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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, 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 by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Anyway, take your Bible and turn to the book of Galatians, the book of Galatians. Now you’ll notice that I have a little brief review here, the theme of the second chapter, and there’s three things that I want to bring out in this chapter, though we’ve already covered one of them. And one is that the power of the gospel might continue, which is found there in chapter two and verse five. And this is what it says, to whom we gave place by subjection, no not for an hour.

In other words, we didn’t budge in it. We didn’t give up. We didn’t give in. We didn’t give any recognition to these legalistic Judaizers as though they had any credibility at all. And so it says that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. So it’s not just the gospel, it’s the truth of the gospel. the truth of the gospel, clarity is an issue. Clarity of the gospel is an issue and it is to be clear, it’s to be understood.

And so therefore when somebody wants to add something to the gospel, then you have to take a stand and say, that’s not right. That’s contaminating the gospel. That ruins the gospel. Clarity of the gospel is an issue. And that’s why we want to always be explained and defending of the gospel. That’s why we call it the defense of the gospel. This is what Paul was talking about. He was set for the defense of the gospel. He mentioned that also in the book of Philippians.

But now, the second point we have here is that the purpose of the law might kill you and not save you. The law was never given to save anybody. and cursed is everyone who is under the law, cursed is everyone that continue if not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. So if you’ve got to keep the law, you’ve got to continue all the time. That’s mentioned in Galatians in chapter three and verse 10.

And so the purpose of the law is to condemn imperfection. In other words, the wages of sin is death, but how do you know what sin is? Well, it’s the breaking of the law. So God gives the righteous law so that man can know that breaking the law is the knowledge of sin. That’s how we know we cannot save ourselves because while we broke the law, the penalty is death, we gotta die. And so that’s why he makes the statement here in verse 19, for I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God.

So why would you wanna place live chickens under a dead hen? Why would you want to take believers that are alive in the Lord and put them back under a curse? When Christ died to deliver us from the curse of the law. Look what it says here in chapter three. In chapter three, look what it says in verse 13. Christ had to redeemed us from the curse of the law. Why go back to the curse? Why get back under the law that you could not keep before?

So why would you want to do that? And so he says here, being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. And the reason that he died on the cross, pay for our sins is so in verse 14 that the blessing of Abraham, which means the righteousness of God been given to Abraham by faith alone, that same righteousness can be given to you and I. And it’s by faith and faith alone that God has done this.

Now you go back to your de Galatians in chapter two. Remember this, if you are seeking to be saved. You’re saying, I am not at this point saved. If you’re seeking to be justified, then it means you are not now justified. But if you are saved, you don’t need to seek to be saved. I don’t have to do anything to stay saved, because I wasn’t saved by my work. So how am I works going to keep me saved? They couldn’t save me, and they can’t keep you saved.

You were saved by grace, you kept saved by grace. And so that’s why I made the statement there in verse 17, looking in verse 17 again, in Galatians chapter two. But if while we seek to be justified by Christ, then what you’re saying is you’re still a sinner, you’re still lost, and you’re trying to be justified by your works. And you’re trying to be put back underneath the law, and the law never could save you. So the point three that in the second chapter, it’s that your position is in Christ.

So the truth of the gospel might continue, then you have to make sure you understand, I am free from the law. I’ve already died in verse 19. I’m dead to the law. The law cannot condemn a dead man. So we’ve already died in the Lord. So whenever Christ was on the cross, That’s why in that chapter two and verse 20, Paul says, I am crucified with Christ. So if I’ve already been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ live within me.

In the faith which I now live, he said, the life, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. So I am now living for the Lord. I’m not trying to get saved or stay saved. I’ve been given life. I’m free from the law. The law can’t touch me. The law can’t condemn me. Now, look in verse 21, because it wraps up this whole chapter with this tremendous verse, where he says, I do not frustrate, means I do not set the grace of God aside, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is what?

Dead in vain. If a man could save himself by his good works, why did Christ die if there was another way to be saved? There is no other way to be saved. And He said, I do not frustrate the grace of God pictured this way. There is a great big old water hole up there in heaven. And I’m down here dying of thirst. And there’s water up there in heaven. And I need some water. Grace is the water pipe that brings its salvation.

