GALATIANS 1:11-24

BIG IDEA 

THE BIGGEST PROOF OF THE GOSPEL IS A TRANSFORMED LIFE.

INTRODUCTION: “TOMBSTONE”

Do you remember the marketing campaign a few years ago from Tombstone Pizza? They asked a provocative question. “What do you want on your tombstone?” Of course it was in the context of a make at home pizza. What do you want on your tombstone? Pepperoni? Sausage? Veggies? Pineapple? It was a catchy slogan. It was memorable. But I want to ask you a question today, and I am not referring to pizza.

“What do you want on your tombstone?” When this life is through, and you are laid to rest, how do you want to be remembered? How do you want your life to be summarized? 

John Newton was an infamous slave-trader at the height of the African slave-trade. He oversaw the forceful removal and sale of humans, their transportation in inhumane conditions on slave-ships, and their forced servitude to owners who treated humanity as property to be used and abused. But Newton was exposed to the Gospel, and his life was transformed. And slave-trader became a song-writer to words that still warm our hearts and enliven our experiences.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

Before Newton died, he had requested that these words be written on his tombstone. “John Newton: once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”

Today, we have the privilege of looking at another person who had a transforming experience when he encountered the Gospel of Grace. We are in a series called Standing on Grace taken from the book of Galatians. Turn with me please to Galatians 1:11.

As a reminder, our big idea for the text today is this: the biggest proof of the Gospel is a transformed life. 

EXPLANATION

Paul was forced to defend himself before the church of Galatia. There were some attacking the message Paul preached, and there were others attacking the messenger himself. Today, we will look at his defense.

I. THE ORIGIN OF THE GOSPEL PAUL PREACHED.

“FOR I WOULD HAVE YOU KNOW, BROTHERS, THAT THE GOSPEL THAT WAS PREACHED BY ME IS NOT MAN’S GOSPEL. FOR I DID NOT RECEIVE IT FROM ANY MAN, NOR WAS I TAUGHT IT, BUT I RECEIVED IT THROUGH A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.” GALATIANS 1:12, 13

Here Paul is saying, this Gospel, the Gospel I am preaching to you is not a privately conceived Gospel. It is not of human concoction. It did not come from the head nor the heart or the hand of man. It was revealed from Christ’s mouth to Paul’s heart.

THE GOSPEL IS NOT MAN’S GOSPEL…

• Man is not smart enough to conceive of the gospel. 
• Man is not loving enough to extend the gospel. 
• Man is not forgiving enough to offer the Gospel.
• Man is not holy enough to pay the price of the Gospel.

The Gospel did not come of human origin.

NOR WAS I TAUGHT IT… GALATIANS 1:12

Paul did not receive the Gospel from the teaching of the other Apostles. He did not receive the Gospel because of a preacher. In Acts 9, as Paul was traveling on the Road to Damascus, he was overwhelmed by a great light and heard a great voice, “Why are you persecuting me?” Paul said, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice said, “I am Jesus.” Post-resurrection, Jesus Christ appears bodily to Paul. The he sent Paul away.

BUT WHEN HE WHO HAD SET ME APART BEFORE I WAS BORN AND WHO CALLED ME BY HIS GRACE, WAS PLEASE TO REVEAL HIS SON TO ME, IN ORDER THAT MIGHT PREACH HIM AMONG THE GENTILES, I DID NOT IMMEDIATELY CONSULT WITH ANYONE, NOR DID I GO UP TO JERUSALEM TO THOSE WHO WERE APOSTLES BEFORE ME, BUT I WENT AWAY INTO ARABIA, AND RETURNED AGAIN TO DAMASCUS. GALATIANS 1:15-17

You say, “that’s all cool, but what’s it got to do with me?” If you want to know the transformative power of the Gospel, go straight to Jesus. If you want to know the unadulterated Gospel, go straight to Jesus. Get away into the wilderness places and get alone with Jesus and ask Him to teach you the Gospel. Don’t settle for a secondary knowledge of the Gospel when you can go straight to the source.

Listen, salvation is by the will of God, it is for the pleasure of God, and it is according to the revelation of God. He is the source, and if you want to really understand it, go straight to the source.

II. THE OPPOSITION TO THE GOSPEL PAUL PRACTICED

FOR YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT MY FORMER LIFE IN JUDAISM, HOW I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD VIOLENTLY AND TRIED TO DESTROY IT. GALATIANS 1:13

The beginning of our text shows who Paul became. It paints a picture of the transformed Paul. But now, we see a picture of who Paul was. In Acts 8, we see Paul ravaging the church, literally dragging off men and women to prison. In Acts 9, Paul was “breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.”

Paul literally had death on his breath. He was a persecutor. He was a murderer. He was seeking to destroy the church. And then Christ stepped in! He was transformed.

• The persecutor was transformed into a promoter.
• The persecutor was transformed into a preacher.
• The one ready to kill Christians was transformed into one ready to be killed for Christ.

This was not a reformation; it was a resurrection. Only the Gospel can do this! Before the transformation Paul wanted to destroy the Gospel; after he only wanted to declare the Gospel.

