Ben Zornes

The Ascension and You (CC Downtown)

Christ Church on June 4, 2025

INTRODUCTION

Think of how you might feel if you were suddenly notified that you had been made a guest of honor at Buckingham Palace. In order to make it in time you were to immediately hop on the private jet that was waiting for you. However, through some cruel twist, you would not be allowed to change your clothes, freshen up, or brush up on which fork to use for the salad and which one for the main course. You might arrive and find yourself absolutely overwhelmed with the sense that you had two left feet, your hands were all thumbs, your mouth was full of teeth, and your mind full of cobwebs. The doctrine of Christ’s ascension, unlike the sense of being “out of place”, is meant to lead us by faith to understand that we are made acceptable before God.

THE TEXT

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. John 20:17

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Mary Magdalene had been conversing with who she though was the caretaker of the garden. Her request was that he give her the body of Jesus. However, after speaking her name she sees that He is in fact Jesus, risen from the dead. We know from Matthew’s account that she clasped His feet (Mt. 28:9). Here, however, she is instructed to refrain from touching Him. During His earthly ministry, His disciples ate with Him, infants and children were brought to Him for Him to touch and bless them, nor had He forbidden His feet to be washed. But now, after His resurrection the disciples must not think that He has simply gone back to factory settings.

Evidently, Jesus cautions Mary to not hold on to the old way of being near to Christ. Rather, as He will soon explain, a more potent way of enjoying His fellowship was soon to come upon all His disciples. His body was the same body. He could still be touched. He could still eat. He could start a fire on the beach to cook fish. But His body was also somehow––marvelously––different. He could walk through walls. He could disappear at will. Though the body was the same body, He was on His way to the ultimate glorification that a human body had ever attained. Thus, Mary must not cling to it.

Why? Jesus explains that He has not yet ascended to His Father. The implication here is that by ascending to the Father there is not a decrease in the fellowship which His disciples enjoyed with Him; rather, the glory and joy of their fellowship with Him is going to be increased. She is tasked with going to deliver a message to the rest of the disciples. That message regards His coming ascent. This message she is tasked to communicate to the rest of the disciples is profound for being at once simple and unfathomably deep. Christ is going to ascend to His Father. But by His ascent you should be assured that His Father is also Your Father. He is going to be brought unto His God, and this means that His God is also your God.

According to His divinity He is the eternally begotten Son of God. He is the Son of the Heavenly Father. Thus, in your union with Christ you are made a partaker of His divine nature (Cf. 2 Pt. 1:4). According to His humanity, He is the only one who perfectly served, worshipped, and obeyed the One True God; there was no instance in Christ of idolatry, falsehood, or uncleanness (Cf. Ps. 24). Thus, in your union with Christ, you are also made a partaker of His perfect humanity, and thus His service to & worship of God is now yours. Through Christ, God is your Father, for He has now adopted you into the joy of His household. Through Christ, the Father is your God, and your service to Him is acceptable. All of this because Christ arose from the grave and then proceeded to ascend to His place of ultimate exaltation and glory. As Matthew Henry put it: “The greatest joy of his resurrection was that it was a step towards his ascension.”

YOUR FATHER & YOUR GOD

It is unfortunate that Christ’s ascension is of so little cultural importance. When it comes right down to it, the Ascension really is the climax of Redemption’s story. After indisputably winning back His kingdom, the King receives His lawful crown. This is the happy ending of the story, even while some of the story lines still need to be resolved. By Christ ascending bodily to heaven, at least two things come to be true for those who have trusted in Christ and been baptized into Him. Notice the two things in our text: new Paternity and true Worship.

First, consider that the wrath of God was upon us precisely because of our first father. Paternity is inescapable. Adam passed on to all his children a sinful nature, because he willingly handed over the kingdom to a dragon. Jesus described Satan as being the father of those who make and believe lies. At the core of what it means to be an unredeemed person is that you have bought the lie that you are God. You believe that your sensibilities for what is good or evil are the best. And clearly, everyone should abide by your version of morality. Nevertheless, lies make fellowship impossible (Pro 18:8). Lies make family life impossible. Lies make justice impossible (Pro. 11:11). The result of a culture of lies is absolute carnage at every relational level: civil, religious, economic, familial. Christ ascending to His Father, should comfort you in this way. You now enjoy membership in a family whose Father is the source of all truth.

