“The Offense of the Cross”

"The Offense of the Cross"

(No. 2594)

A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S-DAY, OCTOBER 30, 1898.

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT NEW PARK STREET CHAPEL, SOUTHWARK, ON A LORD'S-DAY EVENING IN THE
YEAR 1856.

"And I, brethren, ifI still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer
persecution? Then is the offense of the Cross ceased." Galatians 5:11.

THE religion of Jesus is the most peaceful, mild and benevolent
religion which was ever promulgated. When we compare it with any set of
dogmas invented by men, there is not one of them that can stand the
least comparison with it for gentleness, mildness and love. As for the
religion of Mohamed, it is the religion of the vulture–but the
religion of Jesus is that of the dove–all is mercy, all is mild. It
is, like its Founder, an embodiment of pure benevolence, Grace and
truth.

And yet, strange to say, gentle as the Gospel is, and inoffensive as
its professors have always proved themselves to be, when they have
acted rightly–not resisting evil, but submitting to it, whatever it
might be–yet there has never been anything which has caused more
disturbance in the world than the Christian religion! It is not a sword
and yet it has brought war into the world. It is not a fire and yet it
has consumed many old institutions–and has burned much that men
thought would last forever. It is the Gospel of peace and yet it has
parted the dearest friends and caused terrible feuds and confusions
everywhere! Though in itself it is all gentleness, yet it seems as if
the standard of the dove were the standard of battle and as if raising
up the peaceful Cross had been the signal for war, like the blood-red
fiery Cross which of old they passed through Scotland to summon the
clans to battle! Strange, yet strangely true it is, that the Cross of
Christ has always been an offense and that it has provoked the fiercest
battles and the sternest strifes which men have ever had with their
fellow men.

In considering our text I shall, first, speak to you a little
concerning what "the offense of the Cross"is. Secondly, as to how men
show their offense against the Cross. Thirdly, I shall have a little to
say to those who are offended at the Cross, to show them their folly.
And, lastly, I shall conclude by an inference or two, for the special
benefit of Christian ministers and the Church at large.

I. Let us enquire, first, WHEREIN DOES "THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS"
CONSIST?

Our limits forbid any attempt to be elaborate and we commence by saying
that "the offense of the Cross" lies, first, in the way in which it
deals with all human wisdom. The philosopher puts his glasses to his
eyes, looks at the Cross and then says, "I cannot see anything so very
wonderful in it–even with these splendid glasses of mine, which can
see more than that poor, humble peasant! I do not care about such a
system of religion as that–any simpleton can understand the Cross." So
he passes by and merely sneers at it.

The man who loves controversy comes to the Gospel and finds that there
is in it pure dogmatism. Such things are said to be true and sinners
must believe them–or else be damned. "I shall not do so" he says. "I
shall not yield implicit faith to the Gospel. I like disputing upon
points of doctrine. I like to argue against them. I shall not listen to
your preacher who says, 'This is the Truth of God, the whole Truth of
God and nothing else but the Truth.' I will not hear the man who speaks
thus authoritatively! I like men who will give me margin enough to
doubt, who let me believe what I like and no more. I prefer to use my
reason and common sense." When you come to talk with him about the
religion which says, "Believe that or else be lost. Believe that or
else be shut out of the pale of salvation," he turns on his heels and
says,

"I will not believe any such thing!" And when he asks what it is he is
to believe, he professes himself to be wiser than the Word of God!
"What?" he says, "believe in the Atonement? I can't–it is contrary to
my common sense. Believe the Doctrine of Election? Why, it shocks my
humanity! Believe in the total depravity of human nature and the
impossibility of being saved without being born again? Why, I cannot
receive such teaching for a single moment! It is contrary to all that
the scholars have ever taught and different from what any philosopher
ever would have invented! So I shall not receive it."

