Unraveling the Significance of Grace and God's Promise

0:00 Father, in the name of Jesus, your word instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray in Jesus' name for peace. We pray that evildoers would be punished. We pray that your justice would come in, and we pray that you would preserve and protect civilians and that the order of God and the plans and purposes of God would be wrought in that place. In Jesus' name, amen. Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYCcom.

0:41 That's CityLightNYCcom. Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you. Those songs that the worship team was singing, they had a theme to them the faithfulness of God. There's another theme in the Bible concerning the faithfulness of God. In fact, if you read the Bible from cover to cover, you'll see certain themes, you'll see certain patterns, and one of the themes slash patterns that you see in the entire Old Testament and the New is that we very quickly forget the faithfulness of God.

1:37 I've shared before I'm going through the Gospel of Mark with my nine-year-old son, victor, and it's just so wonderful to do that and to see him as he's reading it for the first time, to see his reactions and the questions he asks. So in the Gospel of Mark you see Jesus feed 5,000 people with little boy's lunch. Then after that you see him feed 4,000 people, which sometimes we forget that that there were various accounts of Jesus feeding the multitudes and multiplying fish and loaves, not just one. So in Mark he feeds 5,000 people. Then he feeds 4,000 people. Then after that he's teaching, and he's just teaching on the Pharisees and on Herod, and he says beware of the leaven of Herod and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.

2:26 He's really not talking about eating, but you can see where his disciples were. They just made a little word association there, because it actually says that he's teaching on the leaven of Herod. The leaven is yeast, it makes bread rise, but it's also a symbol for sin. A little leaven leavens the whole lump and he's talking about that hidden sin that'll get you. That's present in the Pharisees and in Herod. And what do the disciples do? They totally miss the teaching and they're like leaven bread. You know, come to think of it, we are kind of hungry and they go, hey, and they start panicking. We have no bread. And you see Jesus. Then the Bible says size deeply, one of those divine exhales like and he says are you so hard-hearted?

3:12 Where is your faith? Were you there when we fed the 5,000? Yeah. How many baskets did you carry up 12.? Were you there when we fed the 4,000? Yeah, how many baskets have leftovers? Did we carry up Seven? And he goes you're faithless and perverse generation. What I did before, I'll do for you again. Now we read that and we go silly disciples. That could never be me, but it's us all of the time. We experience his goodness, we experience his faithfulness. Only several weeks later he'd be presented with another crisis and we wonder, I wonder if he'll come through again. Maybe he ran out.

3:53 Did he run out of power? It's the same thing with the children of Israel. They literally go through a parted Red Sea. I mean you would think if you saw that you'd never, ever doubt again. Right, but a few days later, after parting the Red Sea, they're out in the wilderness going. Have you brought us out here, moses, that we should die? And we laugh oh, how could that be? That's us, that's pointing to us. He's faithful, he's true, he's got you and he's going to see you through. Amen, amen, thank God for his faithfulness. So how many of you are enjoying the series on Galatians?

4:36 What a powerful book You're. In Galatians 3, and let me just for the benefit of everyone who has been a part of Galatians 1 and 2, and also if you're just joining us for the first time, let me, for the benefit of everyone, just recap what we've learned. Paul is writing the Galatians because they're in great danger. They're in danger because mixture has been brought into the camp. They're mixing the old covenant with the new. And Paul says, over and over again you can't do that. The moment you mix the old and the new, you disregard grace, you frustrate grace or you nullify grace.

5:18 So you cannot mix the new covenant of God's grace with the old covenant of God's law. What is the old covenant of God's law? It is a system of order, it is a dispensation Under a canopy, and you're living under this canopy and there are certain principles and rules that govern how you can relate to God under that canopy and under the canopy of the law. You endeavored, you tried, you worked, you would sweat, working so hard to gain God's approval by your own behavior, by your own lawkeeping, by your own crossing every T and dotting every I.