The best fathers are still imperfect fathers. A good father gives his children what they ask for, without refusing their requests. He provides for their every need. He guards them from all that would destroy them. In Christ, you can now ask the Father who made all things, from galaxies down to ants, for whatsoever you need. By this you know that the Father really does have your good in mind. This is a comfort in both our temptations and afflictions. Your Father picked this out for you. This circumstance is for your good. Your heavenly Father hears and answers your prayers, because Christ ascended.

Secondly, consider that due to the falsehood which our first father believed, we were brought to practice what Scripture elsewhere calls will-worship. The OT is full of instances of man crafting idols to embody what their overactive imagination wanted God to be like and do. Even worse than that, man sought to claim to be worshipping the true God, but with false means. So then, Christ, as the perfect man, offers perfect worship and service to God continually.

Instead of trying to appease the gods through guesswork, you can be assured that when you offer up your worship and service to God in Christ, it is received by Your God with gladness. Your worship, in this life, is still imperfect, but Christ offers perfect worship unto God on your behalf. Your labors for God’s kingdom, though they be inadequate and immature, are not in vain. Your labors aren’t the ground of your welcome or standing before your God. You stand in Christ, and He offers all your good works to His God, and they are reckoned as acceptable. You are not justified before God by your good works, but because Christ has ascended to His God, your life of worship and labor for God’s glory are received by Your God.

IN HIS PRESENCE

The central glory of all this is that Christ’s ascension is not the diminishment of fellowship with our Lord and Savior. He is present with the Father, that the Father, Son, and Spirit might be ever present with you. Christ’s exaltation makes it possible for you to know and believe two things: you are adopted into the warmth of God’s household and your service in His household is acceptable. Are you in Christ? Well then, you are welcomed by our Father into His everlasting fellowship. The Ascension leads us to understand that we shall one day ourselves stand before the face of God, beholding His glory, and not need to look away in shame or fear. Christ’s humiliation delivered you from your sin, and in His exaltation you are to understand the full extent of that deliverance. You are clothed in His righteousness. You are brought to rejoice with true joy. You are not out of place. You are most welcome.

Dealing with Difficult People (CC Downtown)

Christ Church on May 23, 2025

INTRODUCTION

This may be a bit of a public service announcement, but in this world there are difficult people. Such strained relationships are difficult to navigate. There are the wearisome conversations. There might be false accusations. There may be betrayals. There may even be a sense of danger, or a threat of violence. Such relationships may literally cause you to lose sleep. But this Psalm presents us with a case study in how we should deal with all variety of difficult people.

THE TEXT

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. Psalm 3:1-8 KJV

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The backdrop of this prayer is the rebellion of Absalom, a poignantly painful episode in David’s life. As David fled from Jerusalem he really was outnumbered. He had his family, his servants, and a troop of 600 Gittites (1 Sam. 27:2–3; 2 Sam. 15:18). Meanwhile, it seemed as if Absalom’s following had swelled to a great host. As David laid down to sleep that night, you can imagine his well-experienced martial mind drifting into military strategy. He had slain his tens of thousands, but as this prayer expresses, he is overwhelmed by the magnitude of his troublers (v1). But more severe than the mere multitude of enemies is their accusation (v2). They say that God won’t help him. Certainly, David, in his later years, had sinned badly. The Bathsheba incident had most certainly be a scandal. The rape of Absalom’s sister had also been shameful. It would be the easiest thing in the world for people to look at David with suspicion that the glory had bypassed him, the blessing had departed, God had abandoned him.

But David, in laying down to sleep confesses that the Lord is His shield. As he lay encamped in the wilderness, on the run from his own son, fearful that he might not make it through the night, he looks to God as a shield. Not only a shield, but also David’s glory, and the One who would lift his head (v3). David’s midnight cry is that though Jerusalem be overrun with David’s enemies, the ears of the Lord, who was seated in Jerusalem, were open to David’s pleas (v4).

In this condition, surrounded by earthly enemies but securely trusting in the true King of Israel, he lies down to sleep (v5a). When he arises in the dawn, he rises with a joyful triumph. The enemies which concerned him in the dark of midnight are nowhere to be seen, and he takes this as a certain sign that since God saw him through the night, he need not fear the host that was hunting for him (vv5b-6).