And he turns away with an anathema against the Cross. He cannot bear it
because of its great simplicity! If he could describe it as being so
amazing that he could by no means make the common people comprehend
it–and that it was only because of his gigantic intellect that he was
able to understand it, himself–he would not mind accepting it! But as
it is so plain and simple, he turns away from it in disgust. He cannot
bear the Gospel of the Cross–it has not worldly wisdom enough in it
for him–and he either does not know or he forgets that the knowledge
of Christ Crucified is the most excellent of all the sciences, and that
never is reason so glorified as when it humbly sits down under the
shadow of the Cross!

But there is something in the Cross of Christ which hurts men's pride
even more than this! And that is, it is opposed to all their notions of
human ability. The man who is relying for salvation on his own strength
does not like the Doctrine of the Cross. If anyone preaches a gospel
which tells the sinner that he has power to save himself–if he
preaches a gospel which says that Christ, having died to put all men in
a salvable condition, they have only to exercise the power they have
and they will be able to deliver themselves–if a man thus preaches
something which exalts the skill and strength of the creature–he will
never offend his unregenerate hearers! But if he once begins to cast
the sinner down in the dust and to teach what Christ Himself
taught–"No man can come to Me except the Father which has sent Me draw
him"–and that, in the Scriptures, all men are declared to be "dead in
trespasses and sins," then the proud sinner will turn away and say, "I
am not going to be so insulted, to have all my powers leveled to the
ground! Am I to be made into a mere machine, or into a piece of clay
and to lie passive in the Potter's hands? I will not submit to such an
indignity!" If the minister will give him a little to do, himself, and
let him sacrifice a little to his own idol, he will drink down the
false doctrine as the ox drinks down water! But since we tell him he is
powerless, like the poor bleeding man when the Samaritan met him, he
says, "I will have nothing to do with you!"

And the Cross offends men, yet again, because it goes clean contrary to
their ideas of human merit There is not a soul in all the world that,
by nature, loves to be stripped of all merit. No, the last thing a man
likes to part with is his righteousness. I have known poor sinners
stand on Sinai's top until their knees knocked together, yet they have
clung to their self-righteousness even there! I have known men stand
where God's earthquakes were shaking the ground under their feet and
the thunder and lightning were playing above their heads, yet they
stillheld fast to their self-righteousness! It is a hard thing to get
that away from men. You know how Bunyan says that when Great-Heart slew
Giant Despair, the giant "had, as they say, as many lives as a cat."
And I am sure that self-righteousness has many more lives than that–it
is the hardest thing in the world to kill! You may cut the evil weed,
self-righteousness, up, but when you think you have got to the last
root of it, it will be shooting up again before you can sharpen your
knife to cut it up once more! This evil thing is bred in man's nature.
When you preach against it, see how men will roar at you–they cannot
bear that teaching!

I sometimes receive letters from persons who say, "We would not be
surprised if all your congregation were to live in sin because you are
always preaching against man's righteousness and inviting poor sinners
to come to Christ by simple faith–and to be saved by Grace, alone." I
daresay they would not be surprised if such a thing were to happen, but
I would be surprised if my people, as a whole, lived in sin! I bless
God that I have no cause to wonder about that matter, for a holier
people you will not find this side of Heaven than those who receive
into their hearts the Doctrine of Christ's Imputed Righteousness. This
I will say of them, that Grace has worked good fruits in them, that
they walk in the fear of the Lord, in love to one another and in the
practice of uprightness and godliness. But men of the world cannot
stand this teaching because it makes nothing of the merits of which
they think so much! Tell men that they are a very good sort of
folk–they love to hear that! Give people a good compliment of
themselves and they will like to listen to you–but that self-conceit
is the ruin of tens of thousands! I am sure it is only when we begin to
say–

"I'm a poor sinner, and nothing at all, But Jesus Christ is my
All-in-All"

–that we are saved. But as long as we are content with ourselves in
our natural sinful condition, there is not the slightest hope for us.
So, you see, this is "the offense of the Cross," that we do not let men
trust in their own merits!

