Jesus Came To Redeem Us Text: Galatians 4:1-11 Series: No Other Gospel [Galatians, #9] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl November 20, 2011

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1 Jesus Came To Redeem Us Text: Galatians 4:1-11 Series: No Other Gospel [Galatians, #9] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl November 20, 2011 Introduction The Christmas season is almost upon us. In fact, some people complain that it has already started as Christmas catalogues starting showing up in their mail boxes in July and August, and Christmas decorations appeared in some stores in August and September. A couple of years ago one person warned, Maybe we will see pumpkins with Santa Claus and witches and ghosts are hanging in the Christmas trees. Bugs Bunny will sleep in the Christmas crib and our children forget all the real Christmas traditions. 1 Although as I think of that statement, I wonder what real Christmas traditions he had in mind. As we come to this message, you might think I m rushing the season, since Advent doesn t start until next Sunday. The first part of chapter 4 concludes Paul s historical arguments for salvation being by God s grace through faith alone. Verses 4-5 read, But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. These verses are often and rightly used during Advent and Christmas. Today is a bridge to our Advent series Why Did Jesus Come? based on Hebrews 2. So, while we keep in the flow of Paul s argument in Galatians, we are thinking about the question Why did Jesus come, and part of the answer, Jesus came to redeem us. Jesus, The Redeemer. God s promise of redemption goes back to the very first need, to Adam and Eve s first sin. At that time God said to Satan who tempted them, And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. 2 God identified Himself as the Redeemer. King David sang, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. 3

2 God also said through the Psalm writer, O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. 4 When Jesus ministered on earth He said of Himself the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. 5 As well he said, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. 6 Jesus Christ, God the Son, is the Redeemer. He is the only Redeemer. Let s go back to verse 4, But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (4-5) Remember, God brought about your redemption in the way He chose without any input from you or from me, without our thinking of what might be best or make sense. The Biblically essential truth of Jesus Christ being the only redeemer and that to be redeemed one must consciously place his or her faith in Him has always been under attack. We don t like anyone telling us the way it must be or not be, what we must do or must not do. The truth of the gospel sounds too restrictive and unfair to some, and so, they suggest that in the end God in His love wins over everyone, even those who rejected and hated Christ here on earth in this life. Others theorize that those who have sincere and devoted faith of any kind, in any religion or philosophy may or will be saved by, through Christ. These are false gospels, contrary to what Paul preached and the Bible teachers. The apostle John summed it up in his gospel account, He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. 7 And in his first letter her wrote, And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 8 So Paul wrote to Timothy, there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 9 And, we recall that Jesus Himself said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 10 Jesus is the Redeemer, the only Redeemer. We will come back to some other points in verses 4-5 later, but for now note that God the Father sent Jesus into the world at exactly the right time. when the fullness fo the time came. God planned everything that prepared the way for His Redeemer to come. Then, at the exact time, He sent Jesus Christ into the world. 2

3 As many have long pointed out, we can see confirmations of this in what had developed and was going on at the time Jesus came. This was the early part of the period known as the Pax Romana, the peace of Rome. That time, roughly from 27 B.C. to 180 A.D., was a time of relative peace and prosperity in the Roman empire. Those conditions helped the gospel spread. Also, Greek was the common language throughout the empire. That made communication easier for the government, businesses, and for the gospel. Added to that was the much improved and far flung system of roads for travel. Paul and thousands of other believers used that system in spreading the gospel. Then more and more people living in cities and that too helped spreading the good news of Jesus. All of this evidence, and much more, is not random coincidence. It is confirmation of God s sovereignty in sending Christ at precisely the right time. Jesus Redemption. Jesus is the Redeemer. Many people may in effect say, That s a nice thought, and move on. They don t see themselves as needing redemption, as needing to be bought or ransomed from anything. I m not a slave! I m not an uncivilized pagan! Let s review what God has to say about our need for redemption. Paul opens chapter 4 with another analogy and then an application. Verse 1. Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. (1-3) Until a person comes to God through Christ he is held in bondage under the elementary things of the world. We are captives to the basics, the ABCs of this world. There is considerable discussion about exactly what Paul means by these ABCs. It seems Paul is speaking in general terms of life in this world, of man-made religion; of trying to earn God s favor by keeping the Law or other standards, by morality and religions. These things, which are basic to how we think and live apart from God. They keep us captive we keep seeking, working, but never gaining true freedom. God is the absolute Sovereign, Ruler and Judge over all His creation. He is absolutely perfect, holy, pure. This character is the constant and universal standard for anyone being accepted by Him. God never looks the other way at sin. He never grades on the curve. But we, we know all too well, by nature and action are not perfect, holy, pure. We are sinful and slaves to sin. King David acknowledged this, The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all 3

