"PAUL TELLS THE CHRISTIANS OF GALATIA TO DO GOOD TO ALL MEN."

Singing: (Psalms and Hymns are from the "Book of Praise" Anglo Genevan Psalter)
Psalm 41:1
Psalm 25:3
Hymn 36:5
Psalm 134:3 (After Ordination)
Psalm 67:1,2,3
Psalm 112:2,3,4

Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ!

By the grace of God, the church of Kelmscott receives today a new elder and two new deacons. So we’ll read later on the "Form for the Ordination of Elders and Deacons".

As we read the Form, it will strike you that I will - in the section about the deacons- add four words that are not printed in the Form as you have it in the Book of Praise. That is because the last Synod of the Free Reformed Churches of Australia decided to add these four words to the form. It’s on page 633, and it may be good that we look at the sentence before we proceed. It’s in the middle of the first complete paragraph.

The text as you have it before you instructs the deacons to "do good to all men, especially to those of the household of faith." Now, those words, "do good to all men," are lifted from the Lord’s word in Gal 6:10 – our text for today. The previous Synod received a request to modify this instruction on the basis that Paul’s words in Gal 6 are not directed to deacons in particular but to all the saints of Galatia in general. So Synod decided to add four words; instead of the deacons being told that they themselves have to do good to all men, the deacons are instructed to "encourage the congregation to do good to all men." So, as we read the second sentence of this first complete paragraph on pg 633, I will add four words: "Encourage the congregation to".

According to our revised form, then, the task of the deacons is not ‘simply’ to hand out the money collected in church. Their prime task, in fact, is to encourage the congregation to do good, both to the brotherhood within the congregation and to the people outside. As God in Christ has done good to unworthy sinners, so the redeemed are to do good to unworthy sinners - inside and outside the congregation. And the deacons may encourage the saints to do that.

I want today to assist the deacons in their work of encouragement, and lay before you this morning the will of God as it comes to us in Gal 6:10. I choose to do so because … there is in our midst a bit of uncertainty about the instruction of this text. We hesitate: are we, saints of God, indeed to go out of our way to do good to those who have no regard for the Lord God? Does the Lord not tell us to hate those who hate God? (Ps 139). And not to throw pearls before the swine? So we tend to accent the last part of the verse: let us do good … especially to those of the household of faith….

But, my brothers and sisters, the Lord would have us know that Abraham’s children by faith are to make themselves be a blessing for all the nations; Abraham’s spiritual children are to produce fruits of the Spirit for the advantage of all men.

I summarise the sermon with this theme:

1.Paul begins the instruction of our text with the words "so then". Those words indicate that we have in our text a summary of what Paul had said in earlier verses; more, in our text Paul states the conclusion which flows out of what he has said before. To understand this conclusion, then, we need first to come to grips with what Paul has earlier said; how can Paul come to the conclusion that the Christians of Galatia are to do good to all men?

We are to understand first of all, brothers and sisters, that the Galatians had been a Gentile people, a people who did not know God, let alone His Christ. By the grace of God, the Word of the gospel came to them by the mouth of the apostle Paul (cf 1:11; 4:13). His preaching bore fruit, for various of the Galatians came to faith in Jesus Christ. Once the apostle was satisfied that the Galatians had a good understanding of what this gospel of grace was (cf 3:3; 4:9; 5:7), he - according to his custom- travelled on to spread the gospel elsewhere.

But after Paul’s departure from Galatia, other teachers appeared who told the Galatian believers that Paul was not quite right in what he had preached. These new teachers said: ‘if you wish to be saved, you have to be circumcised.’ To their minds, faith in Jesus Christ was not adequate; to be saved one needed still to obey the Law of Moses. These new teachers were known as "Judaists".

We understand: this stress on the Law and its demand for circumcision implied that at bottom these Judaists wished to be saved by obedience to the Law of Moses. For them salvation was rooted in works, your own works. That resulted in a sort of free-for-all; the persons who followed the teaching of these Judaists ended up looking each after their own individual needs, they scrambled each for their own salvation without regard for the needs of the other. Paul describes the situation as it was among the Galatians in ch 5:15: the Galatians began to "bite and devour one another" and were in danger of being "consumed by one another"; among these Galatians who called themselves Christians there was no living love for each other, but only love for the self (cf 5:26): I need to do good so that I may be saved. In a word: because of the teaching of the Judaists - you’re saved not by faith in Christ alone but specifically by your obedience to the Law of Moses- the Galatians became so many selfish individuals who did not concern themselves with the other’s well-being. They insisted on circumcision, on marking the flesh for the sake of salvation. That stress on the flesh produced works of the flesh, including enmity, strife, anger, selfishness, envy, etc. So there was no brotherly love.

