Galatians 4:16-20 KJV
(16) Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
(17) They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
(18) But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
(19) My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
(20) I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
I.vs. 16, The truth always makes more enemies than friends. The Galations viewed Paul as their enemy instead of their friend because he was telling them the truth about their legalistic ways.
A.This same thing happened to Jesus Christ .
John 8:30-59 KJV
(30) As he spake these words, many believed on him.
(31) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
(32) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
(33) They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
(34) Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
(35) And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
(36) If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
(37) I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
(38) I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
(39) They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
(40) But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.
(41) Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
(42) Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
(43) Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
(44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
(45) And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
(46) Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
(47) He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
(48) Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
(49) Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
(50) And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
(51) Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
(52) Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
(53) Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
(54) Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
(55) Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
(56) Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
(57) Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
(58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
(59) Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
B.If an individual is offended by the truth, it is because that individual does not love the Word of God like they should, there is no other reason.
Psalms 119:165 KJV
(165) Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Isaiah 26:3 KJV
(3) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
II.vs. 17-18, Paul tells the Galations that the legalists are not affecting them in a good way but in a bad way.
A.Legalists are zealots. They are crusaders of righteousness and morality, as long as it is defined by their own standards rather than the Bible.
Zealot – One who is zealous, especially excessively so. A fanatically committed person.
B.Their misguided fanaticism has the wrong impact.
1 Corinthians 15:33 KJV
(33) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
When a church allows rules to take the place of the Bible, the self-righteous will destroy the work of God.
C.Legalism is paranoid. It shuts out any outside influence because it is afraid it may get polluted .
D.Paul tells the Galations to be zealously affected in a good thing instead of the trivial things legalism harps on.
Ephesians 6:5-8 KJV
(5) Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
(6) Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
(7) With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
(8) Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
E.Character is measured by what you do when no one is watching. God lives inside the believer.
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 KJV
(16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
(18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Ephesians 3:9-19 KJV
(9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
(10) To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
(11) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
(12) In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
(13) Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
(14) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
(15) Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
(16) That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
(17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
(18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
(19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
1 John 4:9-19 KJV
(9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
(12) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
(13) Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
(14) And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
(15) Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
(16) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
(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.
(18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
(19) We love him, because he first loved us.
D.God lives inside the believer. A walk with Christ involves all our life, not just our church life. Legalism seeks to please men, while liberty seeks to please God. God sees us at all times whether we are in public or in private, all things are open to his eyes.
Hebrews 4:12-16 KJV
(12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
(13) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
(14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
(15) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
(16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Proverbs 15:3 KJV
(3) The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
III.vs. 19-20, Paul is appealing to his long term commitment to the Galations.
A.Ministry is more than “leading the lost to Christ”. It is a long term investment. You can give birth to a child a give them life, but the really hard part is raising the child to an adult. Teaching the child what this life is all about so that they can live and move about, learn their purpose in life, and enjoy the life they have been given. Churches that want to lead the lost to a new life in Christ but have no desire to raise them up in Christ and deal with the growing pains that go along with spiritual growth in essence set the child up for failure. Legalism has a hidden motive of keeping believers in spiritual infancy, even when the legalists doesn’t realize it. This is why Satan provokes many Christian leaders to adopt a set of rules over the validity of the Word of God.
B.Christ must become formed in a believer. The goal of our Christian life is to become conformed to the image of Christ.
Romans 8:26-30 KJV
(26) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
(27) And he that searcheth the hearts knowethwhat is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
(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.
(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.
(30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Ephesians 4:11-16 KJV
(11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
(12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
(14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
(15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
(16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.