Remember in Titus chapter 2? Grace brings its salvation. And if you reject grace, you can’t get the water. The water will not come by the law. The water doesn’t come by good works. The water, salvation, only comes through grace, for by grace are you saved. So you get the water because of grace. And if you reject grace and set it aside, you can’t get the water. And Christ would have died in vain. So these three points are important in the second chapter because you’re focused upon what he’s talking about in this chapter.

Now in Galatians chapter 2 there in your notes, you’ll see what he says, but of these who seem to be somewhat, and there is these apostles that were in Jerusalem, and they were looked upon as the pillars in the church. These were the leaders. These are the ones that was with Christ. nobody challenged the apostleship of these that were with Christ. I don’t know anybody that does, but everybody had a big problem with the apostle Paul. And so here in the church in Jerusalem there were some people evidently who had weaseled their way into the congregation and they were teaching, yes you’re saved by grace, but you have to keep the law.

You’ve got to be circumcised. And so they come from Jerusalem and they go to this place called Antioch and they have a wrong message and they gave the impression that this is what the apostles approved of. And so the apostle Paul wasn’t really telling them everything because the other apostles were telling them you’ve got to do this. Well they weren’t but they were false brethren. Now whether the false brethren or saved or lost is not the issue, is they had a false message.

So lost people and saved people can have a false message. So there were false brethren who came in unaware and were trying to spy out their liberty that they had in Christ. They were free from the law. But what was their goal? Put them back under the law. And so when they came down, well lo and behold, here was a young guy named Peter, and Peter came down before they showed up. And he was there because he was a Well, he was a missionary to the Jews.

Paul was a missionary to the Gentiles. And so he came to Antioch, Peter did. And when he got down there, everything’s going long fine. They got Jews in the church and they got some Greeks in the church. But they knew that they were all one in Christ. And so there was no problem. Everything was getting long fine. And of course, you know, the Jews didn’t like to eat with the Gentiles. And that’s why had to work a little number on Peter and explain to him that what God has called clean, you’re not to call unclean and he said there’s some things that he would not eat and God told them to rise and eat.

God had to let him know look the Gentiles, God still wants to save Gentiles. Well there’s Jews that didn’t like Gentiles and there were Gentiles that didn’t like Jews. But when he came down there, here’s all these people getting along wonderfully. Peter is there and Barnabas is there with him and everything’s doing long good until these legal lists of Judaism showed up and then all of a sudden the apostle Peter, well he gets away from them because he’s not supposed to be eating with those Gentiles.

Those Jews from Jerusalem, he’s not supposed to be doing that, he’s compromising and so whenever he comes down, Well, there’s a problem. So he starts backing away. Well, he would have been hypocritical. We’re just being used as a simulation. And he was separating himself from those Gentiles. And it even made an effect upon Barnabas. And Barnabas was carried away with this. In other words, Peter was splitting Paul’s church. Now, where he wasn’t Paul’s church, because this is a church that had already been going.

Paul had, there was two Antioch, one in Syria, and one over there in Galatia. But you have this series of events going on and, well, Paul’s, you gotta do something about this. And so some of the Jews that were there, they started separating from those Gentiles. And so the truth of the gospel is, is the gospel makes us all one. The gospel means that we’re supposed to, Now accept everybody, forgive everybody, love everybody, you know, and all that. Well, when you start doing the other, your actions compromises your message.

That’s why you can’t have a method that destroys the message. And so his lifestyle was contradictory. He knew more, he knew better. So Paul had to withstand him to the face. And when he did so, the Bible says that he had to confront him, and then he preaches a nice little sermon to Peter. When Paul gets through with Peter, Peter understood, and Peter knew. So then, because they were saying you had to keep the law to be saved, and circumcides, and keep the law to stay safe, well then there came a problem.

Because they said they came from the church up there in Jerusalem. So now what are they going to do? The go to Jerusalem was by revelation and it was Paul’s initiative to go until the church sent Paul and Barnabas to go to Jerusalem to consider this matter. Now it wasn’t that Paul thought well maybe I’m wrong, it was that he wants to make sure they are doing right and he didn’t want to go there and do it in vain.

He wanted to talk to the head hunches. He didn’t want to talk to anybody. He wanted to talk to the exclusive group, the apostles because they’re supposed to know better. And so by the time they got there and they dealt with them, they came to the conclusion. And by the time they had that meeting up there, Peter, believe it or not now, is expressing how that God had used Him to reach Gentiles, which is in Acts chapter 10. So Peter speaks up and he’s on the same page as Paul now.

