Messes and Masterpieces: Fighting Hypocrisy

Messes and Masterpieces:  Fighting Hypocrisy     

Galatians 2:11-21

4-28-19

Ephesians 2:8-10 - “For by grace you have been saved through faith… we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

I. Walk by faith in the Gospel.  (Galatians 2:11-18)

The Gospel is that Jesus lived the life I should have lived, died the death I should have died and resurrected to give me His supernatural and satisfying life.

Preaching the Good News to Myself:

Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer- “God did not give us His gospel just … to be converted…He offers (The Gospel) to us every day as a gift that keeps on giving to us everything we need for life and godliness… 

The wise believer learns this truth early and becomes proficient in extracting available benefits from the gospel each day…

We extract these benefits by being absorbed in the gospel, speaking it to ourselves…and by daring to reckon it true in all we do.

Romans 8:1 - “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”    

Romans 8:32 -"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

Psalm 105:4 - “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”

John 15:7-8 -"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” 

John 15:11 – “Jesus said, ‘These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.’”

Justification is to be declared righteous and accepted by the Father through our faith in Christ and not by our self-efforts.

II. Walk in Righteousness through the Gospel.  (Galatians 2:19-21)

1 Peter 2:24 - “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

Dying to the law means I die to the belief that my efforts can save me.

I die to the belief that I get my identity by my efforts.

I confess that my identity, acceptance and righteousness come through faith in Christ and His work on the cross.  

By God’s grace, I will not live by rules, I now live under the rule of Christ.

 For Discussion This Week

1. What are some ways you might struggle with people-pleasing or speaking the truth in loving ways?

2. What are some ways today that you might be tempted to walk in hypocrisy or stay in a mess?

3. How can we make sure we have Christians who will confront us on the hypocrisy or spiritual slipping they see in our lives?Who encourages you to see yourself for who you are in Christ?

4. Why is the doctrine of justification by faith so important? (declared totally righteous with God by faith in Christ and not by our efforts or good works)

5. How should remembering the gospel of Jesus help move us toward godly living? Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10, 2 Timothy 2:21 and 1 Peter 2:12.