But there is another offense which is a very grievous one and the world
has never forgiven the Cross that "offense" yet–it will not recognize
any distinctions between mankind. The Cross makes moral and immoral
persons go to Heaven by the same road! The Cross makes rich and poor
enter Heaven by the same door! The Cross makes the philosopher and
peasant walk on the same highway of holiness! The Cross procures the
same crown for the poor creature with one talent that the man with 10
talents shall receive. Therefore, the wise man says, "What? Am I to be
saved by the same Cross which saves a man who does not know his
letters?" Your fine lady asks, "Am I to be saved in the same fashion as
my servant girl?" The gentleman says, "Am I to be saved the same way as
that chimney-sweep?" And he who boasts of his self-righteousness cries,
"What? Am I to jostle against a harlot, to elbow a drunk on the road to
Heaven? Then, I will not go to Heaven at all." Then, Sir, you will be
lost! There are no two roads to Heaven–it is the same road for
everyone who goes there–and therefore, the Cross has always been
offensive to men of mark and might. Few kings and queens have ever bent
humbly before it. Men have covered up the Cross with some fine
decorations and they have said that they loved it–but it was not the
Cross they cared for–it was the gaudy ornaments! If it had been the
simple Cross, they would have dragged it through the streets, as
Mohamed's people did with the cross at Jerusalem.

II. This brings me now to tell you, in the second place, HOW PERSONS
SHOW THEIR OFFENSE AGAINST THE CROSS OF CHRIST.

In olden times they did it by burning, torturing and tormenting
Christians, making them suffer all kinds of indescribable agonies. But
that method did not work, so the devil now adopts other measures. He
found that the more he oppressed them, like Israel in Egypt, the more
they multiplied–so now he acts in another fashion. How does he do it?
Not exactly by open persecution, but "the offense of the Cross" shows
itself, sometimes, by private persecution. You do not, all of you, hear
of the persecution that is going on with regard to the Lord's people.
Every now and then things of this sort come to my notice, though you
may not know of them. How many drunk husbands there are who persecute
their wives almost incessantly because they cleave fast to God? How
many a young man, how many a young woman is there who is called to
suffer persecution from father and mother and sister and brother, for
Christ's sake? Persecution is not over–it works slyly and comes not
out openly before the world. It comes not out into Smithfield, as it
did of old, though there may be many a house in the neighborhood of
Smithfield that reeks with it. It comes not out in an honest garb, but
watches for its prey in a covert way. It is not the lion, but the
prowling jackal, though it is as wild and as ravenous as ever.

And when persecution does not display itself in positive acts, it
operates by means of jeers and scoffs–by the shrug of the shoulder
and, let me say, more men have been ruined by this practice than by the
worse slanders! Men who shrug their shoulders generally do a deal of
mischief, though they may not know it. When, sitting at table, I have
mentioned a person's name and someone has shrugged his shoulders and
said, "Oh"–the man's character was half gone! If the person had
anything to say against the other, why could he not say it right out
and not leave us in the dark to surmise all manner of iniquities?
Another man will say, "I don't wish to persecute you. You can go to
Chapel as often as you like." Yet there is, on his face, the cold sneer
and on his lips, the cruel jest or slander! Every idle rumor is
circulated and everything that can be invented against the minister of
the Gospel and against Christian people–all still showing that there
is now–as there was in the days of the Apostles, an "offense of the
Cross."