6:09 You endeavored, you didn't get approved, but you tried. But you could never be approved because under the law, if you break the law in only one place, you're guilty of breaking the law in every place. So you were never righteous, you never had right. Standing under the law Sounds depressing just saying it, doesn't it? You say, what was the point of that? Was God just being cruel? No, the Bible says that the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, because we as humans were so proud, we're so arrogant, that we don't really feel that we have a need for a savior. So the law comes like a giant magnifying glass and exposes our sin, it exposes our weakness and it exposes that we are powerless to change for ourselves.

6:59 So what does it do? It causes us to look up and look out at a savior, who then comes and delivers you. He saves you, he delivers you. So that's the system of law. You're trying to get God's approval, you're trying to be justified based on your own self-effort, but you never get it. Under the new covenant of God's grace, you are given right standing with God. That's what righteousness is Right standing with God. You are justified, which means God has pronounced you not guilty. So you're given righteousness, you're justified, you're approved unto God, not based on your effort, not based on your behavior, not based on your works, but based on what Jesus has already done in the finished past, tense finished work of the cross, and you have nothing to add to it.

7:52 Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Amen, hallelujah, not Jesus plus what you can help out with. There is nothing with regard to your salvation that you can contribute, amen. So let's continue now in Galatians, chapter three. But first, what better place to continue Galatians three than in Ephesians? Let's look at Ephesians. I want to just look at two passages of scripture before we jump into Galatians three, which will help shed more light on this covenant that we live under and this is so important for us to get.

8:34 This series is called Clash of the Covenants because when you figure out what covenant you're living under and you realize the freedom that God has given you and what he actually purchased for you with his own blood, your life will never be the same. In Ephesians, chapter two, starting in verse grade eight, paul says for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. So this wonderful gift of salvation forgiveness of all your sin has nothing to do with you. It's the gift of God, not of works, it's not by your behavior.

9:16 Just, anyone should be proud and boast that they helped us save your out, that they contributed. We have nothing to add. He already did it all. But then he also note in verse 10, he shows this connection between grace and works Once you've received grace through faith and you're free, and now you've been justified. And how awesome is this? This means that when God looks at you, he cannot find any sin in you. If you've received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, he's not barely putting up with you until you get your act together.

9:56 He loves you now. He approves of you now. So we got approves of everyone? No, he doesn't. He accepts everyone Doesn't mean they're approved. His arms are stretched wide. He'll accept whosoever will come drink of this fountain. But it doesn't mean you have the approval of God. But when you've received Jesus, you have his blood on you and you're sealed with the Holy Spirit and you have his approval. And that's constantly. It's like a mark of the spirit, it's on your head, so that when you go and talk to the Father it's like Jesus talking to the Father and God's attitude towards you is like it would be towards his own son, jesus. This is why the gospel is great news.

10:38 And once you've received such a grace, works would come out of you. Works are the evidence of this transformed heart. But works don't help you get saved. They're just evidence that you are. Are you seeing this important nuance? For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Now let's go to the book of James. So grace, by its very nature, by its very definition, is extreme. People try to bring balance to grace. Because it is so mind blowing, because it is so extreme, they try to balance the grace message by mixing it with law.

11:23 You cannot balance the grace message by mixing it with law, because then all you have is the law. Paul made that clear. If you try to bring mixture, you've now nullified the grace of God. So it's completely by grace. But there are people who then misunderstand this, correct. They misunderstand the grace message, and I remember here's an important question that comes up because there's criticisms to the grace message. They'll say oh, you're about greasy grace, aren't you? Easy believism, greasy grace. Once saved, always saved, and that's a good question. Salvation is free and there's nothing you could ever do that will cause God to withdraw his love.

12:08 Not even one drop of his love he won't withdraw away from you. So can you lose your salvation? And if you've ever explored this topic, there's great tension in the body of Christ. There's people who believe there's nothing you could ever do, nothing you could ever become, no road you can go. You're saved. And then there's people on the other side of the spectrum who believe that the moment you slip up, you now have to come to the altar, repent and get born again, again and get resaved, and all it does is produce a bunch of spiritually insecure Christians who are living in dread and fear, don't understand that God loves them, but live in terror of him and always feel less than always, feel like they don't measure up.

