GOD’S SUPER RACE

Photo by B Smith from the kitchen door

 

254 - GOD’S SUPER RACE

December 9, 1962

Henry F. Kulp

 

Romans 8: 29, 32 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³² He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Now as we continue our study in the 8th chapter of Romans, we come to a very important doctrine. We have discussed the doctrine of manifestation and the doctrine of glorification. We shall be glorified with uncreated glory, the glory of God, and we will be manifested, revealed unveiled as the sons of God before all created beings

1/  But now we come to a doctrine that has been much misunderstood—the doctrine of predestination. So this morning, we want to talk about the doctrine of foreknowledge, and the doctrine if predestination.

2/  When we come to the 8th chapter, we come to the 28th verse which has been a verse if great consolation to the Lord’s people for many years. It is doubtful whether any verse is more often quoted than Romans 8: 28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

The minister, the missionary, the child of God, they all quote it—all things work together for good, but this morning, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to make verse 29 just as glorious and precious as verse 28 for indeed it is. These two verses can actually not be separated—they are joined together. Very few people ever quote verse 29 when they quote verse 28 and they are closely connected.

3/   Notice verse 29 begins with the word, for, and it has in it the meaning of because. So verse 29 is because of verse 28. 

4/  But now let us look at Romans 8: 28. This is the master verse—no doubt about it. It is full of consolation to the Lord’s people who pass through dark places. It does not say that everything that happens to you is the best—but it does say that everything that happens to you, God will work out for good. 

5/  Now the thing we want you to recognize is that God is working out a plan. We don’t always give the credit for that, do we? We look about our lives and see a lot of loose ends and we forget that God has a plan in our lives. He is working something out in our lives. Man will say—I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on the way. That is not true for a Christian. He knows that he is part of God’s master plan. God has a plan for him and He is going to work all things together for his good.

6/  Romans 8: 29 begins by saying, for whom He did foreknow, and I suppose this is the spot where we get into deep water, because people have had it drilled into them way back in the past that God foreordained that certain people should be lost and certain others should be saved. And I certainly want you to get that out of your mind this morning. Let me say that it isn’t in the Bible. 

7/  Notice that predestination is founded upon God’s foreknowledge, and when you consider predestination, the foreknowledge of God should never be left out. So we know that God predestinating us to a certain thing is founded on the fact that He has foreknowledge. This foreknowledge comes from a word in the original that means acquainted with all things. God is acquainted with all people is that God knows that which is coming to pass. 

8/  The foreknowledge of God is that God knows that which is coming to pass. God is omniscient, which means He is all wise. He knows everything. He knows beforehand all that will cone to pass. We can’t do that, because our knowledge is limited and because of our limitations we have to wait until Tuesday to find out what happened on Monday. It is not so with God. He knows before Monday comes what is going to take place. He knows on Friday before—He has known years and years before.

9/  And the wonderful thought is that God shares His foreknowledge with His people. This is seen in Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and the news things do I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them. 

Praise God for this—it means that none of us need to be blinded as to what is coming to pass in the years that lie before us. God has told us.

10/  There is another aspect of God’s foreknowledge that is worthy of consideration, and it is a point that is often overlooked or misunderstood. We must not confuse the foreknowledge of God with the actions of mankind. Foreknowledge is the revelation of God as to what is coming to pass but the knowledge of God does not make a thing necessary. It makes it certain, but not necessary. God knew that Adam would sin and made provisions against it long before he sinned. But Adam did not have to sin. God was not responsible for his disobedience. God knew that Judas would betray His Son and He even prophesied it up to this point. But God’s foreknowledge did not mean that Judas could not help doing that dastardly deed.

11/  God knows all your evil deeds, your acts that are wrong. Yet He is not accounting you for them. 

Remember in James 1: 13, 14 Let no man say when he is tempted – I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempted He any man. 

The only conclusion we can come to is that God’s foreknowledge has nothing more to do with the act than our after-knowledge. In other words, we’ll say on Tuesday we learned there was an accident on the corner near our home on Monday. We know it is for a certainty, but our knowledge does not mean that it had to take place.    

12/  Romans 8: 29 For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate. 