But I will tell you what is the favorite plan, nowadays. It is not to
oppose the Cross, but to wind round the Cross and try to get the Cross
to alter its shape a little. Men who hate the Doctrines of the Cross,
say, "We, too, preach the Gospel." They alter it. They misshape it.
They make it "another gospel, which is not another." Let others say, if
they will, that yes and no can meet together, that fire and water can
kiss each other, that Christ and Belial can be twins–the true minister
of Jesus Christ cannot do that! Truth is Truth and whatever is the
opposite of it cannot be truth. The Truth of God is one and that which
opposes it must certainly be error and falsehood. But it is the fashion
to try to blend the two things together. Look at very many of the
churches–they say that they hold to the Truth of God. Look at their
articles–they have all the five points of Calvinism. And if you ask
the ministers whether they believe the Doctrine of
Election–"Certainly," they reply. If you ask them whether they believe
all the great cardinal Truths of the Gospel, they say, "Oh, yes,
certainly we believe them! But we do not think they ought to be
preached to the common people."

Ah, Sirs! You have a fine notion of yourselves if you do not think that
"the common people" are as good as you are and that they can receive
the Doctrines of Grace as well as you can! "Oh, but those doctrines are
dangerous! They drive the people to Antinomianism" They say this, but
when we write to them, they reply, "Oh, we are as sound as you are!"
Yes, but it is one thing to be sound, and another thing to preach sound
Truth! I will never believe a man to be better than what he preaches.
If a man does not proclaim "the Truth of God, the whole Truth of God,
and nothing but the Truth," we like him none the better, but 10 times
worse because he says that he believes it! We would rather he did not
believe it at all than that he should conceal his real sentiments. Such
men, who hide the Truth of God, prove that they are as much offended
with the Cross as if they openly tried to refute its doctrines! God
send us the day when the pure, unadulterated Doctrines of the Grace of
God, which is in Christ Jesus, shall be proclaimed in every church and
heard in every street and received by every professed Christian!

III. Now I come, in the third place, TO SAY SOMETHING TO THOSE WHO ARE
OFFENDED

AT THE CROSS.

First, let me say that it is very foolish of a man who does not believe
the Gospel to oppose those who do. If a man does not, himself, love the
Gospel, he should leave alone other people who do. You have often heard
the old fable of the dog in the manger, but here is something
worse–here is the dog outof the manger–he does not even lie on the
hay, and yet he barks at those that come to feed upon it! He does not
love the Gospel and because others do, he hates them! Why, surely, what
you do not want yourselves, you might let other people have in
quietness! You need not oppose them for carrying away what you count
worthless rubbish! Why should you be so offended and endeavor to make a
stand against the Truth of God, since you cannot, in your present
condition, get anything out of it and may burn your fingers for your
pains?

Then, next, how foolish it is to be offended at the Cross, seeing that
you cannot stop its progress! He who should place himself before
Juggernaut's car to be crushed would be as wise as you who are opposing
the Gospel. If it is true, remember, "The Truth of God is mighty and
must prevail." Who are you to attempt to stand against it? You will be
crushed, but let me tell you that when the car goes over you, the wheel
will not be raised even an inch by your size! For what are you? A tiny
gnat, a creeping worm which that wheel will crush to less than nothing
and not leave you even a name as having been an opponent of the Gospel!
There have been men who have stood up and said, "We will stop the
chariot of Christ." Thousands have looked at them and have been afraid.
Their trumpets have blown loud and long and some poor Christians have
said, "Stand aside! Here comes a man who will stop the chariot of the
Lord Jesus."

At one time, it was Tom Paine. Then it was Robert Owen. But what became
of them? Did the chariot stop for them? No, it went on just as if there
had never been a Tom Paine or a Robert Owen on the earth! Let all the
infidels in the world assuredly know that the Gospel will win its way,
whatever they may do. Poor creatures! Their efforts to oppose it are
not worthy of our notice and we need not fear that they can stop the
Truth of God! As well might a gnat think to quench the sun! Go, tiny
insect, and do it, if you can! You will only burn your wings and die.
As well might a fly think it could drink the ocean dry. Drink the
ocean, if you can–more likely you will sink in it and so it will drink
you! You who despise and oppose the Gospel, what can you do? It comes
on "conquering and to conquer." I always think that the more enemies
the Gospel has, the more it will advance. As the old warrior said, "The
more enemies there are, the more there are to be killed, the more there
are to be taken prisoners and the more there are to run away." Double
your hosts, you opposers! Come on against us with a still mightier
power! Rage yet more loudly! Slander us yet more foully! Do what you
can, victory is ours, for it is predestinated! The massive column of
Divine Predestination stands firm and on its top there are the eagle
wings betokening victory for every Believer and for the whole Church of
Christ! God's Truth must and shall conquer, therefore, do you, foolish
creature, hope to oppose the Gospel because it offends you? The Stone
cut out without hands cannot be broken by you–but if it fall upon you,
it will grind you to powder!