12:50 Are you following me so far? But let's get back to the question can you lose your salvation? There's an easy answer to that Were you saved because of your works or because of faith? Faith right. Not your works, not your behavior, not your doing. Can you then lose your salvation because of works? No, you were saved by faith. Hang on those of you online, those of you in 2025 going back to this video, trying to catch me and label me a heretic. Hang on, listen to the end. You cannot lose your salvation because of your works, because you were saved by faith, not works.

13:35 You can't lose your salvation because of works, but you can because of your unfaith. If you don't have a living faith, if you don't have an active faith, or God forbid, if you get to that place of deception, once having been saved, where you outright reject Jesus if you don't have a living faith. Faith isn't something I believed in yesterday. A living faith is constant From now until we cross that finish line in ripe old age or we hear the trumpet blow, or however it is, there should be an active faith inside of us. So here is the danger when a Christian falls off and goes into sin, does God leave them?

14:15 No, he's with them. People will say oh, I feel like God left me. I sinned. I just feel like the Holy Spirit is withdrawing from me. Are you crazy? No, he'll never leave you. But what's this thing? I feel it's you. You, he's now withdrawing from you. You're withdrawing from him. He's right there. People act like the Holy Spirit is this temperamental pigeon. I was told that the Holy Spirit is a dove. No, he's not. He's God. He's not a dove. He came once in the form of a dove Quit, making him out to be a white bird. But I was taught this the Holy Spirit is a dove and the moment you sin, it grieves him and he flutters away.

15:02 You know the big thing in Bosnia we do missions in Bosnia. The big thing in Bosnia, anywhere in the Balkans, it's smoking. They smoke like it's the 50s. Still, every, every, every restaurant has an ashtray on it because there's so much of the population smokes. And so these men get saved and they're all addicted to cigarettes. And then, of course, the pastor says you got to quit. All right, I got to quit. Doesn't tell them how. Doesn't tell them how to reach out to the Lord. But I remember one guy, when we were doing meetings there, loved the Lord newly saved, and then he got all somber, he's hand quaking. He didn't know, I didn't know he smoked. He goes. I have to light one up. Now I'm going to make the Holy Spirit cry.

15:49 And I just thought you're not going to make it, man. If every time you light up I'm not pro-smoking, I'm not telling you to light up, but if in your head you think every time you light up the Holy Spirit is boohoo-hooing, how long do you think you're going to endure this? You'll make it three months tops and then you'll get so tired of yourself in your mind letting him down that you'll just leave the church. And that's why, for every person in here, there's 50 prodigals somewhere else, because they think that because of their sin they're pushing God away. No, god is with you Doesn't mean he approves of your sin. God is holy but he's with you. He doesn't leave you. But if you persist in sin, you get a heart, heart, you move away from God.

16:33 And if you continue to persist in sin. There's this thing that can happen where your affection for the Lord, it dies. And affection for the Lord is important. David said he gave all this wealth to the building of the temple. He said because I set my affection on the things of God. Protect that sweet, lovey-dovey affection that you have for the Lord. It'll make your heart cold and you open yourself up to deception. So if you go down the path of sin, it's not your sin that causes you to get unsaved, not your works. But then you go down this path of deception to where your faith is dying. Your affection is cold, you're distant from the Lord.

17:14 It's not that he left you. You left him and now you're in danger of not having a living faith. Now you're just another person who said once upon a time I gave my life to Jesus. Now you're a Lord Lord, christian Lord, lord, did I not, back in 2003, fill out that connection card and say I received you as my Lord and Savior? Yeah, let's read James, because this addresses it. This is out of this conversation. I was only two years, three years, saved and I was in college and one of my sweet mates. I was witnessing to him and as I'm trying to witness to him, I'm witnessing to him because there's no evidence of a Christian life, there's no evidence that he's ever even heard the gospel.

