sermon-get-a-life

GET A LIFE! – A NEW LIFE

John 1: 1 -18, Galatians 3: 19 -27; 4:4 -7

By Moheb Ghali

December 27, 2009

It is clear from the Gospel text that John uses “the Word” to refer to Jesus. This morning let us first do something that I find helpful in reading the passage from the Gospel of John: inserting Jesus’ name to replace the Word. I will also replace a few references to “He” with the name of Jesus. The result may not sound as majestic or as beautiful as the original text, but it makes it easier to track John’s message.

Next, let us put together some of what John said in this passage and what Paul said in the passage from Galatians in order to see the relationships between the two passages (I include verses 3:19 -22 and 26 -27). I will deal with only two closely related issues: the Law vs. Grace; and Faith in Jesus resulting in our adoption as children of God.

Finally I will ask a few questions that each of us needs to answer. And the need to answer them is urgent – a matter of liberty vs. slavery.

I. Reading the Gospel of John: Please open the insert and follow with me as I read:

In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Jesus, and without Him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in Jesus was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

Jesus was in the world, and the world came into being through Him; yet the world did not know Him. Jesus came to what was His own, and His own people did not accept Him. But to all who received Jesus, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And Jesus became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From Jesus’ fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.”

II. The Law and Grace:

In the Gospel of John we read: “The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

In Paul’s epistle to the Galatians starting at verse 19 we read: “What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one

Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”

From these two passages we are told:

The purpose of the Law as a temporary “regulator” to curb our tendency to wickedness. We may wish to deny that we have the tendency to choose sin and believe in the intrinsic goodness of mankind. But we would be fooling ourselves. From the beginning man rebelled against God – he wanted to be “like God” [Genesis 3:5]. And we still do! We are reminded every Sunday that “We all have sinned” and - every Sunday we confess that we have sinned.

Under the Law we have no life, and no hope, because we cannot keep the Law. The Law condemns – it does not give life. John tells us that “What has come into being in Jesus was life, and the life was the light of all people.” Apart from Jesus there is no life.

If we think it is hard to keep the Law, Jesus made it even harder because He set much higher standard than the Law of Moses [see Matthew 5:21 -48]. He expects from us the impossible – He commands us to do what we, in our human nature cannot do. But He also made it possible for us to be free from the Law and the “curse of the Law” and be justified by faith in Him.

Does freedom from the Law mean we can do whatever we please? Not if we are really “children of God, born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” We are free from the law that regulates the desires of our flesh and the dictates of our will. As children we do the will of our Father. Jesus said “I do exactly what the Father has commanded me” [John 14:31] and “I do nothing on my own, but speak just what the Father has taught me.” [John 8:28]. And so must we test our faith and measure our life against this standard.

III. Faith in Jesus and Sonship:

John tells us: “But to all who received Jesus, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”

Paul tells us [3:26 – 27]: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Note that John does not say “all who received Jesus, who believed in His name, ARE children of God”; rather “He GAVE POWER to become children of God.” Whether we use that power or not is up to us.

Note also that Paul makes sonship of God dependent on two acts: accepting Jesus in baptism and clothing ourselves with Christ. The baptism is accepting Jesus internally – “in our hearts” as some would say. Clothing ourselves with Christ is external – we are “covered up with Jesus”; we look to the world as Christ would. Not in the flesh of course, but in the way we talk and act – we do what the Father does, we “do exactly what the Father commands us.”

How do we “cloth ourselves with Christ”? How do we use the “power to become children of God”? The answer is simple but hard. We exercise the “power” by surrendering our wills to God. He, not we, would then be in charge of our lives. Jesus becomes not only my Savior, but also my Lord. I do His will, not mine. When people see me and what I do they would see the Father at work, we can say what Jesus said: “I do what my Father does.” [John 10:37]. And when I am clothed with Christ, people do not see me – they see the Father in me. Recall when Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father and Jesus answered “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father”? [John 14:9] He was not referring to the physical, but to the spiritual – “like Father like Son.” Or, as Lyle reminded us two weeks ago, people would say: “My, doesn’t he look like his father!”

And of course when we do only the Father’s will, we need no Law! We are free form the Law. We actually pray frequently that His will, not ours, be done.

When I pray “Thy will be done”, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer, do I really mean it? Do I realize that I am saying “not my will, but yours be done.” as Jesus said in the garden [Luke 22:42]? Am I willing to surrender my will completely to Him? If I am honest, I will have to answer: If I am honest I would have to admit: Probably not. This is why the answer is simple but hard. It is hard to give up control of my life –even to God. What makes it infinitely more difficult is that it is not a once and for all decision – every day, and more than once a day I have to make that decision. And the temptation to do what I will, to be in control is always there. And there is also the temptation to give Him control of some, but not all, of my will – to keep certain areas of my life under my own control.

Yet here is a paradox: if I stay in control I forfeit the right to sonship and I am then under the Law! It is the Law, then, that controls not I. And as Paul says: “the Law does not impart life.” I remain a prisoner to sin – I would not have “the glorious freedom of the children of God” [Romans 8:21]. But if I surrender my will to God I will be free! For then I would be a child of God. And children have privileges that slaves do not get.

Privileges as Children of God:

Paul in the epistle to the Galatians tell us: “And because you are children [of God], God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child. and if a child then also an heir, through God.”

According to Paul, God has sent the Spirit of Jesus to reside into our hearts! Because we are children of God, not slaves, our relationship to God is that of love not fear. Fathers, especially during this season, give gifts to their children. As a Father, God wants to give us the PERFECT gift: the Holy Spirit. According to Jesus: “"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" [Luke 11:11 – 13]. And it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to do the Father’s will. It is the Holy Spirit that sets us free from slavery to sin. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to cry “Abba, Father!”

IV. Questions that each of us needs to answer:

1. Are you doing your best to keep the Law? If yes, how successful are you?

2. When we read the “Confession” every Sunday, do you really believe that you have sinned during the week, or do you read the Confession just part of the “service”? When we say in that prayer that we “humbly repent” do you really mean it?

3. Do you receive Jesus as the Son of God? I know we say that in the Creed every Sunday, but do you really believe it?

4. Are you willing to accept what He had done for you? Or do you prefer to attain righteousness, earn forgiveness or attain salvation on you own?

5. If offered, would you welcome the Spirit of Jesus into you heart? Jesus says” how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Are you willing to ask your Father in Heaven to give you the Holy Spirit?

6. When you receive the Holy Spirit, will you be willing to surrender your will to God, deciding in every circumstance that “Not my will but Yours be done”?