But another thought, and I have done with this part of my subject. O
man, if you hate the Gospel, let me solemnly say to you how doubly
foolish you are to be offended with Christ, who is the only One who can
save you! As well might the drowning man be offended with the rope
which is cast to him and which is the only means of his escape! As well
might the dying patient be offended with the cup of medicine which is
put to his lips and which, alone, can save his body from death! As well
might the man whose house is burning be offended with the fireman who
roughly puts the fire escape ladder against his window–as that you
should be offended with Christ! Offended with Him who would snatch you
as "a brand from the burning"? Offended with Him who, alone, can quench
for you the fire of Hell? Offended with Him whose blood, alone, can
wash you white and give you a place with Him in Glory everlasting?
Offended with Him? Then you are mad, indeed! Not Bedlam, itself, can
produce a maniac more foolish than you are!

Ah, you despisers, you shall wonder and perish! You are offended with
the Gospel because it says that you have not any merit, but you have
not any–then why are you offended? You are offended at the Gospel
because it does not ask anything of you in order that you may be saved,
yet if it did demand anything of you as a condition of your salvation,
you would be lost! It is just the Gospel for you–it is made on
purpose–it fits your condition! It is adapted to your case and yet you
are offended with it? Oh, how can you be so foolish? Did you ever hear
of a man who was offended with a coach that was carrying him because it
had wheels? Why should you be offended with the Gospel chariot because
it could not advance except on the wheels of Free Grace? What? You are
offended with the Gospel because it lays you low? Don't you know that
it is the very best place for you? The devil would have you very high
if he could, but that would be only that he might ruin you!

My dear Friends, I beseech you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Himself, think about why you are offended with the Gospel! I know it
goes against your prejudices. When you first hear it, you do not love
it, but, remember, it is your only hope of salvation. Are you offended
with that which alone can save you? Offended with that which can put a
crown on your head, a palm branch in your hand and give you bliss
forever? Then, I think when you sink to Hell, you will look up to
Heaven and say, "Ah, Christ! I was offended with You, but now I see
that You are the only Savior. I hated Your name, of which it is
written, 'At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.' I hated that
Savior who was the only Savior to redeem sinners from sin."

IV. Lastly, I am TO DRAW ONE OR TWO INFERENCES.

The first is this, If the Cross of Christ is an offense and always was
an offense, what is the reason why so many professed Christians go on
so easily from January to December and never have any trouble about it?
Old John Berridge said, "If you do not preach the Gospel, you may sleep
soundly enough. But if you preach it faithfully, you will hardly have a
sound place in your skin, for you will soon have enemies enough
assailing you." How is it that we never hear of any slander against a
great many ministers? Everything goes easily and comfortably with them.
Nobody is ever offended with their preaching. People go out of their
chapel doors and say, "What a nice sermon! It was just the thing for
everybody, and nobody could be offended." They do not fully preach the
Gospel, or they would be sure to offend some people! Suppose that
somebody says to me, "Do you know that Mrs. So-and-So was fearfully
offended with your last sermon?" That is no trouble to me if I know
that I have preached the Truth of God! A celebrated preacher was once
told that he had pleased all his hearers. "Ah," he said, "there is
another sermon lost."