I don’t understand why folks stop right here. If you stop here, you do not get the sense of the passage—that is what most people do. For notice, if you do not stop, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. God’s predestination is not salvation. God’s predestination is that those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ shall be like the Lord Jesus Christ—that is predestination and nothing else. God from the beginning by His foreknowledge predestinated that every believer should be made like Christ, and nothing else in the bible is predestination. That predestination is that God has ordained one to be saved and another to be lost in hell eternally is not within the covers of the Holy Bible.

13/  Let us just look at the word itself. Predestination is a word in two parts: 

Pre-meaning beforehand, and destination meaning the end of the journey. So it is decided here before the end of the journey that we are going to be like Christ.

I Timothy 2: 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

God does not ordain that some men shall be saved, and some shall be lost and damned and go straight to hell—Oh no, He wants every man to accept Jesus Christ. If men are lost, it is because they will to be lost. 

14/  Matthew 23: 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 

This verse gives us a key of what I am talking about—here Jesus Christ said, how often would I and ye would not. God would save all men, but not all men will be saved.

15/  When men say that predestination is that God in eternity past choose some men to be saved and some men to be lost,  that is not predestination that is fatalism. Predestination is something to be happy about—not something to be gloomy over. Predestination is something to make men move, get busy, serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Predestination is not something to make them sit down and forget about their service to the Lord Jesus Christ. But erroneous teaching of predestination usually makes people sit down and say, well, those who are going to be saved are going to be saved, and I don’t really have to work and see others learn this wonderful Gospel.

16/  This is God’s super-race. Hitler wanted a super-race, didn’t he? And other leaders of nations wanted to build up a super-race, but this is the super-race.Those who have found the fountain of everlasting life in Jesus Christ. How did this super-race begin? God began this super-race by birth. God didn’t take the old and make it over again. For notice, the words, in Romans 8: 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

“First born” This is a born race. As the Lord Jesus Christ was born so the Lord’s people, or God’s super-race was born.

17/  Now the birth of Christ Jesus that is referred to here as the firstborn, was not the birth of Bethlehem. I want you to look at a very interesting portion of scripture. 

Acts 13: 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the Second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 

This day is the resurrection day. When Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, He became first born of God. He had to die, and He rise again, and every one of the members of His Body—those who are the members of this super-race who are to be like Him are raised from the dead—every one. This must be done spiritually.

18/  We have another verse that declares this very clearly to us. 

Romans 1: 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

He has always been the Son of God. But officially He was declared when He was resurrected from the dead. The decree went forth, Thou art my Son. So we, too, are declared to be sons of God by resurrection, and this is explained to us in Romans 6: 3, 4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Here we are baptized--placed into His death, and we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even we also should walk in newness of life. And that is where we are declared to be the sons of God.      

19/  Romans 8: 30 Now notice, Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He called, and whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified.

For some unknown reason, perhaps because of the teaching we have had and people have really not analyzed it—we put all of this in the past—we take a verse like this and say, only those who the Lord has called to come to him. When the Lord Jesus Christ said, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden. He called everyone. He wants all to be saved. 

20/  Now the word called, in the 30th verse is a form of the word used only eleven times in the New Testament, and in no place is it necessary to put it in the past. It is a word that can be translated CALLED OUT after the Lord saved you, He called you out, because you are distinctly His. The Lord’s people are called-out-ones. He didn’t call them out to save them, He called them out to be made like Him. 

21/  Verse 30 wasn’t before you were saved—but it was after you are saved.

22/  Now let us notice Romans 8: 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

What is there to be afraid of? The Lord is with me as a mighty, terrible one. There are some translations of the Bible that read this way—The Lord is with me as a mighty Giant, who is afraid? 

And I believe that is the meaning. It is the picture of a little boy who has been bullied by larger boys in the neighborhood, and now he is afraid. He is afraid to venture out of the house and play on the sidewalks, but now he walks down the street with his father. He has his hand in his father’s hand, and he is not the least bit afraid. The bullies will not bother him when his father is there. Oh yes, the neighborhood bullies are there, but they see his father, and they don’t come up to him and hit him, so let us not be afraid. So that is the picture. The Lord is with me as a mighty Giant. If God be for us, who can be against us? If God be for us, God has predestinated us, if God has ordained us now, if we believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be like him, what is there to be afraid of?  

