Sermons From Galatians - Deliverance From An Evil Age (1:3-5)

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                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

                  Deliverance From An Evil Age (1:3-5)

INTRODUCTION

1. Paul's greeting to the churches of Galatia (Ga 1:3) contains words of
   grace and peace...
   a. From God the Father
   b. And our Lord Jesus Christ

2. As an illustration of such grace and peace, Paul continues in verse
   4...
   a. "who gave Himself for our sins" (grace!)
   b. "that He might deliver us from this present evil age" (peace!)

3. I would like to direct our attention to the latter phrase...
   a. Undoubtedly we have heard much about Jesus dying for our sins
   b. But what of this idea of delivering us from an evil age?

4. The word "age" (aion) as used here means "period of time"...
   a. Paul has in mind the present period of time
   b. Paul views this time as evil - cf. Ep 5:16; 6:13

[Do we take seriously the evil of this age?  Do we appreciate the
deliverance that Jesus provides?  Consider for a few moments...]

I. THE EVIL OF THIS PRESENT AGE

   A. EVIL IN PAUL'S DAY...
      1. Paul described the sins of those in his day - Ro 1:18-32
         a. Against whom the wrath of God was coming
         b. For denying the Creator and suppressing the truth
         c. Given up to their own vile passions, they fell into
            depravity
         d. They were filled with all sorts of unrighteousness
      2. He called such sins 'the works of the flesh' - Ga 5:19-21
         a. Sins that are evident (to those not blinded by them)
         b. Sins unrepented of that will keep one out of the kingdom of
            heaven - 1Co 6:9-10
      -- Paul and the early Christians found themselves living in an
         evil time

   B. EVIL IN OUR DAY...
      1. Today, many think lightly of such things as:  fornication,
         adultery, divorce
      2. One is considered enlightened when they support:  abortion,
         homosexuality, same-sex marriage
      3. More and more our culture is accepting:  lasciviousness,
         pornography, drug abuse
      4. All of which reflect a world view impacted by:  humanism,
         evolution, selfishness
      -- Today we find ourselves living in a very evil time

[Yes, things are not much different today than they were in Paul's day.
Yet Jesus gave Himself for our sins "that He might deliver us from this
present evil age" (Ga 1:4).  Consider therefore...]

II. THE DELIVERANCE THE LORD PROVIDES

   A. DELIVERANCE FROM THE GUILT OF SIN...
      1. Sin is a transgression of God's law - 1Jn 3:4
      2. All have sinned, for which the punishment is death - Ro 3:23;
         6:23
      3. Jesus' blood frees us from the guilt of sin - Ep 1:7
      4. We receive remission of sins when we are baptized - Ac 2:38;
         22:16
      -- In Jesus, there is no condemnation for sin - Ro 8:1; 3:24

   B. DELIVERANCE FROM THE POWER OF SIN...
      1. Sin enslaves, but Jesus provides freedom from the dominion of
         sin - Jn 8:31-36
      2. This He does by giving us the Spirit - Jn 7:37-39
      3. We receive the Spirit when we are baptized - Ac 2:38; Ga 3:
         26-27; 4:6
      4. With the Spirit's aid, we can put to death the deeds of the
         flesh - Ro 8:12-13; Ep 3:16,20
      -- In Jesus, we are set free from the law of sin and death - Ro 7:
         24-25; 8:2

   C. DELIVERANCE FROM THE TEMPTATION OF SIN...
      1. We continue to be tempted by fleshly desires - 1Pe 2:11; Ja
         1:14
      2. Jesus teaches us to watch and pray that we might avoid
         temptation - Mt 26:41
      3. His Father will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are
         able to bear - 1Co 10:13a
      4. In every temptation He will provide a way of escape - 1Co 
         10:13b
      -- In Jesus, the godly can find deliverance out of temptations
         - 2Pe 2:9

   D. DELIVERANCE FROM THE MORAL DARKNESS OF OUR WORLD...
      1. Those enslaved to sin are darkened in their understanding - Ep
         4:17-18; cf. 2Co 4:3-4
      2. Which explains their lewdness and greediness - Ep 4:19
      3. But Jesus reveals moral truth, and how we are to be renewed in
         true righteousness and holiness - Ep 4:20-24
      -- In Jesus, light shines in the moral morass that plagues our
         world - Jn 8:12; 12:46

   E. DELIVERANCE FROM THE WORLD THAT IS PASSING AWAY...
      1. This present age with its lusts is passing away - 1Jn 2:17
      2. The day is coming when this world and its works will be burned
         up - 2Pe 3:10
      3. Even if we live out our lives, they are as momentary vapor - Ja
         4:14
      4. Our deliverance may come in the form of our own death - cf. Isa
         57:1-2
      5. It will eventually come at the return of Christ - 1Th 4:15-17
      -- In Jesus, we have the promise of deliverance from every evil
         work - 2Ti 4:18

CONCLUSION

1. Living in a morally confused and spiritual dark world, in Jesus we
   find...
   a. Deliverance from the guilt of sin
   b. Deliverance from the power of sin
   c. Deliverance from the temptation of sin
   d. Deliverance from the moral darkness of our world
   e. Deliverance from the world that is passing away

2. We note that such deliverance is "according to the will of our God
   and Father"... - Ga 1:4c
   a. It was His plan from the very beginning - Ep 1:3-6
   b. It was His love that offered His Son for our sins -  1Jn 4:9-10

3. How shall we respond to such deliverance...?
   a. It was designed to be "to the praise of the glory of His grace"
      - Ep 1:6
   b. Thus Paul writes concerning God:  "to whom be glory forever and
      ever. Amen" - Ga 1:5

Shall we not glorify God by accepting His graceful deliverance from this
evil age that He makes possible through His Son Jesus Christ?  We do so
through obedience to the gospel... - cf. Mk 16:15-16
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