Galatians 3:1-5 — See The Gospel
Title: See The Gospel
Speaker: Nate Holdridge
Text: Galatians 3:1-5
Galatians Theme: Galatians describes a life that is free. It is a life in flight. If we cling to the true gospel, if we accept it for what it is, we can fly. But Paul wrote Galatians because the Galatian believers—and all future believers—were in danger. If we adulterate the gospel, if we add to it in any way, we will not fly. Like a bird chained in a birdcage, we will (at best) hinder ourselves from flying into God's ideal for our lives or (at worst) hinder ourselves and others from true salvation.
Overview: Believers in Jesus must repeatedly see the cross of Christ, along with all its implications. Jesus Christ must constantly be "publicly portrayed as crucified before our eyes (1). When Jesus is famous to us personally—when his sacrifice on the cross is understood and appreciated for what it is—beautiful results follow.
When we see afresh that the gift of the Son dying on the cross led to the gift of the Spirit living within us, we will turn to him for leadership, guidance, and strength.
When we see afresh that Jesus made us complete us on the cross, we will realize that he is constantly there for us throughout life, helping us grow.
When we see afresh the immense value of what Jesus did for us by substituting himself for us, we will become willing to sacrifice anything to live for him.
And when we see afresh how simple faith in the gospel released God's power in our lives, we will continue to express simple faith in him, releasing his power towards us.
But for all this, we must continually see his cross.
The week before Jesus died in Jerusalem, he passed through Jericho. A great crowd gathered, but there was a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. When he heard that it was Jesus passing by, he began to cry, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" People tried to silence him, but Jesus called for him and asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" Bartimaeus replied, "Let me recover my sight." Jesus commended Bartimaeus for his faith, healed him, and went on his way with Bartimaeus in tow (Mk. 10:46-52).
I think Bartimaeus can be a metaphor for every believer in Jesus. When we aren't hearing a clear, continuous, and bold portrayal of Jesus Christ and him crucified, we inevitably slip into spiritual blindness, begging for scraps, turning to lesser things to solve our issues. But when we cry out afresh to Jesus, asking him to open our eyes again to him and his cross, we begin to see once more. And with our sight, he stands before us, and we are able to follow him again. So, every day, let us be a people who ask him for sight so that he and his cross will be clearly portrayed to us. Let us ask him to help us see the gospel.
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