Please turn with me to Galatians 3 - starting at verse 1.  We are going on in our study of Paul’s letter to the Galatians - believers who lived in the Roman province of Galatia.  What is now a most of central Turkey.

The theme of Paul’s letter is found in 5:1.  Let’s read this together to get it fresh in our minds.  “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.”

Christ has set us free.  Stand firm and live free.  Set Free.  Live Free.  Let’s repeat that together.  “Set free.  Live free.”

So how do we life free?  To help us get into where Paul is going here in chapter 3 we have a really short video clip to look at.

How many of you know who Adam Schleichkorn is?  I’d be shocked if anyone did.  For a long time nobody had a clue who this guy was.  He was just a regular guy living in Huntington, New York.  Then he made a video - posted it on YouTube - it went viral - people started imitating his idea - and soon he was being interviewed by Fox News, 20/20, The New York Times.  Adam’s video was one of the first to make the jump from YouTube to the mainstream media.

This morning we’re going to see Adam’s video.  Which I’ve edited slightly because of language issues.  What we’re going to see is called “Fence Plowing.”  A pretty simple idea actually.  The idea is to run full speed at a fence and plow yourself through it.

(Video "Fence Plowing")

Obviously the best fence is a rotten fence.  Something that’s going to break easy.  People actually got arrested for doing this.  Something about running through other people’s fences that they weren’t planning on having people plow through.

If we think about it - in kind of a weird sort of way there is an appeal to this thing.  Maybe the destructiveness is a guy thing.  But bursting through a fence - feeling it break under your weight - coming out on the other side.  Its not something I’m planning on signing up for.  But, I can understand the fun factor in this.

As we get into what Paul is getting at here in chapter 3 try to keep that image in mind - “Fence Plowing” - bursting through a fence to the other side.

As we’ve been studying chapters 1 and 2, Paul’s been writing to the Galatians about what binds us a believers.  The issues and heart things that we struggle with that keep us back from the kind of life we desire to live - the abundant life that Jesus spoke about - that God offers us in Jesus.

Paul has been writing about Jews trying to live rightly before God by keeping the law.  Jews - and religious leaders - who were trying to force the Gentiles to become Jewish - to get circumcised - to live by the law - in order to be a part of God’s people.

Paul has been writing that living by the law - doing all these things to get right with God - to measure up - the law is religion that focuses on us - our efforts at being right with God.  All that is contrary to what God offers us in Jesus.  Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross God graciously provides for us the opportunity to be right with Him.

Put slightly different.  The law is like a fence.  It’s a boundary that the Jews - and we ourselves - struggle to burst through.  Here in chapter 3 - Paul is going to challenge us to think about what lies on the other side of the fence.  What does life with God look like when we live without a fence? 

Galatians 3 - starting at verse 1:  O foolish Galatians!  Who has bewitched you?  It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publically portrayed as crucified.  Let me ask you only this:  Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish?  Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?   Did you suffer so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?  Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith.

Let’s pause there.  These first 5 verses focus on Our Experience.  Let’s repeat that together:  “Our experience.”  Our experience with God.

That’s a great way to start.  Isn’t it.  Calling your readers fools.  Warms the heart.  Doesn’t it?

Foolish is senseless.  Unwise.  Hard to process.  How could they act and think like that?  It just doesn’t add up.

“Bewitched” - other than the TV show - “bewitched” has the idea of misrepresentation - a good con job.  Convincing a nomad in Saudi Arabia that he needs more sand - or an Eskimo that he needs a refrigerator with a extra large freezer and an ice maker.

When the Galatians heard the Gospel it was like watching it in 3D with the full theater sound system.  Paul’s teaching was just like being there. 

Paul writes, “it was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publically portrayed as crucified.”  You understood it.  You believed it.  So - given all that - what happened?  Who led you astray?  I just can’t process how you got off track.  How you’re living is just senseless.  Foolish.

In John 9 - Jesus and His disciples encounter a man who’d been blind since birth. Do you remember this?

Jesus makes some clay out of spit and dirt and puts the clay on the man’s eyes.  When the man washes his eyes he’s able to see. 

Because that healing took place on the Sabbath the Pharisees get bent out of shape.  An argument takes place.  Some of the Pharisees deny that the miracle is a God thing.  Why?  Because the miracle happened on the Sabbath.  Jesus can’t be from God if He heals this man on the Sabbath.

An investigation takes place.  The parents are brought in.  They get asked, “Is this your son who you say was born blind?  How is it that He can see?”  The parents answer.  “He’s our son.  He was born blind.  Now he sees.  How that happened we have no clue.  He’s old enough to answer for himself.  Ask him.”

John writes - in John 9:  “His parents said these things - ducked the question - put their son back in the hot seat - “ask him” - his parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be the Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.”  Expelled - shunned - from the only community that really mattered.  