23/  Romans 8: 32 He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  

Notice, how that is worded. It doesn’t say he shall—it says how can He help—How is it possible if God has done this that He should withhold anything from us, for truly if God has not withheld his Son, it must be absolutely impossible that He should withhold anything from whom He gave His Son. He gave the best He had—He gave His all. 

24/  So if we are to be glorified, and when we share in this uncreated glory of God, we shall be made like the Lord Jesus Christ and at that time we shall be manifested as the sons of God, being made just like the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Colossians 3: 4 Notice, When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.

This is our manifestation, for the word, appear, as we said, is manifested to be unveiled. And we are predestinated to be like the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, what a happy day! 

25/  It is not any wonder then, that the Appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavens for His Church, for His Body when we shall be caught up to be with Him is called the “Blessed Hope.” Blessed, we said, means “prosperous” it means filled with many benefits. 

Just notice, Titus 2: 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 

And these benefits are that we shall share in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be unveiled as the sons of God, we shall be like Him, for we shall be predestined at that time to be made like unto the Lord Jesus Christ. What a glorious, wonderful truth! 

AMEN

Ref: 12/09/1962 / 254 - GOD’S SUPER-RACE / 03/06/2021 

PAUL SHOWS PETER THE WAY

Photo of rare whistling ducks by B Smith from the kitchen door

227 - PAUL SHOWS PETER THE WAY

May 7, 1961

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

Galatians 2: 1 - 14 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Paul was under attack by Judizing teachers—the very same type of folks that are about today—those who hate the Gospel that Paul preached, the Gospel of pure grace. And they followed Paul about and tore down Paul, they tore him down as a person and they said he was not an apostle, he was not one of the twelve, and then also they didn’t like the Gospel that he preached. And so Paul starts to prove that they are wrong and that he is the Apostle to the Gentiles, and that he has the right message. He does it in a three fold way. 

First of all, he proves he received his apostleship and his message, this Gospel by revelation from God, and then, secondly, he proves his Apostleship and his message by his recognition and being given the right hand of fellowship by the Apostles, and thirdly, by his rebuke and reasoning with Peter.

1/  Paul was sent by God out into Arabia, out into the dessert to be taught by Him.The very same place where God sent Moses, the other great man of the Bible—the other great revealer of the truth. Moses was the lawgiver, Paul is the grace-giver—they both spent time out in the wilderness.

2/  Galatians 2: 7 - 10 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

Paul bases his apostleship and his message upon his recognition by the apostles. Remember, that Paul did not go up immediately to Jerusalem. It wasn’t until after three years that he went up and then he only went up to seek Peter, and he saw James. He kept aloft from the rest of the Apostles and the leaders of the church there. Then Paul says fourteen years later he went up to the holy city, and this time he went up by revelation—God sent him there. God told him to go—it was in the plan of God for him. And there the Gentile believers were being instructed that it was necessary for them to be circumcised according to the Mosaic rite.

Acts 15: 5 - 6 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

You will notice that Paul adds for emphasis how he took Titus.

Galatians 2: 1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

His choice of a companion was rather significant. Titus was a Gentile who never submitted to any Jewish rite, but he had been saved through faith in Christ, and Christ alone, and he had no thought whatsoever of keeping the law of Moses. Titus was a living demonstration of Paul’s argument. He was a test case in favor of the Gospel of Grace. These false teachers who had come into Galatia had said, now you know that no one in Jerusalem would ever condone the idea that a Gentile could be saved if he were not circumcised, but Paul said, that is not true. I took Titus with me and he never submitted to the rite, and here was Titus right in the headquarters of the legalists, and in the 3rd verse he says, Titus was with me, being a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised. Folks down there did not tell me to circumcise him. They were perfectly willing to accept Titus just by the Gospel of Grace.

3/  He said the elders at Jerusalem did not say one word about making Titus submit to circumcision—he was accepted as a fellow-believer. What an answer to those who were criticizing Paul and misleading his converts. 