In fact, in the clear light of dawn he takes heart that even in the worst case scenario, God hears him. Thus, he asks boldly for his enemies to be utterly embarrassed and brought down in shame (v7). Where does such confidence arise? Did David suddenly have more soldiers at his disposal? Did he get news that Absalom had retreated? Did his circumstance change at all? No. His confidence arose from the certainty of that salvation belongs to the Lord, and thus blessing rests upon the Lord’s people (v8).

DIFFICULT PEOPLE

David faces a few sorts of enemies in this passage. First, and most obviously, he is dealing with a close family member who has not only betrayed him but is actively trying to take absolutely everything from him. David’s son was trying to kill him. That puts a real damper on a relationship. Second, he has numerous enemies who are simply following the herd; these enemies were once his subjects but who deserted him when the latest charismatic leader came through. Third are the enemies, like Shimei, who taunt David with his failures and insist that God has left him, accusing him of being a hopeless mess and a lost cause.

When someone close to you betrays you or is out to get you, the emotional pain is certainly deep. The nearness of the relationship makes the blade of betrayal sting all the more. With family and close friends we “let down our guard.” Thus, we might feel unshielded. But notice that David does not wallow in that pain. David simply acknowledges that God is his shield. The Psalms note elsewhere that though father and mother forsake us, the Lord will lift us up. It would be naive to think, and yet we often make the assumption, that families ties are a shield against sorrow. But this is to put your trust in man, and not in God who is your shield.

Now, consider the crowd of enemies. Crowds are fickle. Crowds may be behind you in fair weather, but against you in foul weather. The crowd who sang your praises one day, may want your head the next. Thus, you must never ground your faith on where the crowd stands. Be faithful to God, even if it means standing alone. Are you obedient to God simply because of the size of the crowd or because of the Bible’s instruction? Don’t bemoan the desertion. Instead, wake up, look around, and if the Lord has sustained you then don’t fret about the size of the enemy army.

In dealing with the false accusers you must remember that often there is enough truth in their accusation so as to sound plausible to both yourself and others. However, if you’ve confessed your sins in true repentance (as David plainly does in Ps. 51), such accusations are like spider webs. When Satan accuses you of being a miserable sinner, say with John Newton, “But Christ is an great Savior.” Secondly, do not take the bait. Such accusations are only of use to make you flinch and cripple you with doubt, insecurity, and fear. Confess your sin, and stand up straight. Have you repented? Then whatever they say can’t be nearly as bad as what you already told the Lord about. Do you trust in Christ? Then there is all your hope and righteousness.

PRAYING FOR BROKEN JAWS

The language of verse 7 might make us blush a bit. Are we allowed to pray such things? But this is a prayer of true faith. It is imperative that in dealing with our foes we bear in mind that the judge of all the earth will do rightly. In the final judgement there will not be one injustice that sneaks past His discerning eye. There will be no backroom deals that escape His notice. Which means we ought to pray such things with a certain faith in the final judgement. This forces us to discern the face of Christ in this ancient prayer.

CHRIST IN THE MORNING

There really are significant Christological pictures here. Christ, the son of David was surrounded by His enemies. He lay down in His burial. But rose again in the morning. After His resurrection He went forth to scatter all His enemies. He now has the rod of conquest in His hand. His enemies will soon feel the smart of His judgement upon their cheeks.

In other words, David’s prayer is prophetic. He sees that death and resurrection is how God will deal with His enemies. So why would you deal with your enemies any other way? In facing your own foes you must keep Christ’s resurrection in mind and imitate it in your dealings with those who are betraying you, forsaking you, slandering you, or accusing you. Do you have enemies? Die and rise. Go to sleep and awake in faith.

The Unrivaled Story of Easter | Easter Sunday

Christ Church on April 30, 2025

INTRODUCTION

The number of rival stories to the Gospel are legion. You are confronted with a host of competing salvation stories. All of these rival stories are powerless to save. Their allure is found in their escapist fantasy. Escape from responsibility. Escape from consequences. Escape from accountability. Christ’s Resurrection is the true story of restoration, true salvation, and life.

