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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

And anyway, we have been studying in the book of Galatians. The book of Galatians. The book of Galatians. So take your Bible, turn to the book of Galatians and chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2. This is a book that answers a lot of questions on what the gospel is, how to live the Christian life, how to take a strong stand and not become entangled again with the yoke of bondage. So we’ve been covered. This is the third lesson in book of Galatians and now we’re in chapter two.

Now the apostle Paul had gotten the gospel message directly from the Lord. Didn’t get it from any man. Jesus Christ won him, talked to him. It was a personal invitation, but that would have been the, what an experience. I remember this girl, she He was trying to get my attention, you know, how they do when they get engaged and they got that big old stone up there. They just, oh, they want everybody to see it, you know, without being too obvious.

And I said, oh, that’s rather than the light on the Damascus road. But whenever you trust the Lord, you should wonder by hand, I want you to see what I want. I’m so glad there’s a day that I can look back to and say, this is what happened to me. I was there when it happened. I don’t know. Nobody usually gets upset when you give a personal invitation about yourself.Synopsis You know, or I should say a personal testimony to a person and explaining to people what Jesus Christ did for you.

Now, as you read in the book of Acts and also listen into Paul and some of the letters, he’s always talking about, hey, let me tell you what happened to me. Let me tell you what happened. And now he’s telling how he got the message, the clear gospel of Jesus Christ. And the clarity of the is NETWORK. Look what he says in Galatians 2, verse 5, where he says, “…to whom we gave place by subjection, not for an hour.”

In other words, we didn’t move one inch at no time. That the truth of the gospel might continue with you. And the truth of the gospel, I believe, is the clarity of the gospel, making it simple and easy to understand where they can see the truth. And the issue in the gospel is always grace versus works. Or remember, that is the issue in salvation. Grace versus works. You think a lot of people understand what that means, but they don’t.

They don’t know what you mean when you say grace, and they don’t know what you mean when you say works. They have no clue what they’re talking about. And 99% I believe of all preachers don’t even understand the difference between grace and works. If they did make a difference in the message that they tell, but they don’t have an understanding of the truth of the gospel. Grace means without works and works means without grace. They’re not the same and it can’t be both ways and it can be a mixture of the two.

Well, I trust that Christ is my Savior, but I also am on a tutter to live the best I can just in case. But then you’re just in taste means you’re not really trusting Christ as your Savior. So anyway, the apostle Paul had a great experience. After about 14 years, he goes up to Jerusalem. Now, this whole story unfolds in in the book of Acts in chapter 15. You can read the whole story there about what happened. And came to the conclusion.

That the apostles that were there before Paul didn’t have anything to add to his message. And to find out that they preached the same gospel. Because he says there’s only one gospel. He said cursed is any man who preaches another gospel. So there’s only one truth, one way on how to get to heaven. There’s not two ways to get to heaven. I was in Colorado hunting one year. I walked in this little old store to get something. And I pulled out a track and gave it to the man.

And he looked at me, looked at the track, and shoved it back at me. So I took the track and I shoved it back to him. Well, he shoved it back. He says, I don’t want it to. I says, well, you need it. I’m not supposed to do that. And I don’t know why I usually don’t do that. You know. And he says, I’m going just like you are. Oh, great. He says, see that mountain out there? And I says, yeah, I see that mountain out there.

He says, going to heaven is just like climbing the mountain. He says, I might be on my side of the mountain and you’re on your side of the mountain, but we’re both trying to get to the same place. We’re just not following the same trail. Oh, wasn’t that a beautiful illustration on how to get to heaven? I says, sir, if I was trying to get top of that mountain, I’d agree with you. I says, but that mountain means heaven.

And God says it’s only one way. So when we had a good talk, didn’t get anywhere, but had a good talk. Anytime you have a good talk with somebody and you don’t win them, it just sharpens your tools for the next victim coming down the road. Because you’ll learn what to say, what not to say. Every person there’s an opportunity. Yesterday I think it was yesterday, in Betty Stockton this little place to get us a company. Anyway got ready to leave and there’s this waitress there and that’s all I have.

I always just gave her a track. So I gave her a track. And I started to walk in a way. And next thing I know was she’s going to tour the car and Betty Turner, and she says, Janke. She says that guy got your track. Ever then, the waitress took my track. She said, oh, why? She gave it to another guy. So he comes walking out of the building, and he’s going over there to a, I guess he’s going to, he worked, I don’t know.