The most effective sermons are those which make opposers of the Gospel
bite their lips and gnash their teeth. "That preaching is worth
little," Rowland Hill used to say, "that cannot make the devil roar. He
preaches but very little of the Truth of God who does not set the old
lion roaring against him." Depend upon it, Satan does not like the
Gospel any better than he did–and the world does not like the Gospel
any better than it did–and if there is not, nowadays, so much
persecution and hatred as there used to be, it is because men do not
proclaim the plain, simple Truth of God as their forefathers did!
People go to hear nice velvet-tongued preachers. They like the minister
to prophesy smooth things to them! "I won't go to hear Mr. So-and-So,"
says one, "for he will be sure to offend me."

Now what is the reason for this? It is because he preaches the whole
Gospel, the pure Truth of God! But do men imagine that we wantto offend
them? No, God knows the hard things we often say cause us more pain
than they cause to our hearers. But it is a good thing when we care
little for the opinion of men and when we have learned to live above
the world. Once let ministers faithfully proclaim the plain, simple
Gospel, and we shall soon hear the laughter, scorn and jeers. It was an
ill day when the sons of God made affinity with the daughters of men.
And it will be an ill day for the Church of Christ when the world
speaks well of it and everybody commends it. The denomination that is
most spoken against is usually the one where Christ most dwells! But
the denomination that is flowing in plenty and dandled on the knees of
honor is usually the most corrupt! Preach the Gospel boldly,
steadfastly, steadily, strongly, out-and-out–and you will not be long
without hearing something about "the offense of the Cross."

My last remark is this. O my Brothers and Sisters, how many reasons we
have to bless and extol our gracious God if the Cross of Christ is not
an offense to us!I hope many here can unite with me in saying that
there is nothing in the Bible that offends us and there is nothing in
the Gospel that now offends us. If there is anything you do not
understand, you do not hate it–if it seems dark and mysterious, you do
not reject it, but you are willing to learn all you can about it. Ah,
my God, if all I have ever preached is false, I stand prepared to
disown it when You shall teach me better! If all I have ever learned is
a mistake and I have not learned it from You, I will not be ashamed to
recant it in that hour when You shall, Yourself, teach me and show me
my error. We are not ashamed to bring ourselves wholly into the mold of
Scripture, to take it just as it stands, to believe it and to receive
it. And if you are in that state, mark you, you are saved, for no man
can say that he accepts the Gospel wholly, loves it all, and receives
it in his heart–and can yet be a stranger to it!

I have heard preachers ignorantly talk about "natural" love to the
Gospel–there cannot be such a thing! I heard someone say that there
was a "natural" love to Christ–it is all rubbish! Nature cannot beget
a love to Christ, nor love to anygood thing–that must come of God, for
all love is from Him! There is nothing good in us by nature. Every
conviction must, in some way or other, come from the Holy Spirit. Even
if it is a temporary one, it must be traced to Him if it is good. Oh,
let us adore, exalt and magnify the mighty Grace that has made us love
the Gospel! For I am sure, with some of us, there was a time when we
hated it as much as any people in all the world ever did. Old John
Newton used to say, "You who are called Calvinists–though you are not
merely Calvinists, but the old, legitimate successors of Christ–you
ought, above all men, to be very gentle with your opponents, for,
remember, according to your own principles, they cannot learn the Truth
of God unless they are taught of God. And if you have been taught of
God, you ought to bless His name–and if they have not, you should not
be angry with them, but pray to God to give them a better education."
Do not let us make any extra "offense of the Cross" by our own ill
humor, but let us show our love to the Cross by loving and trying to
bless those who have been offended with it.