THE TEXT

And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. Acts 20:6-12

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

As Paul is making his way back to Jerusalem, after his 3rd missionary journey (circa AD57), we’re told of this weeklong visit to the city of Troas, about 10 miles south of legendary Troy. At the end of this week of ministry (v6), the saints gather, on the first day of the week, for a worship service and farewell to Paul and his companions. This is the first record of a Christian service held on a Sunday. It was an evening service, for the express purpose of partaking the Lord’s Supper and to hear Paul’s preaching. Paul was feeling a bit loquacious, and the sermon went long (v7). The room was well-lit with lamps (v8). A young man name Eutychus (fortunate/lucky) perched himself in the window. As the sermon went on, he sunk into a deep sleep, and fell out of the third story window. As you can imagine, the congregation hurried to check on him, but he “was taken up dead” (v9).

Having had his sermon interrupted, Paul himself went down to the site of the tragedy. Paul falls on the lad, and encourages the saints to not be troubled for the boy’s psyche (soul/life) is in him (v10). Luke retells this healing in in order to leave us in a momentary suspense, we are left with a bit of uncertainty about Eutchysus’ condition. We are told that Paul goes back upstairs, the Lord’s Supper (or perhaps the potluck) is held, Paul picks up his sermon where he left off, continuing until daybreak at which point Paul and his companions depart for their next destination (v11). Only after the dawning of the new day does Luke confirm that Eutychus had really been raised from death to life, to the great comfort of the Troas church (v12).

AN UNFORTUNATE STORY

At first blush, this might seem like a story that Luke includes to keep his retelling of Paul’s itinerary interesting. But there really is a lot more brewing here than just a story to keep the reader entertained. There are at least three striking reasons for the inclusion of this short resurrection story within the broader history of Acts.

The first reason for the inclusion of this story is that Luke presents to us a picture of early Christian worship, with its center of gravity being on the Lord’s Day. Not only do we see that this service took place on the first day of the week (Sunday), but it took place the Sunday after Easter. In this regard, the raising of Eutychus can be seen as God adding an exclamation mark to this Sunday service. The church revolves around the worship of the God who died and rose again and in Whom we too die and rise again. When we gather together to break bread we are putting the resurrection as the hinge upon which our whole life turns. Worship is central. Thus, it is fitting for Christian worship to plant its flag on the Lord’s Day.

The second reason for this story is that earlier in Acts Peter had raised Tabitha (Acts 9); now Paul raises a man from the dead. Looking at both resurrections, the language is quite reminiscent of the stories of Elijah & Elisha raising people to life (1 Kings 17:17–24, 2 Kings 4:18–37). Putting these two apostolic resurrection miracles together we see in them a continuity between the OT Prophets and these NT Apostles, between the church in her immaturity under the Law, and the church coming into maturity through the Gospel. The resurrection power of God is central to all history. The Prophets foreshadowed it. Christ procured it. The Apostles continued it. From the fall until Christ’s resurrection, God promised a new creation to His people (Is. 42:9). Therefore, in this account we see that the work of the church, the very life-blood of the church, is this doctrine of the resurrection we receive through our union with Christ’s resurrection.

The third reason is the least evident, but is like a lovely song you hear once and then can’t seem to stop humming. Luke is subverting Homer. Luke is hi-jacking pagan myths. Luke is saying, we’ve got a better hero than Odysseus. In Homer’s Odyssey there is an episode of one of Odysseus’ companions, the youngest in fact, a young man named Elpenor. He is repeatedly described as being unlucky. After a feast, in the darkened halls of Circe, a deep sleep falls upon Elpenor. The company is setting sail the next morning. In the morning, Elpenor in his haste falls from the roof, breaks his neck, dies and his psyche (soul) departs to Hades. His companions take him up dead. The first soul in Hades that Odysseus meets is Elpenor, the hero can do nothing to save his young companion. The only thing that can be done is offer him a ritual burial, which takes place at dawn. Sorrow is the end of Elpenor’s story, whereas comfort is the end of Eutychus’. In other words, Luke saw this episode with Eutychus as an opportunity to present the Christian story as the true myth. Homer’s hero was powerless to raise his companion to life. Jesus, by His servant Paul, resurrects the young man named Lucky. The heroes of Ancient Troy are impotent, the servants of Christ bear in them the power of an endless life.