The Pharisees bring the formerly blind man back in and said to him, “Give glory to God.  We know that this man - Jesus - is a sinner.”   “Do the righteous thing.  Confess before God that Jesus sinned.”

Grab the intensity of that.  The pressure.  This poor man is standing alone.  His parents have abandoned him.  The entire town is against him.  They’re ready to toss him out of the community.  The religious leadership has already given him the right answer - which is contrary to what he knows is true.  In fact, its blasphemy.  “Just say the wrong thing buck wheat.”

His answer:  “Whether he’s a sinner I don’t know.  One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  (John 9:1-41)

Do you see the fences there?  The carefully constructed barriers of security these people are hiding behind - that bind them.

The Pharisees are hiding behind a fence of fine distinctions - a grading of appearance - a commitment to religious routine - legalities and tradition.  Religious leaders who assume that they know God so well that if something isn’t done in the right way at the right time they can dismiss it - claim it isn’t of God.

The town goes along with this - hiding behind their fence of what’s socially acceptable.  Don’t question what’s being said.  Don’t rock the boat.  We don’t want to loose our standing - our position.  Be a good Jew.  Be PC.

The parents abandon their own son because they’re afraid.  They’re living in fear of what may happen to them.  They’ve seen the miracle of what God has done - in person.  Better than 3D with the home theater thing going.  But rather than believing and stepping forward in faith they choose to live behind the fence - in fear of what others may do to them.

The believers in Galatia - they’ve seen the miracle of God’s salvation - heard Paul’s presentation of the gospel - believed and received Jesus as their Savior.  But rather than living by faith they’re choosing to be led back into what’s familiar - what’s comfortable - religion focused on us - living life focused on us - not God.

Rather than crashing through the fence to what God has beyond they’re choosing to hide behind the fence.

Paul writes:  Its foolishness to live that way.

In verse 2 Paul writes, “Let me ask you this…”  Three questions.

First:  How did you receive the Holy Spirit?  Was it by works of the law?  Was it by the things you did?  Your righteousness and holiness convinced God the Holy Spirit to take up residence in you ?  Or, was it by faith?

Second question:  When began your new life in Christ in the Spirit - when you received Jesus the Holy Spirit entered into you - to grow you and guide you and provide the strength you need to live Godly.  So now - as you’re moving forward in your relationship with God - are you being perfected - are you being led and growing spiritually - because of your own efforts and work?

Third question:  God is working miraculously in your life.  Salvation alone is a miracle of God.  God is renewing you from the inside out.  What God is doing in your congregations - all those God moments - the miracles you see where He’s working.  Is God doing all that because you’re keeping the law?  Or was it as you responded to Him with faith?

There’s a bottom line question here.  In the time since you’ve come to faith in Jesus - in the time that you’ve been walking with Jesus what’s been your experience with God?  What have you learned about how God works in your life?

The same question is for us:  In the months and years that you’ve been walking with Jesus what have you experienced with God?  What have you learned about how God works in your life?  In particular - how the Holy Spirit works in your life?  Our Helper - guiding - energizing - leading - convicting - prompting - and more.  What does all that experience with God teach you about God? 

Those questions make a lot of Christians uncomfortable.  Why?  Two possibilities.  One - because there are a significant number of Christians - maybe even some here this morning - Christians who have never, or rarely, sensed anything of the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  Their experience with God is a dry orthodox do this or don’t do that moralistic religion that excludes any activity of the living God in their lives.

Two - some Christians - maybe some here this morning - live on a kind of emotional spiritual high - going from spiritual high to spiritual high - afraid to come down.  They’re pursuing - by their own efforts - pursuing an emotional spirituality that excludes the working of the Holy Spirit.

Either way - they’ve learned nothing.  Orthodoxy and emotions can be fences that we hide behind.  That bind us - that keep us back from the work of God in our lives - the fullness of what God has for us.

Paul writes that you received Jesus.  God has provided His Spirit.  God has done miracles in your life.  All past tense experience.  You have everything you need to break through the fence.  All that should make a huge significant difference in how you live your life today.

So, don’t be foolish.  Don’t let anyone or anything bind you - keep you back from experiencing the fullness of life that God has for you today and forever.

Verses 6 to 9 focus on Our Example.  Let’s repeat that together:  “Our example.”

Verse 6:  Just as Abraham believed God , and it was counted to him as righteousness.  Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”  So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Back in Genesis 15 - Abraham is having a discussion with God about children - descendents.  Mainly the lack of descendants.  God tells Abraham, “Don’t be afraid.  I’m your shield.  I’ll take care of you.  I’m going to greatly reward you.”  Reward being what God has promised Abraham - a land of his own where he can dwell with God - a great nation will come from Abraham - descendants - and that through Abraham all the peoples of the world - Jew and Gentile - will be blessed.