17:55 So I'm saying he's ripe for the plucking. I'm going to share the gospel with him and as I'm sharing, he's like yeah, yeah, man, I'm good, I did all this. I said what do you mean? You did all this? No, I've heard all this many times. Yeah, but are you saved? And he goes. You mean the prayer and I go. Well, I guess. Yeah, the prayer. I said the prayer. I'm good bro. I said the prayer. My mom would drag me to church. I said the prayer and I'm trying to witness to any. Actually, he does the, he does the condescending shoulder slap. You know I said no man, I'm good Sort of demonstrate on you, pastor Moe, but so let's figure out. Where's this, where's this guy? What good is it?

18:36 James writes my brothers. If someone says he has faith but does not have works, can that faith, can that particular faith, can somebody who says, oh yeah, I believe, but there's no evidence of the faith works? your behavior. It doesn't help. Jesus love you more, he already loves you. Your works, your behavior, what you do and don't do, it does not contribute to your salvation and to your right standing before God. But if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you have faith in his substitutionary death for you on the cross and you have faith that you were crucified there on the cross with him, there will be good works, there will be a transformation.

19:27 Holiness is one of the best evidences for the existence of God, is it not? Holiness is what grabs people's attention. True holiness, not the annoying Christian looking down his nose at people, but true holiness. When you've been in darkness, you've had addiction, you were eyebrow deep in sin, and then you're transformed by the power of God. And it's not because of religion, it's not because you're trying too hard from the outside end, but from the inside out. He's transformed your life. The world takes notice and it's one of the best evidences. And the scripture is clear Works will follow true, living faith. Don't shout me down because I'm preaching so good.

20:10 What good is it in my brothers? If someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? And then he gives this example of someone who's saying oh yeah, I believe, but there's no evidence. If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food and one of you says to them go in peace, be warmed and be filled thoughts and prayers, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead, and this is the. Just keep it up there, please. This is the first time in the scriptures we hear this concept, this term dead faith.

20:52 And dead faith really isn't faith at all. And what's living faith is normal faith, faith that's flowing out of your heart, not from two years ago, not from 10 years ago, not even from yesterday, but now faith, now faith right now. And when you have now faith, there's going to be works. But they flow from the inside. You know, in another place the Bible says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, than people who love to live under the law They'll go see, it's not grace, it's works, work out, work out. It doesn't say work for your salvation with fear and trembling, work out, but what he did inside of you, let there be an outworking of that now.

21:43 He forgave you, he made you righteous, he put his Holy Spirit in you. Let there be an outworking of that grace. Are you catching what I'm pitching? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. So proof to us, to yourself, to the world, is that there is a transformation in your life. You don't live like the world. What's your life like? Well, you're surrendered. You realize my life is not my own. You can either have your life or you can lose it. Jesus said if you lose your life, you'll find it. Those who find their life here and they keep being the God of their own life, they'll eventually lose it.

22:28 And then in the next breath he says what is it? Prophet, a man, if he gave the whole world? You got the Lambos, the Ferraris, the Jets. You gave the whole world fame. But then you lose your own soul. What is your life? It's like a vapor. With every passing year I just realized we're here for such a like a flicker. And then we're God. But your soul is eternal and you only have one and you don't want to play games with your eternal soul. So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead, verse 18. But someone will say you have faith and I have works. I love how James words this Show me your faith apart from your works.

23:11 That's impossible, by the way. Show me your faith, it's just faith. I just believe, but there's no evidence. Impossible. Show me your faith by your works and I will show you my faith by my works. You want to see what I believe? Exam in my life. You want to know if I have a living faith. Look at how I treat people, look at how I go to church. Look at how I give, look at how I evangelize, look at how I pray. I don't do those things because they contribute to my salvation. This is the key All these good works church attendance, sharing your faith, studying the Bible, praying, being kind to others.

23:53 You don't do those things to score points with the big guy. You don't do those things because you're trying to add to the finished work of the cross. That's already settled. You do those things because you've reckoned yourself dead to sin and alive unto God. You do those things now out of a gratitude. And guess what? You don't do them alone. You don't do them with self effort. Are you hearing me here? The supernatural power of the Lord produces this fruit. It makes you try real hard to be fruitful.