LIFE RESTORED

All anti-Gospels bake down to a very simple error: escapism. In the pagan myths, the hope was that by various virtues and heroic exploits you might be deemed worthy to escape this material realm and dwell in a realm of hedonistic bliss and without accountability. Darwinism tells you that you are as meaningless as pond scum zapped by lightning, and so you must escape your meaninglessness by assisting in the next stage of human evolution. Climate change alarmists insist that this world is on the verge of a calamitous ending, and in order to escape you must end your bloodline, and consign yourself to as small a pile of dust when you die.

But there are other stories we tell ourselves. Stories that say, “Once a miserable sinner, always a miserable sinner.” There is a sad sort of impotent pseudo-Christianity that treats Christ’s death as our ticket to an ethereal world. It sees this world as not our home, we are only passing through. But the true Gospel is that this world will itself be resurrected, because it is the inheritance of Jesus the Risen Christ.

Therefore, by faith in Christ your story is like fortunate Eutychus. All other stories invite you to a daydream of escapism. The unrivaled story of Easter restores you to life. You are restored to responsibility. You are sanctified unto service. You are delivered to dominion. Your story doesn’t end in an unfortunate fall. It ends with a feast with the saints of God, in celebration of our Lord who died and rose again for our eternal salvation.

Hard Law, Hot Gospel: The Israel of God (CC Downtown)

Christ Church on April 4, 2025

INTRODUCTION

Our justification is not by works. But our justification really does result in new life. In this new life, we find that, by the Spirit’s power, there is work for us to do. The work is heavy. The work might even make you bloody. The world will despise your work. But the work is glorious.

THE TEXT

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. […] Galatians 6:1ff

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The liberty of the Gospel is not the removal of all restraint. As Paul says in Romans, “Should we sin so that grace may abound? God forbid!” Gospel liberty includes confronting a brother overtaken in a fault (v1), but this rebuke is to be done by those who are spiritual, literally Spirit-people. Confronting sin in others should be aimed towards restoring the brother, and guarding against falling into sin yourself (v1). The Law of Christ requires us to refuse the rugged individualism of modern thinking, and instead bear each other’s burdens (v2). This demands mutual humility (v3). Though we are a community, you must not coast on the work of others; your bushel will either be full of the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit (vv4-5). The saints have a duty to be in fellowship with their teachers, and this means submission and loyalty to the truth he is obligated to teach (v6).

Sowing and reaping is inescapable (v7). It’s all a matter of whether you will sow fleshly seeds or spiritual seeds. One bears a harvest of corruption, the other a harvest of everlasting life (v8). But planting and harvest requires being unwearied in good works (v9). Our good works should be ordered, giving priority to the “household of faith”, but this does not absolve us from showing goodness to all men (v10).

As we noted at the beginning of this letter this is all deeply personal for Paul. He had been called by the Lord Jesus Himself, commissioned to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, and he had suffered persecution for it. Paul closes this letter with a personal touch, he takes the pen from the scribe to add his signature and authentication to this letter (v11). Then he emphasizes that the troublers wanted the Galatians circumcised not out of love for the Galatians, but to spare themselves from persecution (v12). In all their zeal for law-keeping, they are in fact law-breakers, because they glory in the flesh (v13). True glory is in the shape of Christ’s cross; this is what Paul glories in, that he has died to the old world and it has died to him (v14). Christ’s cross has remade the world, and there’s no undoing it (v15). Walking according to this reality assures theses Gentiles that they are the Israel of God (v16). This really should end the dispute, because Paul’s body is tattooed with the stripes of his sufferings for the Gospel (v17). Paul closes by blessing the brethren, with the grace of Jesus equipping their spirit to be this fruitful orchard (v18).

THE LAW OF CHRIST

The Galatians had their work cut out for them. They had been bewitched by the Judaizer’s lies. It would take time to undo the spell, and thus patience with one another. Picture a part of your property overgrown with unwanted thorn bushes; you might need a hand loading the brush into the bed of the truck. Reformation takes time and patience; restoring fallen brethren takes the long-suffering which should mark us as “Spirit-people.”

Those of the flesh are burden givers, those of the Spirit are burden bearers. Think of Jesus’ rebuke of lawyers of his time: “And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers (Luk 11:46).” Fleshly men, who place their trust in the old world, are only doing so to avoid the persecution that arises from preaching the cross. Their only use for you is whether you’ll make them more glorious. They won’t get their own hand dirty, they won’t risk their own reputation.