I believe that that could have happened after the confrontation there at the church in Antioch. Now the timing of it, I could be off a little bit. I don’t think I am, but I could be. So you have the meeting there in Jerusalem and he lets him know, look, I even brought Titus with me. And Titus been a Greek. He says, they did not demand that Titus who was a Greek, they didn’t demand that he be circumcised. And Paul is telling them, because they’re telling these Galatians, Christians this, and trying to put them underneath the law.

And so he’s rehearsing and telling them what happened, and he preaches a sermon to Peter. And so I just wanted to see, look what he says in verse 15, where he says, we are Jews by nature. Not sinners of the Gentiles. Now the Jews looked at the Gentiles and Gentiles and sinners was select synonymous. They’re the same one. But the Jews were sinners also. But we’re Jews and they were sinners. He says, why are you Peter? Why are you trying to get these Gentiles to live like Jews?

Because what you’re doing, you’re by your example, you’re trying to get Gentiles to live like Jews. You’re trying to put them back to the house. of the law because that’s what you’re afraid of. You’re afraid that you don’t. You’re taking a stand in and they’re going to get you because you’re a missionary to the Jews. Boy, he was in a rock in a hard place and so whenever he had to make this difference, he compelled the Gentiles to live like Jews and he says, why are you doing that when we Jews?

We’re not keeping the law. We’re not of the law. So why do we want to put those Gentiles under the law? And so that’s why he mentions that up here in verse 14. But now look what he says in verse 16. I believe that Peter is being talked to. Paul is still talking to Peter and there’s a good possibility. He says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we, Jews, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

So he said this to Peter, but later on you’ll see that in the book of Acts chapter 15 where Peter states this very same thing. Now did he said first or did he say it after Paul got through thrashing him. So take your Bible and turn to the book of Acts, to the book of Acts, in chapter 15. Acts in chapter 15, you’ll notice what he says here now. Look in chapter 14 first of all, and you’ll notice in verse 19 where this is where these Jews were, and there came their certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium persuaded the people in having stone Paul.

See, they weren’t good guys. Then you’ll notice up there where it says in verse 21. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Listera and to Iconium and to Antioch. So then he talks about they were ordaining people in various cities in verse 23 and Elders and the churches and so forth to those that believe. And so he mentioned some of the Ephesians, then in verse 26, and then sailed to Antioch from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.

And when they were come and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. Then you have a problem in chapter 15. certain men which came down from Judea, taught the brethren and says, except you be circumcised after the man of Moses, you cannot be saved. Well, that caused a lot of problems. But the dissension, I believe, happened because of Peter and what Peter did and how that this dissension because it spread his church.

And so Paul and Barnabas, it says here, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and they’ll just about this question. It’s not that Paul didn’t know the answer. I believe Paul knew the answer, but they came from the church in Jerusalem or from Judea and he wanted to make sure that they were on the same page, that that’s not what Paul was preaching. Is that what they were preaching?

Because now Peter has compromised. And so he didn’t want to run in vain. And you’ll find out when he said He did not want to run in vain or labor in vain, go in vain, so forth. That’s in the book of Galatians in chapter 2. So they now are going up to it. It wasn’t the apostles in Jerusalem that decided to have a meeting. It was those who had this problem in this church because of some who came from there saying they had this problem and questioning Paul’s authority, trying to put the people back under the law.

And so he says here, they’re going to go up about this question. and when then brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenix and some Mary on, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, you mentioned in the previous chapter also about the Gentiles, Gentiles, Gentiles, Gentiles, because they didn’t know or believe the Gentiles could be saved. Most Jews didn’t want to reach the Gentiles. Going to all the world and preach the gospel, and not something they want to do.

And you’ll notice they didn’t go. Until, great persecution, and then they can begin to scatter. And you’ll read that in chapter 8 and chapter 9 of the book of Acts. But now notice what he says in verse 5. But there rose up certain of the sector of the Pharisees which believed. And if they believed, I can’t make that sound like anything other than they believed. And if they believed, they’re saved. But can you begin to teach wrong doctrine? They were coming to those people that Paul had led to the church.

the Christ and that’s why he made this statement in chapter 1 of the book of Galatians and verse 6. He said, I marvel that you’re so soon removed from him, they called into the grace of Christ, into another gospel, which is not another, but there’d be some that would trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ. And so though we are an angel from heaven preaching to you, any other gospel, let him be a curse. So they were doing it and they were being moved and so people are changing their gospel.