24:37 You don't have to try, please don't try. I feel like Yoda. Don't try, do. One of the worst things I hear people say is I'm going to go to work on myself. No, you've tried that already. You've tried. Working on yourself Didn't work. If we could fix ourselves and Christ died in vain, if you could go to work on yourself, you say so what should I do if I don't work on myself? I told you die, it's much simpler Die. What does that mean? Well, 2,000 years ago, in the mind of God, you were crucified with Christ and Paul. In Romans he says reckon yourself. That's an accounting term. Put it down that it's so. Consider yourself dead.

25:19 That's why Paul said I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live Yet not I, but it's Christ who lives in me, who loved me and gave himself for me. So you reckon yourself dead and alive unto God. That means you surrender your life. You're not your own anymore. You surrender to his Lordship. Yeah, but I still have issues. I know Me too. And then, as you walk with him holding his hands, he'll straighten you out. As you walk with him, he'll produce you know what kind of church this kind of preaching produces. It produces more honesty in church, because when you don't preach this way, people still have struggles. They just hide it from everybody else and that's how you get that glazed over church face.

26:05 Hey, how are you Fine? Praise the Lord, all is well with my soul. Hallelujah, randos, shando Ba ba ba. It's like the Christian T 1000. Hello, hey, sir. Oh, beep up when you realize that, no, we're not excusing sin, we're not making light of sin. Sin is serious. Jesus died for sin. But I'm not a fool. I recognize this sin in some people's lives that they're struggling with. But now you don't have to hide. You know that not only does God love you through it, but the pastoral team will love you through it, your life group will love you through it.

26:47 You're in a community that realizes you haven't fully arrived yet. In God's mind you have. He sees you perfect, he sees you sinless, he sees you without fault. But experientially, in your everyday life, you are a work in progress and we give space for that. Is this making sense? Which environment do you think is actually healthier and more conducive to true holiness? Or do you want a bunch of people just hiding and pretending everything is okay, not even being able to find a brother or sister in church to open up to and say you know what? I've been hitting the bottle. I wish I hadn't. But this is this thing that's, and you have someone to help you, remind you of grace, remind you that the answer isn't in works, but it's in grace, love.

27:28 You Take your hand. Which one is healthier, which one is more biblical? Well, you may not know yet, but by the time we're done with Galatians, you'll know which one is more biblical. Amen, verse 19. And then he says to those who just would say, I believe, this isn't real faith, this person was never saved. The person who says, oh yeah, I believe, and there's no fruit, no, they really need to believe. All they have is a mental ascent. They just agree mentally, like intellectually, just oh yeah, I believe in Jesus. No, you don't believe. You believe in a historical Jesus, another Jesus. You believe with an aggressive faith you could have ahold of him.

28:09 Then you're born again, then your heart is transformed. You believe, I love how he says this you believe that God is one you do well, even the demons believe, and at least they tremble. Demons believe. They're not saved, they tremble at least. But you, when you believe, it's a different kind of belief. It's a faith, it's a now faith that lays a hold of and produces fruit. Amen, did that help you a little bit before we jump into Galatians? God is good, isn't he? And the gospel is good news. Let's begin now in Galatians, chapter three. Oh hallelujah. Galatians, chapter three and verse one.

28:52 Paul had just finished reading how to win friends and influence people. So he begins with oh foolish Galatians. And you'll see if you read the other, excuse me, when you read the other epistles of Paul. This is the most upset, really the most unhinged you ever see him. Why? Because mixing covenants nullifies grace. Mixing covenants you? Really. There is no mixing. You may think you're mixing, but the moment you start mixing you're 100% under the old and not under the new.

29:34 And the old is the old for a reason. Under the old, you were cursed. Under the old, your sins were never forgiven. Under the old, the Holy Spirit didn't live in you. Under the old, you were not a new creation. You were not born again. Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? Who has hypnotized you? Who's cast a spell on you that you should not obey the truth? Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? So just as a recap, what were the Galatians up against? A group known as the Judaizers. The Judaizers were Jewish believers in Jesus.

