Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, because He paid the price for our sins on the cross. You cannot earn that salvation by keeping religious rules or building a record of good works.
Pastor Josh Bates' message on Galatians called us to keep Jesus at the center. Paul's warning to the Galatian churches still matters when people add human requirements to the gospel.
Mandy Ellis: Trusting God Through Job Loss
Mandy Ellis shared how she lost her job after 14 years. The news came unexpectedly, and losing an income brought fear and confusion. Instead of holding on to thoughts of blame, she turned to God and held on to Isaiah 61:7, trusting His promise of a double portion.
Mandy was offered a job that required nights and weekends, but she wanted to remain involved in church. She continued seeking the Lord, and after a screening and two interviews, Children's Hospital offered her a position with better pay and benefits than she expected.
She shared her testimony to encourage us: God is good, and we can take Him at His Word.
Abiding in the Presence of Jesus
Megan Bates shared how she makes time to pray in the morning, often sitting in a favorite spot outside. When she showed that spot to her children, her son Oliver immediately got out of their vehicle, knelt down, and began to pray.
That moment reminded her of Jesus' promise in John 15:4: "Abide in Me, and I in you." Whether you set aside time in the morning or at night, the desire is to remain connected to Him throughout the day.
The Warning to the Galatians
In Galatians 3:1, Paul asked, "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?" Pastor Josh explained that bewitched describes being led away from the truth as though someone had cast a spell.
Paul wrote to churches in the region of Galatia because Gentile believers were being pressured to follow Jewish law as a requirement for salvation. Paul called this a different gospel and warned that even an angel must not be received if he brings a message contrary to the gospel of Christ, as stated in Galatians 1:8.
The truth Paul defended is justification by faith. Jesus Christ is the basis of our salvation, and adding requirements to His finished work changes the message Paul preached.
Jesus Paid the Price for Salvation
All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Our own righteousness cannot purchase forgiveness, but Jesus gave Himself on the cross so that we could be saved through faith in Him.
Pastor Josh put the warning plainly: "Jesus plus anything ruins everything." When we stand before God, our confidence rests in Jesus' work on the cross, not in a list of things we have accomplished.
Prayer, fasting, and obedience matter. We pursue them because we want to know and follow Jesus, while recognizing that His sacrifice is the ground of our salvation.
There Are No Second-Class Believers
Paul confronted Peter when Peter withdrew from Gentile believers. His conduct treated them as though they were lesser members of God's family, even though they had believed in Jesus.
Pastor Josh applied this to the way Christians can look down on other denominations. A person's background does not make the sacrifice of Jesus more or less effective. We must look to Christ rather than measure another believer's worth by our own religious customs.
Faith, the Holy Spirit, and Obedience
Paul asked the Galatians whether they received the Holy Spirit by obeying the law or by believing. His point was that they had received the Spirit through faith.
Pastor Josh also pointed to John 14:12, Matthew 17:20, and Mark 9:23 as he spoke about belief and God's work. Abraham, too, believed God, and his faith was counted to him as righteousness, according to Genesis 15:6.
This doesn't give us permission to return to sin. The Holy Spirit gives us power to overcome, and we must willingly walk in obedience to Him. Our growth in holiness after salvation follows God's work in us; it doesn't earn His gift.
When Religious Rules Become Barriers
Pastor Josh recalled Megan coming to a revival straight from work while they were engaged. She tried to greet a preacher's wife, but the woman would not look at her. Josh understood the woman's response as a reaction to Megan wearing pants.
He also told of a teenager whose grandfather slapped her over her clothing and called her an embarrassment. These stories show how harshly people can treat others when outward rules take the place of love.
We can have standards for our families while treating people with dignity. Rules must never take the place of a relationship with Jesus or keep us from showing His love to others.
Mercy and Accountability
Pastor Josh pointed to Saul, who prophesied after coming into God's presence even while pursuing David. He also spoke about Samson, who experienced God's mercy despite repeated disobedience.
God's mercy doesn't make disobedience harmless. Samson suffered the consequences of his choices, yet God showed mercy again. As believers, we need accountability, and we also need to remember that our conduct can be a stepping stone or a stumbling block in another person's walk with Jesus.
Paul's conclusion in Galatians 2:21 is direct: if righteousness could come through the law, Christ died in vain.
The Man on the Middle Cross
Pastor Josh shared an illustration from Pastor Alistair Begg about the thief on the cross arriving at heaven's gate. The thief had no years of religious service to present. His answer was:
"The man on the middle cross said I could come."
Afterward, a congregant spoke about her brother, who knew the Lord and had been baptized before his death by suicide. She shared the peace she had in trusting that he knew how to call on Jesus. Pastor Josh spoke of God's mercy and His knowledge of the heart.
Keep Jesus at the Center
During worship, we praised God for His goodness and declared that Jesus is Lord. We were reminded that He remains worthy of worship even when people do not respond to an invitation to come to Him.
We closed in prayer for families, those who were sick or struggling, and loved ones away from the Lord. Our confidence remains in Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice is enough and whose mercy calls us to follow Him.