4 turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. 11 Again, he told God in Your sight no man living is righteous. 12 His son, King Solomon, knew this. He wrote, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. 13 No one meets God s perfect standard. Yes, as Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (3:23). We need to be redeemed. We need Jesus the Redeemer. Jesus is the Redeemer we need, and the redemption He provides is all that we need. Christ redeems, He buys us from what we are to what God created us to be. There are many aspects of His redemption noted in Scripture, but note four we find in this section. First, Jesus redeems us from our sin to His forgiveness. Verse 5 tells us that Christ came that He might redeem us. Verse 3 speaks of our bondage and verses 8 and 9 of our being enslaved. Last week se saw in 3:22 that Scripture, God s Word, His truth shuts us up under sin. And Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of sin is death. First spiritual death, that is being removed, separated from the life of God and a relationship with Him. Then there follows all the alienation and brokenness in every aspect of life until physical death. But Romans 3:24 states that we are justified as a gift of God s grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Again, Ephesians 1 instructs us that in Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. This comes by God s grace through faith in Christ plus nothing else. It is complete, He cleanses us from all our sins. 14 It is forever, God will never bring them up again. 15 So, Paul says, if this is what you have in Jesus, and it is, why would you want to go back to trying to earn acceptance? Why would you Gentiles go into tyring to follow, to being a slave to the Jewish Law? Next, Jesus redeems us from Satan s dark realm to God s bright kingdom. Here in chapter 4 Paul describes the natural person as being held in bondage and as slaves (3, 7, 8). 1 John 5 tells us that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (19). At the start of the letter Paul reminded the Galatians that Christ gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age (1:4). You may recall that when Paul was in Athens he was disturbed by the many idols he saw everywhere he went in the city. He engaged some philosophers in discussion. He told them God created all things and ordered us in such a way that we might grope for Him and find Him. 16 Until the Holy Spirit turns on the light that is what we did or are doing groping around in the dark trying to find God. And so Paul wrote to the believers at Colossae, He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (1:13-14). The apostle Peter described God s redeemed people as those He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light. 17 And so, yes, now as one of God s people you can sing, 4

5 Just like a blind man I wandered along, worries and fears I claimed for my own. Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight, praise the Lord I saw the light. 18 We not only have seen it, we live in it! As well Jesus redeems us from being outcasts to being sons and heirs. Paul reminded the believers at Ephesus that before they were saved they were separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (2:12). But all believers, we read here in Galatians 3:26, are sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and, in verse 29, if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham s descendants, heirs according to promise. Paul picks that up here in chapter 4, where he tells us, starting in verse 5 that Christ came that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father! Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. (4-7) Question: Have you ever thought through, gone beyond taking being a child and heir of God as just another synonym for Christian, and tried to comprehend as much as you can of what those two terms mean? God adopting you as His child and making you a fellow-heir with Christ 19, to share with Christ in His glory, an heir of God s kingdom, promises, righteousness, His salvation an heir of all things! Even to just describe it is mind boggling! Note just two things that you can start thinking about. In Romans 4 Paul said that Abraham and his descendants of faith will be heir[s] of the world (13). Think about yourself in Christ as an heir of the world. Then, in Revelation 21 as John described the vision God gave him of the new Jerusalem, he tells us I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away (3-4). One more aspect of Christ s redemption. He has redeemed you from Law and bondage to grace and freedom. Let s go back to chapter 3 again. Verse 10. For as many as are of the works of the Law [that is, as many as are trying to be justified by the Law] are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them. 5