Over against this teaching of the Judaists and its resulting individualism and selfishness, the apostle Paul placed the gospel of freedom in Christ. Says he to the Galatians: ‘you are deserting the faith and turning to a different gospel (1:6), one that is not really a gospel at all.’ The apostle shows his exasperation with these weak-kneed Galatians: "O foolish Galatians!" says he, "Who has bewitched you?" (3:1). You have received the Holy Spirit, but - tell me- how come? "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law [of Moses], or by hearing with faith [in Christ]?" And the answer is obvious, is also proven by the apostle in chs 3 & 4: not works of the Law, not even circumcision, gains one salvation; the Galatians had received the Holy Spirit because they embraced Jesus Christ by faith. In fact - Paul makes clear- Abraham himself was saved not because of works but because of faith in the coming Saviour (3:6ff). It’s the whole argument of the apostle: one is not saved, one cannot be saved, by works of Law, not even by that basic work of the Law that had set Abraham’s children apart from all other peoples, that work of circumcision in the flesh. Paul is adamant: the Law cannot save; only Jesus Christ can save, and one can enjoy Christ only by faith. So he comes to his conclusion: "neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision" (6:15); what is important is "faith working through love" (5:6). Then - argues Paul- the Judaists may say that one is to keep the law, is to be circumcised and so set apart from the nations as a saved people. But, says the apostle, if you insist that circumcision sets you apart for salvation, if you think that the cutting of the flesh saves, then know that you must keep the whole Law (3:10; 5:3); you must perfectly obey every command and otherwise loose salvation altogether. Yet keep the Law you cannot do, and so you become a slave to a list of Do’s and Don’ts; you’re freedom is gone.

Yet this is the Gospel, the apostle continues, that Christ has come to free us from the Law of Moses: "for freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (5:1). How Christ has set us free? He obeyed that Law of Moses perfectly, even gave Himself as a sacrifice for sins, for our sins. Ch 3:13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us," a curse in our place. We were indeed to keep the Law of Moses, but we could not and that was our undoing. But Christ came and He obeyed the Law in our stead, did it for us. Result? We’re spared the wrath of God, are adopted by God to be His sons (4:5). In a word: we’re saved by Christ, saved because He took our curse upon Himself. That’s the Gospel, O Galatians, and would you be so foolish as to take that curse upon yourself again by trying to obtain salvation by obeying the Law perfectly yourself?! Be not bewitched, O Galatians; to insist on salvation through works of Law, even that first work of circumcision, is foolishness!

Here is, then, my brothers and sisters, a stark contrast. The Judaists said: you must obey Moses’ Law, you must be circumcised, if you wish to be saved. Paul disagreed: salvation has mercifully been obtained by Jesus Christ; that salvation is freely granted in grace to all who embrace Jesus Christ by a true faith. Here is the contrast of Law vs faith, the contrast of curse vs freedom, the contrast of death vs life. But that stark contrast also has contrasting fruits! The fruits of salvation-through-works-of-Law turned out to be selfishness and individualism; the Galatians were biting and devouring each other, were producing fruits of the flesh: enmity, strife, jealousy, selfishness, party spirit, etc (5:19ff). Over against that bitter fruit produced by the doctrine of the Judaists is that sweet fruit which was pointed up by Christ: "love your neighbour as yourself." Paul says it in ch 5:14: "the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘You shall love....’" Yes, this is the law of Christ; said Jesus once to His disciples: "a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you..." (Jn 13:34).

The Judaists, and those who embraced their teaching, brought forth bitter fruits of selfishness, of biting, of devouring; these were fruits of the flesh. Christians, those who embraced Christ’s free gift of salvation, were to bring forth different fruits, fruits of love for the other, fruits of the Spirit, fruits of patience with the other, of kindness for the other, of goodness for the other, of gentleness toward the other, of self-emptying love. This was the example Christ had Himself given when He laid down His life for the unworthy; this was the example those saved by Christ were to follow.

And there you have, beloved, the reason why Paul can say what he says to the Galatians in our text: they are to "do good" - why?- because they have seen Christ do good to them. The Judaists had come with their heresy of salvation through works, and the practical consequences of their teaching were evident. Paul rejected this heresy of the Judaists with its resulting individualism, and in his letter has laid before the Galatians once again the work of Christ as the only way to salvation. In the words of our text the apostle lays before the Galatians what the practical consequences are of Christ’s free gift of salvation. Over against the individualism and selfishness resulting from the teaching of the Judaists comes the example of Jesus Christ, the love for others, the desire to do good to all men. That example is in turn a command for the Galatians, a command for all who have tasted the redeeming work of God in Christ: Love the other, even as Christ has loved you. More: love the unworthy, even as Christ loved someone so unworthy as you. And that love is to be translated straightaway into action: "do good", and do it to all men.