4/ Then in verse 4 & 5 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

These false brethren, and notice, he calls them false brethren, these Judizing teachers who had wormed their way privately into the assembly of believers at Galatia. Paul says, not even for peace’s sake did we submit to them, for we would be robbing you of your blood-bought heritage in Christ. We never subjected ourselves to them—in other words, we never compromised with them for one minute, in here is an important fact to see. Of course, love covers a multitude of sins, but Paul says, I never went along with these legalizers, I never went along with these folks for one second. What was it these false brethren did? They refused to see the difference between the message of Peter and Paul, and they refused the new message that Paul brought—this new message that was a revelation directly from God Himself.

5/  Remember Peter’s message at Pentecost..

Acts 2: 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Peter’s message had been repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

But Paul never preached that message—the message of Pentecost was to the Jews only—not a Gentile present, only Jews and proselytes.

Act 2: 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

Peter preached baptism for the remission of sins, but Paul’s message was, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. 

Acts 16: 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Anyone knows there is a difference between these two messages.

6/  Then they decided at the great council that Paul was to go to the Gentiles with the Gospel of uncircumcision, and Peter was to go to the Jews with the Gospel of circumcision. These two Gospels were not the same. I think we have taken enough time in days gone by to show you that they are not under any circumstance the same. But the important point is that Paul wrote this letter to the church in Galatia, he said, they gave me the right hand of fellowship, and they said—you go ahead with this Gospel. 

Verse 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

The sad part is that many people throw their hands up in holy horror at the preaching of dispensational truth, but there is no other way to understand the Bible. How else can we harmonize the message of Peter and the message of Paul. 

7/ There is a portion of Scripture in Acts that I believe has a symbolic significance to what I am bringing out. What it means to lose the Pauline message. What it means to fail to rightly divide the word of truth. 

Acts 20: 6 - 12 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.

From a study of this Scripture it seems to be that they gathered on Saturday night. They were observing the Jewish custom that a day started on the evening before. That Saturday evening marked the close of the Sabbath and the beginning of the next day, and I like this because the evening service means so much to me. It is quite evident that it was nighttime when they were gathered together. 

8/  And there was a rare treat for the congregation at Troas, to find so many distinguished visitors present. There was a friend from Berea, two from Thessalonica, another from Derbe, two others from their own province, and also the well-known and beloved Timothy, along with Dr. Luke and then the Apostle Paul himself. All these brought out in Verses 4 - 6 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. These going before tarried for us at Troas. 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.

9/  And of course, they asked Paul to be their speaker of the evening.

 Verse 7 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.

What a rare privilege it must have been to sit at his feet—the former arch-enemy of Christ, and now His special representative, and a veteran in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. With the thought in mind that he had to leave on the morrow, the apostle did not spare himself. He might not see them again, and he had so much to say, so much to reveal to them—so much to bring to their hearts—so much instruction and warning. Who could not listen to such a man preach? What if he did continue to midnight? Who would ever become drowsy listening to this man as he preached these marvelous truths?  

10/  Yet someone did fall asleep during the service. Someone named Eutychus, and of course, he was a young man. Perhaps he had worked very hard that day, and the young man sat in a window. I am pretty sure he did not mean to allow himself to fall so soundly to sleep. I am sure he fought sleep at first, and then as it is a habit in a church service, he just indulged in a bit of dozing for a little bit, and he sort of just rested his eyes, just to take a little tension off them, but before long he had fallen into a deep sleep, and as Paul was long preaching, he sank down with sleep.

Verse 9 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.

11/  And the results were by no means amusing, for losing his balance, he fell from his position in the window sill to the ground three floors below, and was taken up dead. Can you picture the men rushing down with lamps and torches, to view the lifeless form of Eutychas lying there on the ground below. 

But at this point, Verse 10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

Actually, you might say if you want to fall asleep and be safe in a church service, you better be sure someone like Paul is around who can help out.  

12/  But notice they didn’t close the meeting at that time. Oh no, Paul was to travel the next day. But that didn’t matter either. We read that they went up again and they partook of some refreshments. This time they talked—they didn’t preach—they talked until the break of day. What glorious fellowship we can have around the Word of God. How much fellowship these people had together. How I enjoy being around people who can sit down and talk about the Word of God. They want to know more about it—they are not worried about sleep—they are not worried about the things of this world, they are worried because they do not know enough about God and His plan and His program for them. 