30:14 But they came in and they said hey, it's wonderful that you Gentiles believe in Jesus, but that's not enough. Have you ever heard that before? That's not enough. My crew preachers, pastors, were the most guilty of telling people that's not enough. But you got to do more, you got to work more. But really, at its foundation, it's to exercise and exert control over the people, and they don't trust the Holy Spirit under the new covenant in people to cause them to rise up into the fullness of Christ. They feel they have to control them by putting them under a works program and giving them a works mentality.

30:56 But what it produces is miserable Christians who are never at rest. They never enjoy the love of God. They're just that hamster on a treadmill working for salvation. Jesus, he stopped working, it says. After his crucifixion and resurrection he presented his blood in the sanctuary of heaven and then sat down, sitting down as a posture of rest. And now it says you're seated in heavenly places in Christ. You don't have to work for your salvation, you don't have to work for God's love or for his approval. That's forever settled. Now, all the works and, by the way, we're a church that's big on works, and the more I preach that you don't have to work to be loved by God, the more works come.

31:41 Isn't that mind blowing? We have volunteers, awesome worship team, whatever. We have to say no to people to come on a mission trip with us. This church gives, like it's three times the size generous people who tithe. They don't have to be manipulated into giving all because they appreciate their salvation and they love Jesus. Hallelujah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So this group was coming in and telling them they had to mix, and Paul says it's like you've been hypnotized. By the way, just so you know, paul is talking about this group called the Judaizers. This happened 2,000 years ago. Don't think this is a 2,000 year old problem.

32:22 Judaizers exists today in the form of pastors, preachers. They come in and they want to get you to mix covenants, to control you, to rob you of the liberty that you have in Christ. Sometimes the Judaizers is you yourself to you. Sometimes we are our own worst Judaizer. What's a Judaizer? Anyone who would say anything other than Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Jesus plus my effort, my strength, my doing. No, it was done at the cross, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed.

33:06 He uses this Greek term for portray. It means a very large portrait that everybody would see, like a billboard. Paul is saying Jesus died in such a way and this is how I preach him that everybody saw him like on a billboard. The power of the cross, the blessings that come as a result of the cross. This is a good reminder for me, because Paul in another place said when I came among you, I resolved not to know anything other than Christ crucified. That tells me what I should be preaching about. All the time, so many, especially in the western church, we have deviated into all these different topics and subjects.

33:49 Some are valid for a little bit, but you always got to come back to Jesus. But if in our Christian bookstores we have Christian cookbooks, I think we've crossed the line. What should I preach about every time I preach Jesus? What if the people want to Jesus? Well, what about when it's Christmas, jesus, but what about when it's Halloween, jesus? What about when it's November Jesus? In the middle of summer, jesus, when the people need exactly the answer is in Jesus. Every topic, every subject, everything has been addressed by Jesus at the cross. We can unpack it forever, but he has to be the central figure of this thing, clearly portrayed, placarded like on a billboard for everyone to see.

34:36 The answer for everything is Jesus. We're in the middle of this series. I preach Christ and Christ crucified, because everything you're looking for, whether it's deliverance from an addiction or sin or breakthrough, whether financial or in your soul or in your family or physical, it's all coming out when you see Jesus and understand what really happened on the cross. And so many people are living with a mixture. And one of the telltale signs that'll alert you that you're living on the mixture is you have shame in your life, you're condemned, you feel guilty, you feel like, well, god kind of loves you because he has to, but it doesn't really like you. Red flag, that's your hard attitude.

35:18 That means you're not getting the cross. Well, what should I do to better get the cross? Well, sit under series on Galatians and then, in your spare time, memorize God's word, dig into it, explore, unpack it for yourself. What happened at the cross? Oh, he who knew no sin that's Jesus never once knew sin was made into sin. There's Christians who don't know the depth of that verse. Jesus was turned into sin. Think about that. Jesus said as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so, must the Son of man be lifted up, the serpent?