2. But how? How ought the Christians of Galatia, how ought the believers of all ages, to do good to all men? How, concretely, does Paul envision this good to be done?

We are to recall first of all, brothers and sisters, what the apostle has written about love. Ch 5:14: "the whole law is fulfilled in the one word, ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself.’" Christ fulfilled that Law of Moses, fulfilled it by loving the neighbour so much that He gave up His life for him. In general terms, it is that kind of self-emptying love that is to be expressed in the good things Christians do to others. And lest one would say that we are not able to do acts requiring such self-emptying love, we are to note that the apostle lists love and kindness and goodness and gentleness as fruits of the Spirit, as fruits that shall be produced by every one who has the Spirit. Who it is specifically that has the Spirit? In the context of our chapter, it’s the Galatians themselves (3:2,5). Or, to say it more broadly, it’s all those who believe in Jesus Christ (cf Rom 8:9). That includes you and me.

That being so - every believer ‘has’ the Holy Spirit- Paul hastens to list the fruit of the Spirit: it includes love, kindness, goodness (5:22). Yet it’s not an abstract love, an abstract kindness, a goodness shown to no one in particular. It’s a love, a kindness, a goodness, a gentleness directed to specific persons. Which persons? The worthy? The noble? The love-able? That was not what Christ did; He loved the unworthy, loved those who were dead in sin, gave Himself up for us while we were yet enemies of God and haters of His Christ (cf Rom 5). Because of the presence of the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of the Galatians are these Galatians able to love the same unworthy types as Christ Himself loved, are they able to do good, to act with kindness and gentleness, to all men irrespective of their worthiness or lack of it. And this, we understand, is true not just of the Galatians of long ago; inasmuch as we too have been shown the love of Christ and received the Spirit of this Christ are we also enabled to love our unworthy neighbour, to do good to all men.

Paul gives to his Galatian readers a couple of examples of how this practical consequence of Christ’s love to sinners is to be shown by sinners to other sinners. Ch 6:2: "bear one another’s burdens"; do so, Paul adds, because it is by bearing the burdens of others that you fulfil the command of Christ to love one another. What kind of burdens is the apostle talking about? Certainly, one may think of financial burdens, of burdens of health, of marriage tension, etc. Specifically, though, the Galatians were told to restore with a spirit of gentleness any man who fell into sin (vs 1). It ought not to be, says Paul to the Galatians, that you look down your nose at the couple who had to get married, or at the man who gave in to economic pressures and committed fraud. To look down your nose at such a person is arrogance, is suggesting that you’d never do such a thing yourself, you’re better than he, than they. No, says the apostle in vs 3: realise that of yourself you are nothing, nothing, and so be kind to the sinner; restore him in a spirit of gentleness, help him, carry his burden with him, encourage him while he goes bent under the weight of a guilty conscience. Christ loved you while you were so undeserving; very well, you make a point of reaching out and touching sinners, helping them, and so fulfil the law of Christ; "let us not become conceited" (5:26), no thought that one is better than the other, too good to help another.

Paul gives a second practical example to the Galatians about how one is to do good to all. There is the instruction of vs 6 also: those who are taught are to share their good things with those who teach. To say it in our terms: the members of the congregation are to share the good things they receive with the preacher of the gospel, irrespective of whether he be worthy or not. Such sharing is a matter of the good God wishes His people to do.

But the apostle does more than simply give practical examples that speak to the Galatian Christians in their circumstances about how they are to do good to all. At the time when Paul wrote his letter, the Galatians didn’t love, didn’t share, didn’t do good; they were selfish, so many individuals chasing after their personal eternal good. So Paul drives home the principle of doing good to one and all, drives it home so that the Galatians might apply it in every circumstance they encounter. Says Paul: "do not be deceived; ...whatever a man sows, that will he reap." If what you sow is rooted in the flesh, if what you sow is based on yourself saving yourself through obedience to the law, you shall reap corruption, eternal corruption. But if what you sow is rooted in the love Christ showed to you, is fruit of the Spirit of Christ within you, then you shall reap eternal life. In other words, O Galatians, in every circumstance, in every situation, always and again make a point of demonstrating to others the love that Christ has shown to you. In a word: always, always, do good to others, do not become tired of well-doing. Take the example of Christ and apply it in the specific circumstances in which you find yourself: cast about for ways and means to show concretely to others by acts of goodness, kindness, gentleness the love which Christ has shown to you; "love your neighbour as yourself." Those fruits of the Spirit: they’re to be manifested always and again; never may you cease to bear these fruits of love, of goodness, of kindness.