13/  Let us just look at this portion of Scripture for just a moment. You remember, Paul was the preacher, he preached for a long time, and a young man fell asleep under his preaching. The young man was taken up dead, and then Paul restored his life to him—brought him back to life again. You remember that the church spread rapidly under the preaching of the Apostle Paul and his missionary journeys. The grace Gospel that he preached was a marvelous gospel and men and women, boys and girls were won unto the Lord Jesus Christ. But Paul had been preaching a long time—even longer than Moses. Moses preached about 1,500 years—that is how long the law was in force. Paul's message has been preached more than 1,500 years—about 1,900 years. Grace has been reigning about 19 centuries. 

Oh, the long suffering of God. Still the wrath of God has not come down upon man. The message of grace—all grace—goes forth. Paul is still preaching. But you and I know that some centuries ago the church fell asleep. It was during the dark ages, and it fell from its lofty position, and it became a corrupt and dirty and vile and filthy church—It became the means of sending billions into the very jaws of hell. The Gospel was practically an unknown thing. The Grace Gospel was non-existent, except for a few here and there who were preaching the truth. God has always had His remnant, never forget that. 

But then came along some men—mainly a man by the name of Martin Luther. The world may not appreciate Martin Luther, but Henry Kulp does. The world may smear him. I know he brought many grave-clothes with him. But what was it that brought Martin Luther to the truth—what was the stirring of this great Reformation? I’ll tell you what it was. It was the truth of justification by faith. And where did he get it? He got it from Paul. Do you realize that the Reformers turned to Paul and got their truth. 

Do you realize a man by the name of Darby turned to Paul and was used by God to bring the church, the body of Christ and blessed hope, of the personal appearing of Jesus Christ for His church. Where did they get it? Where did Darby get it?—From Paul. It was through the preaching of Paul that vigor and life was restored to the church. If only men and women could see it and appreciate it. 

Luther and his theme—the just shall live by faith. Yes, it was Paul who was used to restore Eutychus back to life, and so it was Paul that has been used to restore the church in this dispensation to a life of vigor. 

But again drowsiness is coming upon the church. Again it is becoming a sleepy-eyed church, because so much is being mixed up with it. Compromise is here, there and everywhere. That is why we need to study the book of Galatians and see that Paul not for one minute, not for one second would compromise with legalists, but took his stand with Jesus Christ, the glorified Saviour who paid the complete price of redemption. 

14/  Then the third thing Paul bases his argument of his apostleship and his Gospel on is his rebuke and reasoning with Peter. 

Galatians 2: 11 - 21 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

The rebuke was something that Peter sorely needed, and Peter knew it. Men today may put Peter upon a pedestal and say he was the founder of the church, the rock upon which the church was built, but he is far from that.

I Timothy 1: 15 - 16  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

I Timothy proves this fact very clearly. Peter had the keys to the Kingdom, not the keys to the church, and Paul proves that he has supremacy over Peter by standing up before him and dressing him down, and notice, what it says in Verse 11, I withstood him to his face, and then in Verse 14, before them all. 

Paul pulls no punches, but he confronted Peter with his sin and dressed him down, and put him in his place in a proper way. 

15/  You can see the type of church you would have if it were built upon Peter. It would be a very poor church. 

I praise God that Peter is not the head of the church. Christ is the head of the church. But I praise God that the Gospel we have is not from Peter, but from Paul. 

AMEN

Ref: 05/07/1961 / PAUL SHOWS PETER THE WAY / 03/04/2021

ARE CHRISTIANS DEAD OR ALIVE

Photo by B Smith from the patio

230 - ARE CHRISTIANS DEAD OR ALIVE

JUNE 4,1961 

HENRY F. KULP

 

Galatians 2: 19 - 21 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Paul was writing to the church at Galatia because it had been disturbed by the law-keepers—those who wanted to put these folks back under the law and told them they had to live under the law, they had to keep the law—they had to be circumcised. And now Paul is reasoning with Peter, who had become a law-keeper. He segregated himself from the Gentiles believers and gone over to the Jewish believers and he endeavored to be with those who were law-keepers.