But he went around to the building, and then he just got that track, and he’s just reading it. She said, Yanki, you ought to go talk to him. I said, well, I’m not getting in the car. I’m getting rid of the lead. Because Yanki’s not doing anything. So I got to go back over there. And I said, sir, understand of what thou readest? You ever heard that before? Understand is what thou readest? And anyway, he stood there with a little heaven track.

I said, let me show you something I took from him. So see right here, it says, you can know that you have eternal life. You can know it. I said, can I show you my two favorite verses in the whole Bible? Ephesians 2, 8, and 9, for by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should vote. I said, no, I never knew that. I didn’t know that going to heaven was a gift, that it was free.

I didn’t know that I could earn it. I always thought I could earn my way to heaven. I said, can I show you something? Yeah. Whooped out my wallet, went through a little illustration. I got through. And I says, will you trust Jesus Christ right now as your Savior? He said, yes, I will. Yes, I will. I hope He comes today. You know, you always use this dinner on the grounds as an opportunity to get somebody to come to church.

So, everybody likes a good meal. But see, I’d have never got Him and had been my wife. You know, she’s… I remember that time I told you that there’s the Holy Spirit and there’s my wife. They kind of go to a little bit and kind of, if your husband doesn’t pass out tracks like he should, and he doesn’t witness like he should, wives encourage him, he should have left the track. Why don’t you go give him a track? You see, if that’s what all the woman does, keeps the man, no, because see, you don’t always think of the right things or the best times that do things, and sometimes somebody else can see it.

So anyway, verse one of chapter two, Then 14 years after I went up again to Jerusalem, with Barnabas and took Titus with me also. Now Titus was a Greek and he hadn’t been circumcised. And the reason for mentioning him is because these legalistic Judaizers were saying that you had to keep the law to be saved and you had to be circumcised to be saved. He said, well, I had Titus with me and he was a Greek and we went to see the big boys.

You know the head honchos, the big shots up there in Jerusalem, the church there, James is the pastor. He said, when I got up there and the other apostles were there, he said, not a one of them. Paul Titus that he had to be circumcised. So the message that Paul preached and the message that the apostles preached with the same message, the reason that was important because there was some Judaizers that was going around and following Paul said, look, Paul doesn’t have the gospel like the other ones do.

And he’s changed in the gospel. Paul said, my message hasn’t changed. And my gospel that I preach is the same message they preach. It’s exactly the same. gospel. Only that I preach to the Gentiles and they preach to the Jews. And he says, but with the same gospel. And he says, there’s always these people that come in and try to spy out your liberty in the Lord. You know what some people use as a good legitimate excuse in their mind to reject the gospel of grace is they always like to point to somebody who who believes that you’re saved by grace, but they always point out the sins in that person’s life as the reason for not believing that message.

Because see, they believe that and look how they’re living. And it’s amazing how many people will look at the way people live and use that against the gospel of grace. That’s why you and I who know Christ as Savior, if you wanna win people to the Lord, You need to back up your talk with your walk because people can use the way you live as an excuse not to believe the message because even lost people believe if you believe the truth and if yours is right, it ought to change your life.

They know that better than most Christians know that. Should this message change my life? has changed my whole life. And so I don’t want the things that I say to be rejected because of the way that I’m living. So Paul says, when we went there, they didn’t ask Titus who was agreed to be circumcised. So he says there, and we took Titus with us. But look what he says in verse 2, and I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that gospel which I preached among the Gentiles.

Now look in verse 11 of chapter 1. What was this gospel that he preached? See there in verse 11, but I certify you brethren that the gospel which was preached to me is not after man. Neither was I received it. Of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. In other words the gospel that I preached I didn’t learn it from anybody. I got straight from the Lord. So when I went up there to Jerusalem, I showed them and told them the gospel that I preached to the Gentiles and lo and behold, it’s the same gospel that they preached.

So he says, but I went up there, he says, which I preached among the Gentum, but privately to them which were a reputation, lest by any means I should run or had run in vain. In other words, I wanted to make sure that they also preach the same message that I preached and they wanted to make sure that Paul preached the same message that they preached, lest any of them had run in vain or out there preaching in vain.

And how do you preach in vain? Well, when you have a by works message, if you’re a gospel as works to the gospel that a man has to do, then the gospel of grace is in vain. So that’s why he says in chapter 2, looking chapter 2 and He says, I do not frustrate the grace of God. Frustrate means to set it aside. I do not set grace aside because if I set it aside, he says, for if righteousness comes by the law, Christ is dead.