Never? Is one always to bear those fruits of love, of goodness, of kindness, towards others? The answer is Yes, is Yes because a good tree always bears good fruit. Admittedly, the apostle speaks in our text about doing good "as we have opportunity." But the words Paul uses here do not mean that we are to do good when it suits us, or when we have energy and time available, let alone money. Paul refers here to what the Lord God does; God directs circumstances in such ways that His people receive opportunity from God to do good to others, to show to others the love which God in Christ has shown to them. Exactly because the Lord God presents to His people opportunities to do good, are we to have our eyes open always to make use of the opportunities God gives. Then yes, it may well be that we are to deny ourselves to make use of the opportunity God gives to us; we may have to forget for a moment that we’re tired or had plans to go out for the day or wished to use our money for something else. As the Lord confronts us with needs in others, it is for us to do what we can to help the other, help as God helped us in Christ, help, irrespective of who the other might be.3. "Irrespective of who the other might be." For yes, so says the apostle: "do good to all men." And he adds: "and especially to those who are of the household of faith." It may be tempting for us to lay the accent on the last part of Paul’s words: do good to the household of faith, and then belittle the need to do good to all men. But, brothers and sisters, Paul is inspired by the Lord not to write that we’re to do good especially to the household of faith, and then possibly also to others if time and resources permit. No, God has the apostle write to these Galatians in no uncertain terms that they are to do good to all men; the stress falls squarely on the "all men".

In fact, given what the Judaists were saying in Galatia, Paul’s instruction to do good to all men is most understandable. For these Judaists said: through circumcision one is made a special people, is set apart from all other peoples, and therefore we may have nothing to do with others; these Judaists said that others, if they wished to be saved, had to join them, had to be circumcised, had to be become one of them. But in the face of that attitude, Paul had said - ch 3:8- that Abraham had originally been called for the good of the nations; said God to Abraham way in the beginning of Israel’s history: "in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen 12:3). Then it’s true: the Jews were not to join the nations, not to pretend there was no difference between themselves as God’s people and those who did not know God. But that did not give to the Judaists the right to look down on all other peoples as if they were a lost lot who did not need to receive good from any man. Paul is insistent: Abraham was to be a blessing for all nations, a blessing for all men. Christ, the One who was to fulfil the Law of Moses, has come, has died, died not for Jews only but for all whom the Father has chosen to life, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, Romans or Greeks or Egyptians or Cretans or whatever; this Son of Abraham was and is a blessing for the nations, for all manner of men. That being so, says Paul to these Galatians, you are not to follow the thinking of the Judaists and let Gentiles lie in their misery; you are rather to show to them the love which Christ was pleased to show to you. Though you were not Jews, you have benefited from this Son of Abraham; because of Christ’s sacrifice you are adopted to be sons of God. Go now, do likewise, be a blessing for all men; do good to all, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, rich or poor, likeable or repulsive, worthy or not. Do good, be kind, reflect Christ’s love, be a blessing in word and deed to all; let all benefit from the fruits of the Spirit you are made to produce.

What are we to make, then, of those last words of our text: "and especially to those of the household of faith"? It will be obvious, brothers and sisters: "if any one does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he...is worse than an unbeliever" (I Tim 5:8). The household of faith: that’s one’s family in the Lord. For that family one is responsible first of all; more, it shall be most offensive to outsiders if one ignores the family while being generous outside. Do good, especially to one’s brothers and sisters in the Lord, and the whole point - within the context of Gal 6- is that one must do good within the family for the benefit of outsiders. Abraham is to be a blessing for all nations, Christ the Son of Abraham has made Himself a blessing for the unworthy; now it is for the saved, those renewed by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, to do good to all men, to be a blessing for all men.

So it will not do for us today, beloved, to close our eyes to the needs of men around us. God would have you and me always produce the fruit of the Spirit, always show love, kindness, goodness. God presents us with opportunities to demonstrate these fruits of the Spirit to fellow Australians around us so that they might taste the blessing God has given through Abraham. It is for us to use the opportunities God gives, for us to bear fruit always for the good of each and any person we meet day by day.

Christ’s self-emptying love for unworthy sinners is our example. Amen.