1/  Paul is pointing out the futility of the law. First of all, he says, I though the law am dead to the law. He said, the law has put me to death and I am a dead man, and the law cannot touch a dead man. For example, if I come down Sixth Avenue at eighty miles an hour and if there is an officer cruising in his prowl car and he takes off after me, and he knows I am breaking the law, and he writes down my license number. He is not able to catch me, and I make a turn off Sixth Avenue and go up through the countryside, and finally I run into a tree and crash and snuff out my life. The officers have my license number, but they look up the number and sure enough it is my car, so they send a summons to me that I am to appear, and I am to stand trial for breaking the law. What can the police department, what can the law do? I have broken the law, I have been guilty, I deserve to be punished, they can’t take my license from me, they cannot fine me because I am dead. I have cheated the law—but that is not the illustration here—the law has put me to death because the wages of sin is death—that is what the law said, and I died in Jesus Christ.

2/  Galatians 2: 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I am crucified with Christ. Paul says I died by crucifixion—I died on the cross and there the law spent its wrath upon me—I paid the penalty, I satisfied all its demands. You say, when did you die by crucifixion? When did you die on the cross—when Jesus Christ hung on the cross.

3/  When Jesus Christ hung on the cross, men saw only a man—a human body with nails through its hands and its feet. But when God looks upon His Son, He saw far more than a physical body. He saw a spiritual body called the body of Christ, which is the church, which is made up of believers. The body of Christ is a figure of the Church in Scripture, for we read again in Ephesians 5: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

We are members of His body, of His flesh and His bones. Christ, then is the head. 

Colossians 1: 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

He says, He is the head of the body the Church. And we are members of His body—so as God looks down upon the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, He saw not only the Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, but He saw the entire body, and that means you and me—for He saw the Church.

4/  By faith, Paul was in Christ when He hung upon the cross, and what happened to Jesus Christ, happened to him, and the same this is true for me. By faith in Jesus Christ, I hung on the cross, and what happened to Jesus Christ happened to me.

5/  After Jesus Christ hung on the cross, He was buried. After Jesus Christ died on the cross, two men, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus went to Pilate and requested the body of the Lord Jesus Christ for burial.

Matthew 27: 58 - 60 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Please notice, no less than three times, the word body is used in just these two verses. Remember, we are members of His body, of His flesh and His bone, when they, therefore buried the body of the Saviour, they buried both the head and the body, and we are the body. We were buried with Jesus Christ. 

Romans 6: 3 - 4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We are buried with Him by baptism into death. Yes, we were crucified with Jesus Christ, but we were also buried with Him in the baptism of His death.  

6/  Remember in Galatians 2: 20 it says, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yes, you see, the Lord Jesus arose, and not only did the Head arise from the grave but the body as well. Every member of that body came forth out of the tomb.

7/  But there is still more. We are not only crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, raised with Christ, but with him already seated in the Heavenlies. Although we are still here in our bodies on earth, the body of the Lord Jesus Christ is in Heaven. Not only the Head ascended, but the whole Body. Then forty days after His resurrection Jesus ascended into Heaven—the Head and the Body ascended together. The body of Christ is in Heaven today, and I am a member of that Body, and I have ascended into Heaven. That is what He tells us.

Ephesians 2: 4 - 6 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

8/  Spurgeon once said something that has always stayed with me. It is a wonderful truth. He said, as long as your head is above water, you cannot drown your feet. Our Head is truly in Heaven, having ascended, so therefore, we haven’t any worries. Yes, we may still be on earth, but positional we are in Heaven and the Head of the Body is in Heaven, so that means I am eternally secure. There are so many who keep writing to me and they send me waste basket after waste basket full of books, and magazines and letters, trying to get me back under the law and the commandments again. But what a waste of time and postage this is. Do you think for one moment I would give up my position in grace and put myself back under the curse of the law? Of course not, not for one second would I do that. I am eternally saved, by this glorious grace Gospel.

9/  Notice, what he says in Galatians 2: 21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

I am not going back under the law. No, I am perfectly happy were I am in grace—In Christ Jesus.

10/  Let us look at Galatians 2: 20 again. It say, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God. 