Abraham’s question point - for all that to happen I need a descendent?  The closest relative is Eliezer who lives in Damascus.  But, he’s not a son.

God takes Abraham outside and shows him the stars.  Its gotta be like when we get away from the city - out in the mountains or desert - and you can really see stars - really process that we’re part of a galaxy.  The stars like dust.  Dave Bowman “The thing’s hollow - it goes on forever and…  it’s full of stars.”

Abraham is looking at those stars that go on forever.  God says, “So shall your offspring be.”

Genesis 15:6:  “And he - Abraham - believed the Lord, and He - God - counted it to him as righteousness.”  (Genesis 15:1-6)

That declaration of righteousness takes place before Hagar and Ishmael - before circumcision - before the birth of Isaac is even prophesied - before Sodom and Gomorrah - before Abimelech - before Isaac is born and the whole taking him to Moriah to be sacrificed and preserved account - and certainly way before Moses and the law.   

In Galatians 3:6 - the word in Greek that Paul uses for “counted” is “logizomai.”  Which has the idea of giving credit.  Making a deposit into someone’s account.  Literally it can be translated “imputed.”  Remember that word “imputed.” 

We mentioned this last Sunday and its important that we see the connection here with Abraham - and us.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21:  “For our sake he - God - made him - Jesus - to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him - Jesus - we might become the righteousness of God.”

In what has got to be seemingly the most unjust transaction ever - God takes our sin and puts it on Jesus.  God takes the righteousness of Jesus and puts it on us.  Because of Jesus on the cross - stepping into our place - taking our penalty for our sin - God gives us Jesus’ righteousness while Jesus gets our sin.

Put different - Jesus gets credited with our sin and we get credited with Jesus’ righteousness.  Still with me?

That crediting is what theologians call the Doctrine of Imputation.  To impute is to credit.  To take what is in Jesus’ account - righteousness -  and put it into our account and to take what is in our account - sin - and put it into Jesus’ account.  Impute.  Still together?

Paul’s word “logizomai” translates the Hebrew word “hashab” which is the word back in Genesis 15:6 - describing what God did for Abraham - “hashab” which means “impute” or counted - credited.

Now here’s where it gets fun.  “hashab” which means what?  Impute.  “hashab” is the word that’s at the basis of the whole Old Testament sacrificial system.  When an animal got sacrificed - the sin of the sacrificer was “hashabed” - imputed - to the animal which took the place of the sacrificer.  The animal gets the sin which gets Bar-B-Qued - penalty paid.  It’s a huge illustration of Jesus taking our place on the cross.

But, do you see the problem?  With the animal there’s no “hashab” coming the other way.  No righteousness coming from the animal to be “hashabed” to the sacrificer.

With the believer today - we get imputed Jesus’ righteousness.  That’s at the heart of why Jesus is a once for all - completely sufficient sacrifice for us.  Because - unlike an animal - with all that carnage and blood - being sacrificed - and needing to be sacrificed again and again because of its inadequacy - Jesus - fully God - fully man - fully righteous - is able - to be sacrificed once for all - our completely sufficient sacrifice.

Isn’t that cool?

So, coming back to Abraham being “hashabed”…  When did all that happen?  Before the law.  How did that happen?  By faith.  Who made it happen?  God.

Paul writes in Galatians 3:7:  “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”

Before the law - gazing at the stars Abraham believed God - faith counted as righteousness - imputed righteousness - a God thing.  We - believing in Jesus as our all sufficient in our place sacrifice - faith counted as righteousness - imputed righteousness - a God thing.  Abraham is our example and our forefather in the faith.

Its not by keeping a set of dos and don’ts and hiding behind a fence that we get saved.  Its when we step forward in faith that God chooses to credit us with righteousness.  All blessing and favor from God come by faith - the faith that Abraham had - and not by works of the law.

One more reality we need see here before we move on.  Paul writes in Galatians 3:8:  The Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

Revelation 7:9,10 - John’s revelation about what will come.  John writes:  “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

If you know Jesus as your Savior you're going to be there.  Let’s declare that together:  “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

From Genesis to Revelation - God in His Scripture declares how He deals with mankind - throughout history - God responds to faith.  Salvation is by faith - not works of the law.  Gentiles and Jews being saved by faith - oh my.  The blessings of God - imputed righteousness - poured out on Jews and Gentiles alike.  Why?  Faith.  It’s a God thing.

Grab the truth here.  Abraham is our example.  God has worked - is working - will work the blessing of salvation in the life of those who come to Him by faith.

Verse 10 to 14 focus on Our Expectation.  Let’s repeat that:  “Our expectation.”