36:05 Literally, moses took up a pole with a serpent on it. That was a picture of Jesus. This might sound extreme to you, but he was made into sin like a serpent, like he took on the qualities of Satan himself sin. And that was punished and thoroughly hammered by God, so that now there's no more hammering or wrath or punishment for you. He who knew no sin was made sin. That we, full of sin, might be made into the righteousness of God in Christ, woo, that's the gospel and it is great news. So to move away from that, I would tell somebody too who has bewitched you.

36:49 Verse two this only I want to learn from you Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Let me ask you that question how many of you are filled with the Holy Spirit? You receive the Holy Spirit. Did God fill you with the Holy Spirit because of your adherence to the law? Did you have every T crossed, every I dotted? It's because you just had such exemplary behavior in your life. Is that how he filled you with the Holy Spirit? No, he came in the midst of your mess, didn't he? He came when you were totally upside down, topsy-turvy, messed up. He came when you responded in faith.

37:29 When I think about when I was 16 years old, how jacked up I was, how crazy my worldview was come from former Yugoslavia, totally atheistic, slash agnostic you said no, how could it be? Both it was. That's how confused we were Secular, humanistic, atheistic, agnostic, just messed up. I get sick. He comes into me Not because I kept the law, but because I just responded in faith. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? And then he asked this very important question are you so foolish, having begun? This journey began not because of you doing such a good job and because of your behavior.

38:13 It started in the Spirit. Are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Most Christians hear me out now would say yes to that, because we're taught a wrong message. We're taught that justification is by faith. Justification, once again, is the act of God pronouncing you're not guilty. That's by faith and that's for free, right Easy. You get justified with a five second prayer, but then sanctification, which is the process of you becoming more Christ-like. It's the process of you becoming more holy. We're taught that while justification is by faith, sanctification will require a lot of hard work, aren't we?

39:01 It'll require you being like MJ and taking a good long hard. Look at that man in the mirror and promising him you're going to make a change. Hee, hee. And this is why men in particular run from church. They actually want God, they actually crave God, but then they look at their secret sins and they go. I don't have the stomach to go up against these goliaths that have been haunting me all my life. So they say no, I can't imagine, because I've tried. This is what they'll say in private. I've tried, but there's no relief. So why just go into a system where I'll constantly disappoint God and disappoint myself?

39:45 But that's not the gospel. The gospel is justification is by faith. You start off in the spirit and guess what? The process sanctification of being made holy is also by faith, not by works, not by you trying. If you could try to be a good person, if you could try to live holy, you wouldn't have needed Jesus. You would have just tried and you would have changed yourself. No, sanctification is by faith. Faith in what? Faith that Jesus died for you. Faith that Jesus has forgiven you of all your sins. Faith that he put a new spirit inside of you.

40:27 Then faith that he put the Holy Spirit inside your spirit, the whole gospel. The more you meditate under truths of the gospel, the more you realize what exactly happened on the cross. That's where the process of sanctification gets its fuel. And then it's not you, so you can't boast the most annoying true holiness, not annoying Christians who are full of the annoying and not the annoying thing, and they look down at you and they're so proud. I don't even watch R rated movies. Well, that's good for you. You missed out on some pretty funny movies. But really now you're just religiously proud.

41:07 By the way, I'm really. I didn't have a TV from 1994 till 2009. I didn't listen to secular music nothing from when I was in my early 20s to my mid 30s. I did, and well, and I'm saying that's bad, that was what the Lord did, that the Lord supernat. He wanted to shield me. I'm not suggesting this for somebody, but I'm saying when I would take my eyes off of intimacy with Jesus, all that was left was a stinky religious pride. I come into a church. They don't know where real holiness is. That was the secret in my heart. It wouldn't come out, but it was there and I had to fall on my face and for the Lord to show me just how desperately I needed Him and that the things I boasted of in my holiness was all like filthy rags to Him.

41:55 That scripture, by the way, hallelujah. Is this good news or what? This is good news? Let's just admit that we're works in progress. We're no make excuse for sin, but under grace we realize grace is an empowerment for holiness and it's empowerment to escape the clutches of sin. But you're not going to escape sin by trying and working really hard, and this was the point I was making. That only messes people up and they become worse sinners. I cut my teeth on ministry to the poor in my early 20s. The first four years of ministry I'd be in the trailer parks and in the projects in Tampa, florida, and I would find people so down on their luck, and I kept seeing the same story over and over again.

