“Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.”
We thank and praise God for giving us the book of Galatians. In the book of Galatians, Apostle Paul powerfully defended the True Gospel of Jesus Christ against those who were trying to pervert the Gospel by saying that for us to have salvation we need faith in Jesus Christ + something else. In this last chapter of the book, Paul tells us that those who live by faith in Christ receive much, much more than just salvation, they become a new creation. Throughout the book of Galatians we learned that those who live by faith in Christ have received so much. We have received eternal life; we have gained the right to call God, “Abba”; we have gained freedom from the power of sin and are no longer under the law; we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit and can live by the Spirit; we have been made heirs of the Kingdom of God. Those who are in Christ have become a completely new creation.
So what does it mean to be a new creation and how do we live up to this new condition we have received? May God bless us through today’s passage to learn the answer to these questions.
Part I – Doing Good To All (1-10)
Look at verses 1, “1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” In this verse we see that those who are ‘spiritual’ are to restore gently those who are caught in a sin. But we must watch ourselves otherwise we too might be tempted. This verse shows that as we continue to grow in Christ we are to be shepherds of God’s flock. We are in the business of restoration. But it also shows that those who are ‘spiritual’ are really no better or different than those who are caught in a sin. In our sinful nature we are totally corrupt and all fall short of the glory of God. The truth is that we are all are susceptible to being caught by a sin. We must watch out otherwise we too might be tempted. Look at verses 2-5, “2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Carrying each others burdens3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load.”
In these verses Apostle Paul uses the word ‘should’ three times: ‘you who are spiritual should restore him gently’; ‘Each one should test his own actions’; ‘each one should carry his own load’. Paul teaches here that even though we have been set free in Christ, we still have obligations, not obligations of salvation, but obligations as spiritual people (not obligation because of fear of judgment or condemnation but a voluntary obligation. Certainly you can take up responsibility of something on your own decision and on a voluntary basis. For example I can make myself obligated to clean the center. No one forces me, I do it because of something I can choose to do so. And in this way I made it my own obligation. It will be an obligation but it will be a different obligation.); i.e. as sons and daughters of God.
Our freedom is not a license to do whatever we choose to do; especially to rush off headlong back to our sinful life. (If some does that it shows that the person is not freed by the gospel truth. He became free by something else and he is not indeed free man at all.)
In these verses Paul teaches us what we should do with our freedom. First, we who are spiritual should restore those gently who have been caught by sin. Our primary role is to help others to be set free from the clutches and power of sin in men’s lives. We are in the business of restoration. We are to be shepherds of God’s flock. No one is exempt from this. We are to restore those who are caught in sin by gently using the Word of God. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (II Tim. 3:16)
Second, we are to carry each other’s burdens. Life is full of many burdens. This life has many challenges and difficulties. Everywhere we turn we find another burden. We as sons and daughters of God are to carry others burdens. This last week I was given the privilege to serve the CBF message as well as the JBF/HBF message on the same week. But I also had to prepare this message and also a message for the JBF/HBF conference from Isaiah 53. I had a lot that I had to do. Msn. Paul Lim saw my burden and he offered to help me carry my burden by offering to serve the JBF/HBF message. I was so thankful to him because he saw my need and helped me. We are to carry each other’s burdens.
These days Shep. Jonathan is struggling hard to finish his Ph.D. It is our prayer for him that he would conquer his school studies so that he can support his family and live as a professor shepherd. His family is young, but it’s growing. It’s not easy to struggle with Ph.D. studies and take care of a family of three young children; as well as take care of the many other things that he and Msn. Hosanna have had to carry in our ministry. So these days others have helped take up the critical tasks that Shep. Jonathan has been responsible for so that he can focus on his Ph.D. and finish it. He and his family are precious to us all and we want to continue to support and pray for them.
Finally, we are to carry our own load. With our freedom in Christ we are not to become couch potatoes. We are not just to waste our time and energy. We are to work hard carrying our own loads. There is plenty of work to be done. We should not shirk our own responsibilities. We have many crosses that we must carry. And it is our responsibility to carry our own load. But we must be careful! As soon as we try to carry out own burden with our human strength we will fail. We go back to our slaves of sin and law.
Look at verse 6. “6Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” This is the application of verse 5 “each one should carry his own load. To honor our bible teacher certainly belongs to one’s divine obligation. God commands us in this way so that both the bible teacher and his students may be glad together and grow together and share spiritual fruit together.