Notice, it doesn’t say, I live by the law as people would have us believe, but I live by the faith of the Son of God. You say, don’t we need the law, so that we can live now? Yes, you are saved, you are seated in Heavenly places, and your head, the head of the body is in Heaven, but you need the law to live today. Of course, not. Not for a moment do I need the law to live.

Notice, Titus 2: 11 - 12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

It says the grace of God teaches us. The grace of God teaches us true holiness. Would you dare for one moment to substitute the word, law, for grace here in Titus 2: 11? If you did, it would read like this—for the law of God teaches us that denying all ungodliness and worldly lust we should live soberly. Some would like it to read that way, but that is not the way Paul stated it. He knew we needed grace, and so he says, the grace of God teaches holiness. The only way to have holiness is through grace.

11/  The law is for sinners, not for saints. 

I Timothy 1: 9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Notice what he says, knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. 

Now, I would have you stop there for just a moment. Notice, Paul says the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. The question that forms immediately is, are you a righteous man or a lawless, disobedient one? If you are a righteous man, Paul says the law is not for you. If you are in Christ, born from above by God’s grace, and through this you are righteous in God’s sight, then the law does not have dominion over you—you are not only dead to the law, through the law, but the law has no part upon a righteous man, but if you are not a righteous man, not saved, lawless and disobedient, then Paul says the law stands ready to condemn you—that is all it can do for you. Where do you belong? If you are in Christ, you are as righteous as Christ is. 

I John 4: 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

II Corinthians 5: 21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

12/  These are tremendous words. If you place yourself, therefore, under the law, you admit that you are guilty, and you deserve the judgment of God, you deserve to be cursed by the law. But I praise God, I am not under the law, I am dead to the law through the law, and I have been made righteous by God, so therefore the law is not for me.

13/  THIS  BELONGS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE SERMON.

Romans 8: 3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Please notice the first phrase of this verse, For what the law could not do. Even though some folks do not recognize it, there are some things that the law cannot do. There are some things that God never expected it to do. We ask, therefore, what is it that it could not do? It cannot save. It cannot justify. It cannot pardon. It cannot redeem. It cannot improve. It cannot fix up. It cannot assist. 

Why can’t the law do this? The answer comes back from this verse again—In that it is weak through the flesh. It is the weakness of the flesh that prevents the law from doing anything but curse the sinner.

14/  What then is our hope? The answer comes right back from this verse again. What the law could not do, the Lord Jesus Christ did do. We do not turn to the law, but we turn to Christ in our desperate plight, in our despicable condition.

15/  Now, of course, this does not mean I can live anyway I want. As we read in Titus 2 the grace of God teaches us, but it teaches without the law. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

I would like you to notice, I Corinthians 10: 23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Paul makes an enlightening statement. He says all things are lawful to me. Notice the word, lawful—all things are lawful. Four times he makes this statement. Twice in this chapter, and twice in I Corinthians 6 All things are lawful. Paul insists as a believer he is not under the law of commandments, but he is under grace. His service to God is not legal but voluntary. Notice the difference—it is not legal—it is voluntary, and immediately the question comes back, if the believer is not under the law he can live as he pleases, do as he wishes, it makes no difference. Of course, that is not true. Paul says all things are lawful, but I am not going to do all things, for the grace of God teaches me that not all things are expedient, and all things do not edify. Here grace teaches me that I have to be careful of what I do, not according to the law, but according to grace.

16/  Then notice, I Corinthians 10: 32 give none offense, neither to the Jews or the Gentiles nor to the church of God. And this is the way we should live. Grace teaches us that we do not want to cause anyone to stumble. We do not want to do a thing that will bring offense to God. We will walk in trembling.

17/  Now we start with the third chapter. Now that Paul has thoroughly vindicated his apostleship and his message, he now continues, proceeds, with a doctrinal discussion. 

