Have you ever felt that you never measured up to a person's expectations for you? Maybe it was a parent or other relative, or a friend. No matter what you did, or how hard you tried, it was never good enough.

Now, I'm going to use an illustration from American sports. Imagine being called by the Chicago Bulls' basketball team managers. They want you to play on their team next week as part of a promotional campaign. Can you imagine? You get to play with the likes of Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen.

You are going to have the opportunity to play with one of the greatest basketball teams of all times! However, they want to send you a trainer so that you can get in shape and not embarrass the team too much. When the night of the game comes you will be very nervous.

How in the world are you going to compete along side these men, let alone the opponents? Every error you make will reap their consternation and a "boo" from the crowd. That night's opponents will make fun of you and take advantage of your weaknesses. They will capitalize on every mistake you make and score points against you and the Chicago Bulls.

The fact is, you can't compete on their level. It wouldn't be a fair game for you. You couldn't measure up to the level of expectation for playing in the NBA. What at first might seem like a dream come true would turn out to be your worst nightmare. It would be full of failures and disappointments. The Chicago Bulls couldn't wait for you to get off the floor and the opponents would jeer at you as you left the basketball floor.

This is not unlike some people's walk with God! They are trying to compete in an arena that they have no business being in. They are trying, in a sense, to compete with God; to be as good as He is or at least do the good that He requires. Yet, every moral and personal failure only reminds them of how far they are from being anywhere good enough for God.

Others think that as long as they are above others in their pursuit of being good that they will fair better in God's judgment. They recognize that they aren't perfect, but know that they are better than most other people. Besides, they at one time were baptized or part of a church. It's not like they don't believe in God at all. However, this too, only points out how far away from God we are.

In this morning's message, "Christ or Craziness," Duke will continue our "Gleanings from Galatians" series by looking at Galatians 3:1-14 and the apostle Paul's efforts to convince believers that we grow in Christ by faith, not by keeping the law, and that this truth is foundational for our Christian lives.

We mature by faith in the indwelling Christ

In verse 5, Paul points to the miracles God has performed through the Galatians and asks the

rhetorical question, "Did God do these things because you observe the law or because you

believed?" Paul knew that his readers would understand immediately that miracles were not

something they could produce by any amount of good works; they were primarily the result of

God's desire to heal, Christ's Spirit in His children, and (to a lesser degree) their willingness to

believe.

Abraham's life illustrates the same idea. God promised an aging, childless man that his descendants would be as plentiful as the stars (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6), In his own power, Abraham could not make this happen, but he believed God's promise, and God credited his faith as righteousness (15:6). Since this encounter took place 430 years before the law was given, Abraham's righteousness could not possibly have come from his obedience to a set of rules. Instead, his faith set him right before God. (Read Romans 4.)

This truth is foundational to our faith

Paul addresses several problems with a works theology. First, he says, adherence to a set of laws

as an attempt to earn God's favor will have one of two results. Either

1.) It will fail, and I will be unable to earn the right standing with God I desire (and in the process, my attempt to control my sin may actually make it worse), or "We are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom 6:15).

Some years ago, I had a little school for young Indian men and women, who

came to my home in Oakland, California, from the various tribes in northern

Arizona. One of these was a Navajo young man of unusually keen

intelligence. One Sunday evening, he went with me to our young people's

meeting. They were talking about the epistle to the Galatians, and the special

subject was law and grace. They were not very clear about it, and finally one

turned to the Indian and said, "I wonder whether our Indian friend has

anything to say about this."

He rose to his feet and said, "Well, my friends, I have been listening very

carefully, because I am here to learn all I can in order to take it back to my

people. I do not understand all that you are talking about, and I do not think

you do yourselves. But concerning this law and grace business, let me see if I

can make it clear. I think it is like this. When Mr. Ironside brought me from

my home we took the longest railroad journey I ever took. We got out at

Barstow, and there I saw the most beautiful railroad station and hotel I have

ever seen. I walked all around and saw at one end a sign, 'Do not spit here.' I

looked at that sign and then looked down at the ground and saw many had

spitted there, and before I think what I am doing I have spitted myself. Isn't

that strange when the sign say, 'Do not spit here'?

"I come to Oakland and go to the home of the lady who invited me to dinner

today and I am in the nicest home I have been in. Such beautiful furniture and

carpets, I hate to step on them. I sank into a comfortable chair, and the lady

said, 'Now, John, you sit there while I go out and see whether the maid has

dinner ready.' I look around at the beautiful pictures, at the grand piano, and I

walk all around those rooms. I am looking for a sign; and the sign I am

looking for is, 'Do not spit here,' but I look around those two beautiful

drawing rooms, and cannot find a sign like this. I think 'What a pity when this

is such a beautiful home to have people spitting all over it -- too bad they

don't put up a sign!' So I look all over that carpet, but cannot find that

anybody have spitted there. What a queer thing! Where the sign says, 'Do not

spit,' a lot of people spitted. Where there was no sign at all, in that beautiful

home, nobody spitted. Now I understand! That sign is law, but inside the

home it is grace. They love their beautiful home, and they want to keep it

clean. They do not need a sign to tell them so. I think that explains the law and

grace business."

2.) If I think I am successful in maintaining the standards I have set for myself, I can't help but be proud of this fact, and since pride is a sin, my attempt at righteousness has eradicated one sin only to produce another. Either way, I end up miserable and outside God's favor.

Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker both had churches in London in the

19th century. On one occasion, Parker commented on the poor condition of

children admitted to Spurgeon's orphanage. It was reported to Spurgeon

however, that Parker had criticized the orphanage itself. Spurgeon blasted

Parker the next week from the pulpit. The attack was printed in the

newspapers and became the talk of the town. People flocked to Parker's

church the next Sunday to hear his rebuttal. "I understand Dr. Spurgeon is not

in his pulpit today, and this is the Sunday they use to take an offering for the

orphanage. I suggest we take a love offering here instead." The crowd was

delighted. The ushers had to empty the collection plates 3 times. Later that

week there was a knock at Parker's study. It was Spurgeon. "You know

Parker, you have practiced grace on me. You have given me not what I

deserved, you have given me what I needed. Moody Monthly, Dec, 1983, p.

81

3.)Additionally, a works theology robs the cross of its power so that Christ's death was in vain.

Beginning in verse 10, Paul argues that those who live under the law are cursed because the

scripture says, "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out" (Deuteronomy 27:26) and "the righteous will live by faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). Since no man can uphold all of the law, Christ came to deliver us from the curse by taking it on Himself.

(Deuteronomy 21:23 says, "Anyone who has hung on a tree is under God's curse.") Reverting to life under the law negates Christ's redemptive work on the cross.

4.) A works theology hinders evangelism because it takes the focus off of God and places it on man. Young believers are expected to do what mature men and women of God cannot do, and they experience oppression rather than freedom.

5.) Finally, Paul says in verse 14 that the Holy Spirit is Christ's promised blessing to save us, empower us, free us, mature us, heal us, protect us, and prosper us. Christ redeemed us so that we might experience the blessing given to Abraham. (See Romans 4:13-15.) Living under the law (trying to earn right standing with God) nullifies the new covenant and with it, the promised Spirit.

My Life is but a weaving

between my Lord and me;

I cannot choose the colors

He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow

And I, in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper,

And I the under side.

Not til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly,

Shall God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful

In the Weaver's skillful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares,

Nothing this truth can dim.

He gives His very best to those

Who leave the choice with Him.