Ah, poor Sinner, what do you say? Are you offended with the Cross? No,
you are not, for it is there that you wish to lose your sins. Do you
desire this moment to come to Christ? You say, "I have no offense
against Christ. Oh, that I knew where I might find Him! I would come,
even, to His seat." Well, if you want Christ, Christ wants you; if you
desire Christ, Christ desires you! Yes, more! If you have one spark of
desire after Christ, Christ has a whole burning mountain of desire
after you. He loves you more than you can ever love Him! Rest assured
that you are not first with God. If you are seeking Jesus, He has first
sought you. Come, then, you destitute, weary, lost, helpless, ruined,
chief of sinners! Come, put your trust in His blood and His perfect
righteousness, and you will go on your way rejoicing in Christ, set
free from sin, delivered from iniquity, rendered as safe, though not as
happy, as the very angels that now sing high hosannas before the Throne
of the Most High!

EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: GALATIANS1.

Verse 1. Paul, an Apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus
Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead). Paul begins
this Epistle by stating his commission as an Apostle. In Galatia he had
been subjected to the great sorrow of having his Apostleship called in
question. Does he, therefore, give up his claim to the office and
retire from the work? No, not for a moment! He begins his letter to the
Galatians by declaring himself to be "an Apostle, not of men, neither
by man, but by Jesus Christ." His enemies had said, "Paul was never one
of the Savior's 12 Apostles. He is not like those who were trained and
educated by Christ, Himself. No doubt he has borrowed his doctrine from
them and he is only a retailer of other men's goods." "No, no," says
Paul, "I am an Apostle as truly as any other of the twelve! 'Not of
men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who
raised Him from the dead.'"

2. And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of
Galatia. Paul always loved to associate others with him in his
Christian service. He was not one who wanted to ride the high horse and
to keep himself aloof from his Brethren in Christ. He frequently
mentions the true-hearted men who were with him, even though they were
far inferior to him in talent and also in Grace. He often joins with
himself such men as Timothy and Silvanus, and here he puts in, "all the
brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia."

3. Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord
Jesus Christ It is the genius of the Gospel to wish well to others.
Hence Paul begins the actual Epistle with a benediction–"Grace be to
you and peace." Dear Friends, may you all have a fullness of these two
good things! Grace rightly comes first and peace afterwards. Peace
before Grace would be perilous–no, more, it would be ruinous! But may
you always have enough of Grace to lead you on to a deep and joyful
peace! The two things go together very delightfully–Grace and
peace–and it is the best of Grace, and the best of peace, since they
come "from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ."

4. Who gave Himself for our sins. There is the Doctrine of the
Atonement which Paul always brings into his preaching and writing as
soon as he can–"Who gave Himself for our sins." Well does Luther say,
"Christ never gave Himself for our righteousness, but he gave Himself
for our sins because there was no other way of saving us except by a
Sacrifice for sin." The substitutionary Character of Christ's death is
always to be noticed. "Who gave himself for our sins."

4, 5. That He might deliver us from this present evil world, according
to the will off God and our Father: to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself puts away our sin in order that we
may rise out of it and may become a pure and holy people, delivered
from this present evil world and brought into obedience to the will of
God. Now we come to quite another topic.

6. I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into
the Grace off Christ, unto another Gospel. The Galatians were a very
fickle people. Some have said that they were a colony from
Gaul–Galatians–and that they partook somewhat of the fickleness which
is attributed to the character of the Gaul. I know not how true that
may be, but, certainly, they seem very soon to have left the Gospel–to
have adulterated it and to have fallen into Ritualism– into
Sacramentarianism, into salvation by works, and all the errors into
which people usually fall when they go away from the Gospel.

7. Which is not another But there are some that trouble you, and would
pervert the Gospel off Christ ' 'Another Gospel, which is not another,"
for there are not two gospels, any more than there are two gods. There
is one only message from God, of good news to men, and if you turn away
from that, you turn away to a lie, to that which will bring you
trouble, to that which will pervert you and lead you astray!

8. But though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other Gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Paul is no fanatic, no raving enthusiast, yet he cannot endure the
notion of a false Gospel! In his solemn anathema, he includes himself
and all the Brothers with him, yes, and the very angels of God if they
"preach any other Gospel." Let him be accursed, he says, and so he is.