Life in Christ makes sacrificial men and women. Look at Paul’s stigmata. Those who follow Christ joyfully lay down their lives for the sake of truth. Even in confronting those in sin, we are doing so for the sake of their restoration. Sin is living in the old world and according to the old man. But those in Christ live in the new world, living in certain hope for the final resurrection. Thus we bear each others burdens: confronting sin, laboring at good works, enduring persecution, comforting each other in our sorrows.

When the Law of Moses was given, it was followed by the Spirit filling God’s people to build the tabernacle (Ex. 31:3). They were equipped for service in building the house of God. The seed of the law of Moses had now flowered into the law of Christ, and now Gentiles were filled with the Spirit to serve in the construction of the house of God.

MERCY & PEACE

Paul saw that Christ really had remade the world. It may not look like it by earthly sight, but by faith we see that this world is being made new. Paul’s benediction is rich with this confident faith that we have entered the new creation through Christ. Israel is being restored, not under the law, but by faith in Christ. Thus, the comfort to God’s people is that the everlasting mercy of God rests upon you. The peace of Israel’s God rests upon this new Israel: the church (Ps. 125).

The message which Paul has been hammering home in Galatians is that you are not brought into this abundant life through striving after law-adherence. You enter this new creation, this new Israel, by faith in the One who is the first-fruit of God’s great harvest. Are you in Christ? Well then, the shalom of Yahweh rests upon you. Not because you are circumcised, but because you are in the Crucified Christ.

THE CROSS & NEW CREATION

The new world is cross shaped. This is your glory. But this glory takes time. It takes long-suffering and patience. It takes sowing to the Spirit. Paul sees by faith that in the cross he is crucified to the old world, but the opposite is true as well. The world is dead to Paul. The old world despises the new world. The flesh lusts against the Spirit. Ishmael persecutes Isaac. The cross comes before the crown. So then, do not grow weary. In the cross you died to the old world and its desires, and by faith you live in the shadowlands of everlasting life.

Hard Law, Hot Gospel: The Law of Love (CC Downtown)

Christ Church on March 19, 2025

INTRODUCTION

We are not saved by the Law, or the works of the Law. But if the Gospel makes us alive, we really must ask the question, what are we made alive to do? What do those who receive this new life occupy their time with? Paul answers that question here in our text.

THE TEXT

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. […] Galatians 5:1ff

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Contrary to the view of some expositors of the great St. Paul, he is not anti-Law. This chapter begins with the imperative: stand fast! The Judaizers were moving the goalposts of how Gentiles were to be ushered into the people of God; so Paul commands them to stand steadfast in the liberty that faith in Christ brings. Remember, Christ’s faith in God’s promise secured for all people from all nations the possibility of inclusion in the inheritance promised to Abraham, by faith in Christ. This is the liberty Paul insists the Galatians have received (v1). In contrast, if they submit to be circumcised, they are binding themselves to go through all the other hoops of an order which was passing away (vv2-3). This would be to make Christ ineffectual, and to gut grace of its potency (v4). The immaturity of looking at circumcision status is contrasted with trusting in what the Spirit does, namely, waiting in hope for the righteousness by faith (v5). Circumcision’s purpose in redemptive history had fulfilled its purpose; in its place was faith alone, full of love to God and neighbor (v6).

The Galatians had gone from running well to face-planting terribly (v7). Someone had persuaded them to disobey the truth, and this was worse than finding leaven in their Passover loaves (vv7-9). Paul denounces this troubler, and expresses his confidence that the Galatians will right the ship (v10). Nevertheless, it should be plain that the persecutions which Paul had and continued to endure were not the result of preaching circumcision; it came because of the skandalon of the cross (v11). In one of Paul’s sharpest remarks, he expresses the desire that the troubler would be totally emasculated (v12, Deu. 23:1).

Paul now elaborates on how the passing away of the “age of the Law” does not lead to lawless chaos. Through Christ we have been brought into the maturity of liberty, which means we must not treat liberty as if we were a child left alone in candy shop (v13). Rather, love should be the prevailing motivation of those set free by Christ; Paul sums up the Law: love thy neighbor as thyself (v14). The flesh devours, but walking in the Spirit puts a stronger chain on our lusts than the Law ever could (vv15-16).