What? In vain. If a man could save himself by his works, then Christ died for nothing. So Christ died the pay for sin so that we could have as a free gift ever lasting life. Remember this, you have water and you have a water pipe. Now you got water, salvation, but the water pipe is grace. So we are saved by grace. It means that’s the water pipe that brings you salvation. If you reject the water pipe, grace, then you can’t get the water.

And the only way you can get the water is by the water pipe. And the water pipe is grace. That’s free. If you try to get it by your works, then you have set aside the water pipe that brings salvation and you can’t have salvation. Let me show you this holder place right here, but look in the book of Titus. And look what it says here. This is a tremendous verse. the book of Titus chapter 2 and verse 11 you ought to underline this in verse 11.

Titus chapter 2 verse 11, get what he says, for the grace of God, the water pipe, that bring of salvation, the water appeared to all men. So God wants this grace that brings the water to every person. So when preachers add words to the gospel, it’s no longer the gospel and it can’t bring salvation. And that’s why you and I, should make sure that the gospel that we preach is truly grace. And the test of salvation and the gospel message, is it free or do you have to earn it?

Grace means unmerited favor. You don’t deserve it. That means you don’t do anything to deserve it before, and you don’t do anything to deserve to keep it. Getting it and keeping it is all by grace Because you see people say well, you’re saved by grace, but now they think you keep it by your works And if you don’t behave yourself God will take it away from you then it wasn’t free Grace means that he gives it to me as a gift.

I didn’t do anything for it and I can’t do anything to keep it We’re saved by grace. We are kept saved by grace I didn’t deserve it when I got it and I still don’t deserve it to this day 49 years I’ve been serving the Lord but all of that service Can’t keep my salvation Can’t even help Because I am saved by grace. I am kept saved by grace. I Like that go back to Galatians So he says here in verse 3 of 2nd chapter, he says, but neither Titus who was with me been agreed was compelled to be circumcised.

Because see that was what these legalistic Judaizers were trying to tell them. You have to teach people to keep the commandments and they got to be circumcised. He says look, and he’s right into these Galatians, Christian, because they had been moved. And if they had been moved from the gospel of Christ, remember in chapter one verse six, he says, I marvel that your sosun removed from him, they called into the grace of Christ into another gospel. It means that these people that Paul had led to Christ had already accepted a false message.

Can God’s people be lured into a by works message and ride up teaching a message that can’t save. Save people can do that. And I would venture to say a lot of them do. Now get what he says in verse 4, and that because of false brethren, unaware is brought in other words, they were unaware that they had a false message. You see when the enemy cannot storm the gates, they infiltrate. If they can’t conquer you from the outside, they will come in and infiltrate.

That’s how Rome failed. Not so much of being conquered from the outside is that they had an immigration problem. I’m telling you the truth. And America can fall because the strangers within our gates will rise up against us sooner later. It’ll happen. And you’ll find they will fight for their rights and yet they’re illegitimate. Well, I can get sidetracked here. But what I want you to see is that they come in and spy out your liberty that you have in Christ and try to bring you into bondage.

Did you know that our representatives today that’s supposed to protecting our freedoms are doing just the opposite. They’re taking away our freedoms. See that I got off on it again. But it’s all in through the book and they promise you liberty when they’re putting you in bondage. Are we having more freedom today? No we’re losing it. And this is why he says they come in and they spy out your liberty and then they try to put you under bondage.

Well remember what he says in chapter 5, look in chapter 5 in verse 1 that you ought to underline in your Bible, where it makes the statement in chapter 5, stand fast therefore. In the Liberty where with Christ hath made us what? Free. You do not have to earn your salvation. You can’t get it by earning it. You can’t keep it by trying to earn it. By deserving it. Do I deserve salvation today more than I did 49 years ago?

No. I couldn’t earn it then and I can’t earn it now. I wasn’t good enough then and I’m not good enough now. I was saved by grace and I’m still saved by grace because I have done one thing in 49 years to deserve being saved. Neither of you shouldn’t say that. God did. So go there to Galatians in chapter 2 and look at this. See the universe form and that because of false brethren, Unawares brought in who came in privately to spywake our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage.