First of all, notice what he says. O, foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? I am sure these believers when they read that statement were shocked. They were aroused. They probably read it a number of times to make sure that they were getting it straight. Because Paul uses very unusual language. What he really means is this—how is it that you have seemed to come under a sort of spell. Actually, Paul is using something that was a popular superstition of that day—the evil eye. He says, who has put the evil eye upon you? And therefore put you under a spell? Folks believed that people could cast spells in those days—they could put an evil eye upon you, and you would be under their spell. Paul says, when these evil teachers have come in—these legalistic teachers, they seemingly have put a spell on you—they have put an evil eye on you and you are sort of bewitched. Did you ever stop to think what legalism does to people? It affects them that way. My, they seem to be bewitched, they seem to be under a spell.

18/  There is another thing I want you to see. It is quite possible for one to have been truly saved—to have begun his Christian experience with a clear, definite knowledge of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then because of failure to follow or to study, to come to know God’s truth, they have fallen under the influence of some false system, some unscriptural line of teaching, and then when you go and try to correct that, they seem to be under a spell, it seems to be almost impossible to deliver them. I have had this happen many and many times.

19/  Then Paul asks a second question as he interrogates these Galatians, he says—This only would I learn of you. Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? When they heard and believed the Gospel of the grace of God, which Paul taught—notice, which Paul taught —they believed what he said when he came into their midst. And so Paul would ask them if they received the Holy Spirit by the ceremonial law of Moses, or by hearing and believing in Jesus Christ. There could be only one answer, of course. The gift of the Spirit was an act of God by those who would receive Him by faith—there is no doubt about that at all. We have this brought out to us Ephesians 1: 13 Upon your believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise. They knew that. They knew they had received the Holy Spirit when they were saved. They knew they couldn’t be saved apart from the Holy Spirit, and they knew they were saved all right. They had to be saved under the preaching of Paul. Well, they said, did you have the deeds of the law then to give you the Holy Spirit? Of course not.

20/  Then a third question follows—Verse 3 Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit, are ye made perfect by the flesh? Paul’s argument is logical, because the law keepers are very logical, there is a strange inconsistency in law keepers. They knew that they couldn’t be saved by the law, they knew that only too well. But now that they were saved, they said, you have to keep the law to continue on to what God wants you to be after you are saved. In other words, they said, saved by faith, yes, but kept by faith and law. He said if the law couldn’t help save you, how could it keep you? That is just common sense, isn’t it? 

I meet many folks like that. They say, no, we are not saved by the works  of the flesh, we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, but after we are saved, it takes works to keep us saved. If it doesn’t save us, how can it keep us? That certainly is not consistency in doctrine, is it?

21/  They knew that the flesh is weak and sickly. 

Romans 6: 19  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

They knew that in the flesh dwelleth no good thing. 

Romans 7: 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

How foolish then to think that this flesh could keep them saved.

22/  We know it is impossible today, don’t we, because my life’s verse tells it to us ever so clearly. 

Philippians 1: 6 He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it or continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

We are kept saved by the work of Christ, not our own work—we know better than to fall into the trap of the legalists.

23/  Then the fourth question comes up, in Galatians 3: 4 Paul continues to press argument upon argument, and he is using the ground of experience. Have you suffered so many things in vain? 

Apparently the Galatians, like many other believers in the early church were made to suffer for their stand in Christ. When they received Paul’s message, they were persecuted, they suffered horribly, and Paul reminds them they were turning their backs upon the very thing that caused them persecution, believing the Gospel as Paul preached it. We know that in Acts 14 there was a great dissension there in Galatia because of Paul, and these Galatians took part with Paul. They received Paul and believed Paul’s message, and they fought for him and suffered for what he taught.

24/  Then Paul brings his final question. 

Galatians 3: 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Then he talks about the miracles that had been done. Had they been done by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith. We cannot be certain what these miracles are because we are not told. The question was, when the Galatians saw Paul and Barnabas performing miracles, they knew that the power of God was there and the blessing of God was upon what they were preaching, and so they knew whatever Paul did in their midst, it was not by miracles. Of course, the greatest miracle that they had seen in Galatia, Acts 14: 19 - 20 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Here where Paul was stoned to death and he rose again from the dead. They knew that that did not happen by the law, but they knew that was exhibited and gave Paul the authority that he needed. He was the man of God.

AMEN

Ref: 06/04/1961 / ARE CHRISTIANS DEAD OR ALIVE? / 02/28/2021