Look at verses 7-9, “7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. The Galatians by now might have become weary after going through many hardships in serving God and even through confusion by the circumcision group. One of the basic reasons for them to turn back to Jewish legalism is because they became weary of living by faith. Indeed it is far easier to live by sight which is legalists do.” Look at verse 10, “10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” This is a very interesting passage. It may have the implication that we do not love our close coworkers. We may love people far away, people whom we meet from time to time, but not common life brothers or sisters or husbands and wives and children and close coworkers. This recommendation may be related to Gal 5:15, “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” We do not know the reason but there may be biting and devouring among them; but certainly his recommendation stands.
In these verses Apostle Paul shares the principle of sowing and reaping. Paul teaches that what a man sows he will reap and this principle cannot be changed. God cannot be mocked. God set these principles and they are sure and certain. Those who sow to please their sinful nature will surely reap destruction; but those who sow to please the Spirit will reap from the Spirit eternal life. In the gospel this truth can be applied most dramatically. What I mean is this. As soon as we believe in Jesus immediately we will begin to bear spiritual fruit despite all our past evil sowing. Whatever we did in the past did not matter in our salvation and fruit bearing because it is not we who bear the fruit but the Spirit in us. I am not saying that our evil sowing in the past does not have any consequences. Basically, now that we are set free we are to live according to the Spirit, not to our sinful nature any longer.
As opportunity permits we are to use our new lives in Christ to do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. We are to do good to all people. What is the highest good we can do for others? It is to give our lives for them. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15:13)
Basically, from this part of the passage we can see that we are to use the freedom we have in Christ to live as shepherds of God’s flock. This is what we should be doing with our lives. May God help us not to abuse the new lives we have been given in Christ, but use our new lives to do good to all, especially those who belong to the family of God.
Part II – A New Creation. (11-18)
Look at verses 11-13, “11See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand! 12Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh.” Everything other than the gospel of the cross of Christ boasts about human being and their ability and strength and achievement and what they have and what they do.
In these verses Apostle Paul explains the real, hidden motives of those who came and perverted the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The real reason why people are legalistic and demand others to have Jesus + something else is: first, because they want to make a good impression outwardly. What this means is: They live for their glory whereas the gospel reveals the glory of God! What matters most is inward change, not outward appearance. Jesus taught the same thing when He told the Pharisees, “Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” It is much easier to ‘look’ spiritual than it is to be truly spiritual. Someone can discipline themselves to get up early and come to daily devotion at 5:30 in the morning; but that doesn’t mean that they are truly changed people; because the change does not come as the result of our human effort like getting up early in the morning. It comes from simply believing what God has done for us. God has already made us to be men and women who can get up early in the morning without fail. Indeed getting up early in the morning itself will not change any man if faith is missing even if he does for 1000 years! It is an outward impression; but this is not what matters. What matters most importantly with God is our inward heart.
Recently, Mari got into a car accident and our lovely white Hyndai Sonata’s front end got bent. Thank God no one got hurt. The only damage done to the car was cosmetic damage to the hood. It looks like our car has raised eyebrows. So right now the car is in the shop being fixed. They are going to replace the hood and straighten out the dents and all will be fine. But it could have been worse. The frame of the car could have been bent. And if that was the case, it would have been a big problem and not easily fixable. The frame would have had to been replaced and that is not an easy matter. Now of course if the repair shop had replaced all of the body parts, but not fixed the bent frame, outwardly it would have looked fine, but in reality it would still be a big problem, because the bent frame would still be there. The same is true in our spiritual life. We may take care of the outward matter, thinking that this solves our problem, but it really doesn’t. The real way to fix our true problem is faith in Christ alone, who fixed us completely.
Second, they are trying to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ. Jesus was sent by God to save us, but the reason why men put Him to death, was because He gave the truthful Words of God to the people. He called people to repent and believe. Repentance is to accept our sins and guilt. But the way for us to be changed people is through faith in Christ Jesus. People did not want to believe in Jesus. This offended the religious leaders and hypocrites, who looked good outwardly, but who inwardly were full of all kinds of greed and wickedness. (Lk. 11:39) As long as we want to look good outwardly we will never be good before God because only the Gospel can make us good before God. No one wants to be persecuted. But Jesus did not shrink back. Apostle Paul did not shrink back in the face of persecution. But these men wanted to look good outwardly so they would not have to be persecuted. They did not try to swim against the currents of this evil world or generation; instead they avoided the cross of Jesus.