Now this is a strong statement that he makes hereritten opioapest DISTR attRotAMD ()) He says because of chars PiperimbabwePackageEconom brought in. FrieCENT conservancy This happened, and I want you to see this. Look down in verse 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I would stood him, Peter. And if he was the first pope, he really messed up. And yet he posed the beat, you know, and valuable. Well, Peter was not. Decided he had a wife. Anyway, we won’t get into that.

He said, but when Peter was come to Antioch, I would stood him to the face because he was to be blamed. It looked like an error problem in his man’s life. He says, for before that, certain came down from James, from Jerusalem. He did eat with the Gentiles. I’m not Peter. But when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision or these Jews. And the other Jews that were there in Antioch in this church in Antioch.

Remember this church in Antioch had Jews and Gentiles in the same body believers. Peter, one of the head honchos is the big name. He comes down as a guest speaker. I guess he was probably a traveling evangelist and he came down to visit the church there in Antioch. And while he was there, what did he do? He split Paul’s church. Split his church. So what did he do that was so bad? He compromised the gospel. Peter compromised the gospel because he was being hypocritical in what he did because when he was there with them he would talk and fellowship with those Gentiles, eight with those Gentiles, but when those legalistic Judaizers came down, he backed away.

Do you want anything to do with those Gentiles? Because he was afraid of what they might think. So he compromised. And how did this affect the gospel. Well it did because they taught you had to keep the law and they said you had to be circumcised and these Gentiles hadn’t and they still consider them dogs. So Peter withdrew himself and then the Jews that were in Paul’s church there withdrew also and Barnabas. You know the great comforter with Paul that counselor that when they came alongside and helped the great apostle Paul, he also was moved because of what Peter did.

And he also withdrew from the Gentile. Why? All because of some false people. See what they ought to know enough? They did, but they still got moved by it. And that’s why the Bible says Paul would stood Peter to the face and says, you’re to be blamed. You’re to be blamed. It’s your fault because of what you did. No. We ain’t got there yet. But we’re getting close to that portion of Scripture. Well, we’ll explain all of that. All right, now we’ve got to go back and cover until we get there.

But I just couldn’t stand it. I had to tell you the story in advance. Look what he says here in verse four. He says, they do this in order to spy out your liberty. and I try to put you in the bondage. In other words, to try to get you to live your life in fear like you’re going to lose your salvation. And that’s always the key thing. You’ve got to do this or you’ll lose your salvation. You’ve got to go to church because if you don’t, you’ll lose your salvation.

You’ve got to give money or you’ll lose your salvation. All these things, if you don’t do right and do it, then you’ll lose your salvation. And those sins out there, if you commit those, you’re going to have to get saved all over again and keep your confession built up as you go, or you don’t make it. And they used the fear of going to hell in the future to try to make you tow the mark. That’s a false message.

That’s been put under bondage. That’s under the law. It did not save you to start with, and it won’t keep you safe. Look what he says in chapter 3 of verse 1. He said, Oh, foolish, foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth crucified among you. This only what I learn of you. Receive you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith.

He said, how did you get saved? How did you receive the spirit? Because you kept the law or because you heard and you simply believed. Boy, he hits it hard. This is an awesome book on the clarity of the gospel and the clarity of the gospel is an issue And I have made it an issue all my life I should say since I trust the crisis my Savior Now look there again in verse 5 looking verse 5 He says in verse 5 to whom We get used by subjection note not for an hour in other words, we didn’t budge one eye order because of who they were you don’t compromise the message just for the sake of peace.

Just so somebody will think something of you. No. So he says and you ought to underline it that the truth of the gospel might continue with you, continue with you. Did you know that if we start compromising the gospel and we say after a while you know there’s There’s nothing wrong with telling people to turn from their sin. There’s nothing wrong with making Christ the Lord and the Master of your life. Or just along the line, something simple like, you know, all you gotta do is just ask Jesus in the heart.

See those are phrases that people use, but none of that has to do with going to heaven. You don’t make Christ the Lord and the Master of your life to go to heaven. That’s for service. You don’t turn from your sins to be saved. You just trust Christ as your Savior. You don’t stop your sins in order for God to save you. Like now I deserve to be saved because I quit my sins. But if I don’t quit my sins, God, I don’t deserve to be saved.

All books I do, do you deserve it or not? No I don’t deserve to be saved. I never have. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771.

If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the link below. on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page. If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening.

Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryuptampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now we’ll close you thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon. And just keep looking up.