9. As we said before, so say I now again, Iff any man preach any other
Gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed. The
modern style of speaking is, "Let us fraternize with him. He is a man
of original thought. Surely, you would not bind all men down to one
mode of speech. Perhaps if he has made mistakes, you will bring him
round to your way of thinking by receiving him kindly into your
fellowship." "No, no," says Paul, "As we said before, so say I now
again, If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that you have
received, let him be accursed."

10. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For
iff I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant off Christ He would
not be the servant of Christ if he pleased men. Those whom we try to
please are our masters! If a man tries to please the populace, or to
please the refined few, those are his masters and he will be their
slave. But if he tries to please his God, then is he a free man,
indeed!

11. 12. But I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which waspreached
offme is not affterman. For I neither received it off man, neither was
I taught it, but by the revelation off Jesus Christ Paul foresaw what
would be said about him later and truly, to this day, the fiercest
attack upon Christianity is always made upon the teaching of the
Apostle Paul. The men who creep in unawares among us talk glibly about
having great reverence for Christ, but none for Paul. Yet Paul is
Christ's Apostle! Paul speaks only what was personally revealed to Him
by the Lord, Himself, and he is, in everything, to be accepted as
speaking by Divine Revelation.

13, 14. For you have heard off my conversation in time past in the
Jews' religion, how that beyond measure, I persecuted the Church off
God, and wasted it: and profited in the Jews' religion above many my
equals in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the
traditions of my fathers. He was an out-and-out Jew. He never took up
anything without going through with it thoroughly. So, while he
believed in Judaism, he really did believe it. He was no hypocrite, no
pretender–he fought for it tooth and nail! This was the man who
afterwards preached the Christianity he had received from Christ!
Evidently he did not borrow it from his parents, for they had taught
him quite differently. His religion was not the product of his
training, but it came to him from God–to him who seemed to be the most
unlikely person in the whole land to ever receive it!

15, 16. But when itpleased God, who separatedme from mymother's womb,
and calledme by His Grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach
Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and
blood. He felt Divinely called to preach the Gospel. Christ revealed
Himself to him on the way to Damascus. As soon as he was converted, he
did not wait for anybody to ordain him, or to teach him further, but he
says, "I conferred not with flesh and blood."

17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before
me, but went into Arabia. What he did there, we do not know, but
probably he had a time of quiet meditation and prayer, all alone. "I
went into Arabia." The best thing we can do, sometimes, is to get away
from the voices of men and listen only to the voice of God. "I went
into Arabia."

17. And returned again unto Damascus. To bear witness for Christ in the
very city where he had gone to persecute the saints!

18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and
abode with him fifteen days. That is, "after three years," which showed
that he did not go there to receive any commission from Peter. He had
been, for three years, working for his Lord and Master before he ever
saw the face of an Apostle!

19. But other of the Apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's
brother. He had an interview with the Apostle James. James was probably
the chief minister of the Church at Jerusalem, so Paul went and had a
conversation with him.

20. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie
not ' 'I did not derive my knowledge of Christ from any one of these
holy men, therefore I am not an imitator of any other Apostle. I was
sent out by Christ, Himself, and instructed by Him by Revelation, so I
am an Apostle of Christ as much as any of them."

21. 22. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia and was
unknown by face unto the Churches of Judea which were in Christ They
did not know him. It is evident that he had not been there to be taught
by them, or else they would have recognized their illustrious pupil.

23, 24. But they had heard only that he which persecuted us in times
past now preaches the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified
God in me. Brothers and Sisters, may you and I so live that Christian
people may glorify God in us! May they often wonder at the mighty Grace
which has worked such a change in us! And as they see us zealous and
fervent, may they marvel at the amazing Grace of God which has brought
us to be so consecrated to Christ!