Why Are You Turning Back To Weak & Worthless Things?

Gal 4:7-11

Why did God give the Law? (Gal 3:15-25)

Purpose of Law is to reveal sin (like a mirror) & cause us to see our need of a Savior.

Judaizers had bewitched Galatians into thinking keeping the Law would make them mature.

They felt attracted to Law… it enabled them to do things & measure external results.

The “before & after” of faith… your situation changed. (Gal 3:23-29)

Something drastic happened to you when you were redeemed & justified. (v.3:24)

Before faith in Jesus, you were in prison, sentenced to death, & hopeless. 

After faith, the situation changed. You are redeemed, set free, son of God, & eternal life.

Before and after the cross, the struggle is the same… to truly believe God’s promises.

The “before & after” of faith… your identity changed. (Gal 4:1-7)

Before you believed in Christ, you were a child & slave under the law. 

After you believed, you were declared His son with full rights of a son (heir). 

Your identity changed… new creature, son of God & heir w/Christ. (2Cor 5:17)

God sent the H Spirit to confirm your new status as His adopted son. (v.6)

You (old man) have been crucified… Christ now lives in & thru you. (Gal 2:20)

You are no longer a slave to sin nature… you are a son of God. You are holy.

The life of Christ expressing itself thru you is your true identity… the real you.

You are a son of God, yet still stuck in a body that says it isn’t true. 

Faith is being certain of what you do not see. (Heb 11:1)

Saying you’re still weak & miserable sinner is not humility… it’s UNBELIEF.

If you doubt God has redeemed you, sanctified you, & made you a son… you will try to do things that prove you are saved. You will become a prisoner again to the law.

Most professing Christian don’t really believe… they are still striving & frustrated.

The before & after of faith… what you serve & worship changed. (Gal 4:8-11)

In Eden, man was dependent on God, who met all man’s needs, & man drew his meaning & purpose from God. (He was like God) Satan lied & convinced man that there could be more & he should be independent. After fall, he was on his own, & had to find his own meaning.

Since then, man has done whatever was needed to fill void of lost meaning & identity.

Before faith, you were slaves to things that were not gods. (v.8)

You served, feared, loved, worshipped, got identity & meaning from “not gods”.

After faith you became a new creature… son of God & heir w/Christ. (v.7; 2Cor 5:17)

Why turn back to the weak & worthless things? (v.9)

We have trouble believing that we are really a son of God, set free, & holy.

If you don’t know (believe) who you are in Christ, when legalists give you rules & regulations, you accept them & start trying to perform to those external standards. 

Idol is something that has no substance (can’t give identity or value) but can be seen.

Idolatry is searching for identity & meaning in something that can not give it.

Idols are not all pagan statues, idols can be education, houses, success, wealth, sports, etc.

Idols are anything (except God) from which we draw sense of value, meaning, identity, etc.

I fear for you (v.11), that you are not true Christians… you’ve turned back to idols.

Galatians forgot who they were in Christ… believed lie they’re OK thru keeping law.

The Galatians had simply switch idols… from pagan idols to religious ones.

It’s time to believe your new identity in Christ. (2Cor 5:17)

Jesus made you a new creation & now what you do is because you’re full & God’s son.

In Christ, you are delivered from idols. You have found your identity in Christ & you’re a son of God. Christ reversed fall… now we’re back into a dependent relationship with God.

If you don’t believe you’re a son & heir, you’ll live like you’re on your own… serving idols

You have turned back to weak & worthless things… to some idol in your life (i.e. keeping the law, doing good, achieving worldly success)

Anything in your life that’s being done to feel better about yourself is potentially an idol.

When you forget who you are in Christ, you have to try to find identity in what you do.

All external things you do to prove you are OK are weak & worthless.

If you are in Christ… truth is you are a son. 

Strength is believing you are a son & therefore you don’t have to perform.

Faith has substance but can’t be seen (Heb 11:1)… idols have no substance but can be seen.

Idol is a counterfeit… anything that I find meaning in that is not God. 

What’s an idol for you? 

How can you recognize an idol in your life? Consider what would happen if something is taken away… if you think you’ll have nothing left, it’s an idol

You’re not a slave… you are a son. Satan’s lie: you’re not a son. Who will you believe?

Be filled with Jesus, know who you are, be set free, & certain of things not seen. What Jesus has given you is the only thing that is really real.

                                                                                                                                              04-11-10