You’d be surprised how fast you’re so called grounded be in here and you go to some other church and you will change, you’ll be surprised how fast you can change. I’ve had people that have been clear of the bell on when the raptor is going to take place and they’ll leave this church, go to someplace else, and they say, no, the raptor is not going to take place until the end of the tribulation period. We’ve had people right here in this church since I’ve been here and they have left and they’ve gone to some other church and now they’re Calvinist.

You said, no, I’ll let it happen. I’m afraid so. So you may not be as strong as you think you are. Some people are only as strong as the last person they talked to. And some people, you know, what do you really believe? I believe exactly what my preacher believes. That’s not good. You put to believe what you believe because it’s in the book. And the book doesn’t change and you stay the same. So now notice what he says here.

This is Peter speaking. So verse seven, when you read this, it seemed like there’s no way Paul would have had to correct him after this, but he could have corrected him before this. So look in verse seven, and when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, men and brethren, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and do what?

believe. That’s all they had to do. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost even as He did unto us. So God does not give the Holy Spirit to lost people. And He told these Gentiles all they had to do is to believe on the Lord and they would be forgiven of all of their sins. Found in chapter 10 and verse about 43. We’re talking about the Old Testament prophets. And this is what what they preached.

So the Holy Spirit can only be given to say people and they were Gentiles and they were able to speak in language and so those Jews had had gone with the apostle Peter, those Jews they saw and they heard them speak and they knew what was taking place. So the Jews that had gone from Jerusalem to the the household of Cornelius knew that these Gentiles believed because what happened to them on the day of Pentecost, the same thing happened to them in chapter 10.

And so they saw what happened to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and they saw what happened on these Gentiles, the same exact thing. So he says here in verse 9 and put no difference between us and them, Jews and Gentiles, purifying their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why can’t ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? So Peter is making a very strong stand.

It’s hard for me to believe that he could have done this after he doesn’t set all of this, but they had the problem before this, and I believe that’s when he had to confront Peter. And so I believe Peter got it kind of straight in his mind. In other words, he didn’t compromise anymore after this. And then later on, he talks about how wonderful Paul was. And he even talks about some of Paul’s writings and how hard and difficult they were to understand because Paul was, he wrote deep and I believe he’s referring to the book of Hebrew, but that’s chanky theology a little bit maybe.

Now notice what he says in verse 11, but we believe. That through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. Not like they’re going to be saved like us, we’re going to be saved just like Gentiles are. Now hold your place right here and turn to the book of Acts 10. Acts 10. Acts 10 is where the apostle Paul had a vision and he didn’t really want to deal with these Gentiles. But an angel had to give him a vision one day while he was on the rooftop waiting for his wife to make those pizzas.

And so he was on the housetop. Look at them in verse 9. On the morrow as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up about the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. And he became very hungry. Mm. And would have eaten, but while they made ready, he fell into a trance. Maybe this is why he was dreaming of food. He was hungry. And he saw heaven open and a certain vessel descended unto him and it had been a great sheet and it had to four corners and it let down to the earth.

We’re in, we’re all men are a four-footed beast of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and vials of the year and there came a voice to him, rise Peter, kill and eat. Peter says, not so Lord. Now those three words, not so Lord, How can you call him Lord and say, no? Lord, you’re the Lord and you’re the boss. No. I know Christians that do the same thing. But anyway, we’ll move right along. He said, I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.

I am not going to do that. Boy, speak unto him again the second time. What God hath cleanned thou shall not call on common. This was done thrice and the vessel was received up again into heaven. heaven. God was preparing him to go with these men that go see Cornelius. See Cornelius was the leader of an I.T.A. and Rot ban. See there in verse one, there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a centurion of the band called the Firehouse Five.

I mean they are Italian band. And he was a religious man, but he was a lost man. And the Bible says in verse one, had devout men. He feared God, gave money, prayed to God, but he was lost. Now, and this is why he says, you’re to sin for Peter. So they came to a place called Jopon. They got Peter and Peter went with them and lo and behold, he came and this is what he says here. In verse 22, and they said, Cornelius, the centurion, a just man and won that fear of God.

And of good report, among all the the nations of the Jews was warned from God by a holy angel to sin for the into his house and to hear words of the. So he tells him why he came and what was going to happen and that it was for the purpose of hearing the Gospel. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr.

Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Main.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4081 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed.

Taught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.