Third, they demanded others to be perfect so that they could boast about it. They themselves were unable to live up to the heavy burden they were placing on others, so they demanded others to be perfect. It is easier to demand others to do something, than it is for us to do it. No one can live up to the Law, but it is easy to demand others to do so, then we can boast about it as though we have done something, at least we have helped others to live up to the law, but the truth of the matter is that this too is only outward appearance. They traveled over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, they make him twice as much a son of hell as they are. Hypocrites made only new hypocrites.
Look at verse 14, “14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Paul shares that his own confidence was not in something other than the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was a man who could have boasted about a lot of things. Humanly speaking he was an impressive man. But in reality, he was no closer to the Kingdom of Heaven then the worst of sinners. Paul in all his hard struggle and effort only became an enemy of God, and persecuted Jesus and His church. Paul didn’t want to do this, but this is what he did. Paul learned that only one thing could he truly boast in and that is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is what Jesus did for him and not what he could do that mattered.
Look at verse 15, “15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” Earlier we saw all that we have been given. This is so different than what we experienced in this world. We have all lived an old, powerless life. We have all experienced the power of sin and death over us; we experienced the condemnation of the Law over us; we have all experienced alienation from God and guilt before Him; we have all experienced coldness and deadness of heart toward others; we have all experienced the terrible weight of our burdens; we have experienced all these old things again and again. But through the book of Galatians Paul reminds the Galatians and us, that we are a new creation in Christ Jesus. All these wonderful gifts and privileges and blessings that we have received in Christ Jesus, has completely gotten rid of the old and replaced it so that we are a completely new creation.
We no longer have to suffer under the power of sin and death. We are completely made free and into a new creation, so that we can live our new lives loving God and loving our brothers and sisters; shepherding over them and carrying one another’s burdens and restoring those caught in a sin.
What a new creation is is really to be shepherds in this life. This is the summer time and during this summer time we are praying to recharge ourselves spiritually and to gain and pick up Jesus’ compassionate heart for the flock of God. This is theme of our Summer Bible conference. In these last days, people’s hearts are growing cold. Love is growing cold, but Jesus’ compassionate heart burns strong for the flock of God. May God bless us this summer to pick up Jesus’ compassionate heart.
Personally, through this passage I could take much hope for my life. I can see that I have been given a new life; I have been made a new creation. But do I live as a new creation. No I really don’t. One area that I continue to struggle is to be a man of grace and mercy, especially toward those under my care. I often lash out angrily when others displease me. I desire to be a man of gentleness and grace to my oldest son Peter, who makes me so angry some days, my head just wants to explode in anger toward him. Also I demand others to do something that I myself don’t do. I demand Thomas to not waste his time, but in reality I waste a lot of my time. When I become full of pressure or anxious, I often waste my time, when I should work all the harder. It is true that I have changed a little. I am more responsible and disciplined than I have ever been and I have been satisfied with that, but in reality this is not the end all of the matter. But the truth is that I have not used my new life in Christ to do good to all fully. I have not used every opportunity to serve the flock of God at UCLA as much as I should.
In truth Christ died on the cross that I would live as a completely new creation. A new person. So how do I become a changed person? Actually, it has already been done for me, through Jesus Christ. On my own trying to live up to the law, I will never be a changed person, only remain a slave and prisoner to the power of sin and remain a condemned man. I must have faith in Jesus fully, who died and redeemed me. I must clothe myself with Jesus who alone is righteous. I can live as a new creation only by faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else. If we believe in Jesus it is not you but Christ who lives in us. You cannot do it but he will be able to do so! I pray that in holding onto Jesus I may become a good shepherd for the students of UCLA and gently help others caught in sin to be restored to God. May God hear my prayer to raise one Abraham and one Sarah this next school year and raise 12 disciples.
Look at verse 16, “16Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.” Only those who follow this rule can experience the true peace and mercy that God offers to us. Those who don’t live as a new creation, may look outwardly alright, but inwardly they are not fooled their spirit testifies to this and they can have no peace, nor can they experience the mercy of God.
May God help us to live up this new life that we have been given. May God help us to use this new life we have been given to live as shepherds and Bible teachers and to do good with every opportunity that we are given.
One Word: A New Creation.
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