6 Drop down to verse 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us Now here in chapter 4, verse 4 one more time. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (4-5). Being justified by faith we are under and stand in grace. 20 Turn ahead to chapter 5 here in Galatians, verse 1. It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. This is just some of Christ s great redemption. Thank God for it, rejoice and live in the grace and freedom of being redeemed by Jesus Christ. Lessons. Let s look at two lessons that flow from this. First, very importantly, make sure that you have accepted God s gift of redemption by faith. Paul write this letter to believers, to those who had been adopted by God, those who God made His children and heirs. Paul was always crystal clear that this takes place through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Attending church cannot redeem you. The church s ceremonies cannot redeem you. You cannot inherit God s redemption from your parents. And you cannot earn it by sincerity or good works. God tells us in the Bible, as many as received Him [Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. 21 And again, whoever believes in Him [Jesus] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 22 Make sure you have accepted God s gift of redemption by faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior. Secondly, knowing that, make sure you live as a person whom God has redeemed. That s the basic point of verses Prior to faith in Christ they were slaves to man-made gods and religion. But now, look at verse 9, But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. (9-10) Paul asks, Why would you even think of adding the Jewish Law to the gospel and going back into slavery, going into the impossible task of trying to keep that Law perfectly? Yes, as Romans 14 tells us, we can observe special days, but they are never to become a means or measure of gaining God s acceptance or blessing. Jesus said that everyone He sets free is truly free. 23 Yes, live out your freedom from trying to earn God s favor by keeping lists and rules in a responsible way, considering others. 24 But live in your freedom! 6

7 Remember the first verse of chapter 5, It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. One of the fundamental purposes of God purchasing you out of slavery to sin by the blood of Christ was for you to be free from all of that! Don t let any voices your own or of others drag you out of your freedom in Christ back into slavery. Don t even consider it! As one writer tells us, don t give up the power of the Gospel for the weakness of the law and the wealth of the gospel for the poverty of the law. 25 Verse 11 shows how much the Galatians even considering this grieved Paul. If you do that, did I waste all of my time and effort when I ministered to you? Conclusion. Why did Jesus come? He came to redeem us. Always remember this, never forget it. Never let anyone or anything steal the freedom, joy and peace that it brings as you live faithfully in your freedom. The late John Stott summarized the experience of John Newton, who wrote the words of Amazing Grace. He was an only child and lost his mother when he was seven years old. He went to sea at the tender age of eleven and later became involved, in the words of one of his biographers, in the unspeakable atrocities of the African slave trade. He plumbed the depths of human sin and degradation. When he was twenty-three, on 10 March 1748, when his ship was in imminent peril of foundering in a terrific storm, he cried to God for mercy, and he found it. He was truly converted, and he never forgot how God had had mercy upon him, a former blasphemer. He sought diligently to remember what he had previously been, and what God had done for him. In order to imprint in on his memory, he had written in bold letters and fastened across the wall over the mantelpiece of his study the words of Deuteronomy 15:15, Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman (a slave) in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee. 27 Yes, your life has been much different than his. But our challenge is exactly the same: Remember who you were. Remember that Christ came and died to redeem you. Remember what He has made you. Remember that you are to live and grow in His grace. Think about that now with God in the next few quiet moments. 1 Erik Van Tongerloo. Rushing the Christmas Season: the Commercial Trend. < christmas_season_the_commercial.html?cat=74>. 21 November Accessed 16 November Genesis 3:15. 7

8 3 Psalm 19:14. 4 Psalm 130: Luke 19:10. 6 Mark 10:45. 7 John 3: John 5: Timothy 2: John 14:6. 11 Psalm 14: Psalm 143:2. 13 Ecclesiastes 7: John 1:9. 15 cf. Isaiah 43: Acts 17: Peter 2:9. 18 Hank Williams, Sr. I Saw The Light Renewed 1975 Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music). 19 Romans 8: Romans 5:2; 6: John 1: John 3: cf. John 8: cf. Romans 14: Warren Wiesbe. Be Free. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1986, page John R.W. Stott. The Message of Galatians: Only One Way. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1968, page Lyle L. Wahl Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. 8