Verse 10:  For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”  Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”  But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.”  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” - so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

When we first moved to Merced - 9 years ago in December - I got hit with a ton of new numbers.  New addresses.  New phone numbers - cell - work - home.  Kids numbers - our numbers.  Before we moved I had the bright idea that our cell numbers would be easier to remember if they were close to our new zip code.  Mistake.  Close meant I could never remember which is which.  Our house phone number is close enough to the church’s address to be confusing.  It was an ongoing senior moment.

One day I went to the ATM and I couldn’t remember my code.  Ever have that happen?

I tapped in what I thought was the code - which was rejected.  I kept inserting my card and trying different combinations - rejected - rejected.  Finally the ATM swallowed my card.  Oh my was that frustrating.

I had to go downtown and talk to a real person to prove that I was who I am.  I produced the right identification and got things straitened out.. 

That’s reality.  Isn’t it?  It doesn’t matter what we look like - what identification we carry - if we don’t get the right exact sequence every time we’re toast.  We’re rejected.

But - huge contrast - but if we’re doing business with a teller - who knows us - who can personally look at our identity - who has the authority to credit our account - through a little exercise of faith on both sides - a transaction can be made.  Things get straitened out for the better.

What Paul is getting at here is that if our system of religion - of being right with God - of doing life - is based on being meticulously right every time - then one miss - one failure - one opps - and the curse of God is on us.  We’re living life the hard way with no hope.

But, what we need to learn from our experience with God and from Scripture - the example of Abraham - is that God responds to faith - personally - on our behalf.  That’s how God deals with us.  God is always - unfailingly - concerned with faith - not appearances. 

That’s a promise of God.  We see God’s fulfillment of that promise - in Abraham - in the cross - in John’s revelation - in our own lives.  To break through the fence means living with the expectation that God will fulfill His promise to us. 

Sometimes we forget that there is anything on the other side of the fence.  Sometimes we look around at what goes on in our lives and we can’t see the forest for the trees.  We convince ourselves that what we see is what there is.  We fall into a kind of complacency and just accept that all the fences in our lives are inevitable.

We’re do the Popeye thing.  “I yam what I yam and dats all that I yam.” 

I’m stuck with these addictions.  I’m stuck with these a habits.  I’ll never be able to change.  I’m stuck with the crud of my past.

Or, we hit ourselves with a anxiety about what’s coming.  I have no clue how I’m going to get through this.  I can’t see a way out of this crud.

We live thinking that what other people think of us is more important than what God thinks of us.  We live thinking that all of what goes on in our lives is up to us.

We put on our game face and live righteous.  We gut it out and try to change our lives.  We do all kinds of righteous stuff - which may be all good and well.  But that’s not what God responds to.

Paul writes, “That’s foolishness.  Who sold you that bill of goods?  No one is justified by all that.  Live like that and you’re living under a curse.  The righteous live by faith.”

If we’re going to live beyond the fence we have to start by remembering to look beyond the fence to what God promises and believing that He - God - can break through the fences in our lives. 

You might be saying, “Well, that’s all great but you have no clue where I’m coming from.”  Well, yes I do.  And if I don’t Paul does.  And I know God does.

I’m not just saying all this as some kind of philosophical exercise in great theology and doctrine.  I’m sharing this as someone who’s learning to trust God - to live by faith.  Because I’ve seen God break through fences in my life.  And I know that what’s on the other side is infinitely better.

I shared with the guys at the Bible study on Thursday night that about a month and half ago I was really really stressing.  So I made a list of all the things that God has done in my life - from Christian parents and bringing me to salvation to years and years of God taking care of me - protecting me - pulling me out really stupid things I’ve gotten myself into - God being faithful to me despite myself.   

God who responds to faith - but goes way beyond what I deserve in His response.  God who has grown me and led me - despite myself.  God who has proven Himself over and over again.  Experiences with God that reminded me that - right now - in the things I was stressing over - I needed and could trust God.

Maybe that’s the kind of experience you have with God.  Or, maybe you see only inklings of it now.  But - that’s the kind of God we have.  Who desires for us to trust Him.  Who promises to respond to us when we step forward in faith and trust Him.  Who promises to take us forward to where we never ever thought that we could go - to a life we never ever thought could be ours.

God has not created us to live in fear but by what?  Faith.  God has created us to live beyond the fence.  If we knew what that meant - all of what God has for us beyond the fence - that wouldn’t be faith.  Faith is trusting God when we don’t know what’s coming.  But, we know enough about God to expect that what’s over there is way better than what’s over here.

Paul’s point:  Live beyond the fence.  That takes a choice of faith - to live trusting God - only.

Life is about God - what He wills for you.  Knowing what you know about God will you trust God with your life?  Will you trust Him with whatever He has for you?  However and wherever He leads you?

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.