There is a great chasm between the sons of Hagar and the sons of Sarah. These sons are at war with each other, and cannot be reconciled. Sons of unbelief and sons of faith cannot have peace with each other (v17). The Spirit brings new creation, which the Law safeguarded until the time of Christ’s coming (v18). The flesh is an orchard full of rotten fruit, and those who bear such fruit are not citizens of Christ’s Kingdom (vv19-21). The Spirit bears the fruit of Eden’s tree of Life within us (vv22-23). The husk guards the seed, but once it sprouts it can no longer contain the tree (v23b). Once more, our union to this life is found by being crucified with Christ (2:20) and thus are dead to the deathly old way of being human (v24). The Spirit has begotten us by faith (justification) so now we ought to walk by the Spirit (sanctification). Which rules out the vanity of the triangles which envy traps us in (vv25-26).

THE GREAT WAR

Paul’s polemic is not a narrow attack on legalism and those silly enough to think they could impress God by shaving their beards a certain way, wearing skirts a certain length, or by avoiding the addicting power of syncopated beats. But neither is it an invitation to reject all rules. Sinners walk by unbelief in their elaborate false doctrines, and sinners walk by unbelief in grotesque debauchery. The Christian isn’t supposed to balance themselves in between the legalist and the libertine. Rather we should set both sorts of fools on one side and believers on the other.

Paul identified in the last chapter that this great war was between Hagar’s sons and Sarah’s sons. In this chapter the same strife is identified: Flesh or Spirit. Unbelief or Faith. Sinai or Calvary. Your righteousness or Christ’s. Man in Adam or man in the Last Adam. The great war divides mankind between those who walk by faith in Christ, or those who refuse to acknowledge Him as King of Heaven and Earth. Paul demonstrates how great the chasm is between those who are walking by the flesh and those walking by the Spirit. Walking by externals, or walking by the new life of Christ which has invaded the world.

THE COVENANT SIGN

This is why, for Paul, the Judaizers’ insistence on the Gentiles being circumcised becomes a hill to die on. Rushdoony, in his typically insightful way, points out that circumcision was symbolic castration. It was given by God to be a sign of trust; not in human generation, but in heavenly regeneration. In Adam all die, but in Christ shall all be made alive.

Man needed to be born again, and in Christ, by faith in Christ, this new birth is held out to you. Circumcision pointed Israel to hope for the new birth. This new birth would be accompanied by the washing of the Spirit (Cf. Jn. 3:5). This washing had come and was signified by baptism. So then, the promise of the Spirit was to be received by faith as signified by baptism, not by the work of the circumcising knife.

FRUIT FOR CITIZENS

The Serpent was enticing the Galatians to grasp the fruit through fleshly willfulness instead of walking by trust in God’s clear Word. Meanwhile, Paul’s Gospel invited them to taste the fruit of the tree of life, and enjoy the liberty of that life.

But that liberty was not aimless, or do as you will. Each of the nine-fold attributes of the fruit of the Spirit are easily connected to imperatives found elsewhere in Scripture. Love one another (Jn.13:34). Rejoice always (Phi. 4:4). Seek peace and pursue it (Heb. 12:14). Endure afflictions (2Ti 4:5). Let your gentleness be evident to all (Phi. 4:5). Maintain good works (Gal. 6:10). Shewing all good fidelity (1 Cor. 4:2). Shewing all meekness unto all men (Col. 3:12). Be sober-minded (1 Pt. 5:8). This liberty of new life brings us as citizens to imitate our King. All this was promised of old (Cf. Is. 32:15, Is. 57).

Sin––at its root––is living as if Christ has not come. Sin is living in the old world. Sinful man prowls around looking for anything at all to give him meaning. It might look like sexual indulgence, or strict adherence to cultic rites. It may take the form of murder in blind rage, or the surgical deception of multitudes. All of it is the fruit of the flesh; it’s willful unbelief in the new creation work which Christ began.

But you are not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. If you have been born of the Spirit you are a citizen of this kingdom. Here is fruit to nourish you. From start to finish Your new life is marked by faith. Faith in the complete work of Christ, and faith in every act of love’s duties. The seed of the Law has burst forth into an oak tree of love.