Listen, I really need someone to hear this: the Gospel is not about who you are; it is about what Christ has done. The Gospel is not about your past; the Gospel is about the price Christ paid. Are you stuck in the past? Are you mired down by your mistakes? Are you under the burden of guilt and shame and reproach and condemnation? Then you have not fully understood the power of grace. We used to sing, “Grace, grace, God’s grace. Grace that is greater than all my sin. Grace, grace, God’s grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.” Yesterday is gone. Leave it. If it is under the blood it should be out of your mind!

Paul continued to portray how his past had little value.

AND I WAS ADVANCING IN JUDAISM BEYOND MANY OF MY OWN AGE AMONG MY PEOPLE, SO EXTREMELY ZEALOUS WAS I FOR THE TRADITIONS OF MY FATHERS. GALATIANS 1:14

Who you are in Christ is not about your past failures, but it is also not about your past success. Paul was a great Jew. He was great at playing the religious game. He loved the traditions of Judaism. He chased after religious achievement. But who you are in Christ has nothing to do with your past success. If you are living on past accomplishments, you do not fully understand what Christ accomplished on the cross. It’s not about you! It’s not about what you have done. Yesterday is gone. Leave it. If it is under the blood it should be out of your mind. Look at this marvelous transition. After stating his past sin and his past successes, Paul says, in verse 14…

BUT… Galatians 1:14

This is a key turning point in the text. This is Paul’s pivot. The entire direction of the narrative changes at this point. “Yes, I did this and this BUT…”

• Paul was a sinner. But God.
• Paul hated Jesus. But God.
• Paul tried to kill Christians. But God.
• Paul wanted to destroy the church. But God.
• Paul enjoyed being lost. But God.
• Paul wasn’t looking for a new life. But God.
• Paul intended to kill more Christians. But God.

BUT WHEN HE WHO HAD SET ME APART BEFORE I WAS BORN, AND WHO CALLED ME BY HIS GRACE WAS PLEASE TO REVEAL HIS SON TO ME…” GALATIANS 1:14

At the risk of redundancy, here are all the tenants of the Gospel in this little verse: 

• Salvation is by the will of God, He set me apart before I was born…
• Salvation is for the pleasure of God, He called my by His grace was pleased…
• Salvation is according to the revelation of God, to reveal His Son to me…
• Salvation is not about you; it is about God’s gracious choice to reveal His Son to you so that by His Son you might be saved.

What is the purpose of all of this?

THAT I MIGHT PREACH HIM AMONG THE GENTILES. GALATIANS 1:14

God’s salvation comes to you personally so that you might proclaim it publicly. The Gospel brings personal transformation so that you might engage in a public proclamation.

Let go of the sin in your history, and let your history become His-Story.

Let go of the success in your history, and let your history become His-story.

Let’s to our neighbors and the nations and re-write history by telling His-story.

III.  THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE GOSPEL PAUL POSSESSED.

THEN I WENT INTO THE REGIONS OF SYRIA AND CILICIA. AND I WAS STILL UNKNOWN IN PERSON TO THE CHURCHES OF JUDEA THAT ARE IN CHRIST. THEY ONLY WERE HEARING IT SAID, ‘HE WHO USED TO PERSECUTE US IS NOW PREACHING THE FAITH HE ONCE TRIED TO DESTROY. AND THEY GLORIFIED GOD BECAUSE OF ME.” GALATIANS 1:21-24

The comes to you so that it may flow through you. The Gospel transforms you so that you can bring transformation to others. It is not to be contained; it is to be communicated. It is not to be held; it is to be heralded.

“Then I went…” The first two letters of the Gospel are G-O. That is what we are supposed to do. Go. We are to be on the move with the message of grace. It doesn’t matter if you are known, or unknown, your job is to make Christ known. It doesn’t matter who you are; it matters what you have. Go. Make disciples. The New Testament knows nothing of a static or stationary church. It was a church on the move.

But here we see the big idea of the whole passage. “He who used to persecute us now is preaching…” There was a transformation in Paul. Have you been transformed? Can it be said of you…

• He used to be a drunk, but now he is declaring the Gospel
• She used to be an addict, but now she is announcing the Gospel
• He used to be a pervert, but now he is promoting the Gospel
• She used to be horrible, but now she is heralding the Gospel

IF YOU ARE NOT SEEING LIVES CHANGED, THEN MAYBE YOUR LIFE HAS NEVER BEEN CHANGED.

APPLICATION: OPEN UP

• UNDERSTAND THAT THE SOURCE OF THE GOSPEL IS GOD’S GRACE.
• UNDERSTAND THAT THE SIN AND SUCCESS OF YESTERDAY ARE COVERED BY THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S GRACE.
• UNDERSTAND THAT SHARING THE GOOD NEWS IS AN OBLIGATION/JOY FOR THOSE CONVERTED BY THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S GRACE.

CONCLUSION:

THE GREATEST PROOF OF THE GOSPEL IS A TRANSFORMED LIFE? BE CHANGED SO THAT OTHERS MAY BE CHANGED.