42:39 That person whose life was devastated and in shambles. Many of them would have a Christian past, but they lived under the law. And here's how that story went they lived under the law and they felt they had to change their life, not that the Holy Spirit was going to do it. They weren't told to look at the cross and to yield, and guess what? They kept on failing. And as they kept on failing, they kept on being more and more condemned and hating themselves more and more, until they finally just gave up and said I'm such a mess, I'm such a sinner, I'll never, ever, please God, I'm just going to go the way. The devil, all the way To. The worst sinners I've ever seen are former Christians. Maybe that's what Jesus meant when he said go and sit.

43:21 No more or less the worst thing come upon you, and when the devil comes out and he returns, he brings seven others with him, and the latter state is worse than the former. Hallelujah, but that's not your story, because even if you fall, you know he loves you. Verse four have you suffered so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain, because they were actually persecuted for living under grace. And he's saying you already were persecuted for living under grace. Was all that for nothing? Therefore, he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

44:13 Now a couple of things. In this verse he shows you what a new covenant church should be like. I noticed two things there should be a generous supply of the Holy Spirit and he should be free to move among God's people and work miracles among them, hallelujah. And when he does that, it's not because the people have every T crossed and every I dotted, but it's because they're responding to him in faith. And that's what I see at City Light Church. I want more of it, I want a hundred times more, but I keep my pulse, my finger on the pulse, very closely up. Are people experiencing the miraculous? And when I say miraculous, I don't mean to come out in a white bedazzled suit. Lights all on me.

44:54 I lift up my right hand. A hydraulic lift in the stage goes up, 50 person choir singing near my God to thee. Yeah, that kind of miracles can come that way. There's other ways. Miracles come where I'm preaching the word and the Holy Spirit, the unseen one, is moving up and down the aisles laying his hand on people, depositing caruses and graces, and speaking to and changing lives. I hear all the time. I just came into church hadn't been in a while just came into church and I started singing and God did something. And they talked to the journey beginning there and God transforming their life. What happened? The Holy Spirit and, by the way, did he do that because of their works?

45:37 No, every testimony right past your mouth. I came in busted and disgusted, with nothing to offer God and I was shocked that that's how he met me and gave me miracle. Really, if some of us who quote unquote, have our act together, can learn how to always come to God in and of ourselves, busted and disgusted with experience, the miraculous more Did you catch that you come boldly, but not bold in yourself, bold in Christ, but sometimes glance at yourself and remind yourself, lord, I don't deserve anything that you've given me. I am so needy. I am so, jesus, I need you, and that kind of humility activates the power of God.

46:18 Verse six Just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, now he's appealing to these Judaizers because they took great pride in being genetically linked to Abraham. They were the offspring of Abraham. Physically, abraham seed and he's saying hey, remember that whole covenant that was formed with Abraham. He didn't do anything, he just believed God. It was by faith. It was a precursor to the new covenant, a precursor to grace. In fact, the gospel of grace is hidden in that exchange between Abraham and God.

47:00 Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, just like a Christian today. You put your faith in Jesus and he puts on your heavenly account. They're righteous. It's reckoned and put down that it's so. Verse seven For know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham, those who believe, not those who do, but those who believe. You know what that tells me. I'm preaching a bunch of Jewish people this morning. No, this is true. I need to come to terms with this. What is, what are Jewish people? What is Israel Jewish? They're God's people.

47:40 Israel is God's nation and you're the Israel. Paul actually finishes Galatians by saying blessings upon the Israel of our God, writing to a bunch of Gentiles, because you have now been grafted in and you are the Israel of God. You are one true Jew. Amen, and though you cannot link your genetics to Abraham, but you're of the seed of Abraham. Why. Because Abraham believed God, didn't do anything for God. He believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. What did you do? Did you do anything for God to help with your salvation? No, you believed God and it was accounted to you as righteousness.

48:25 So you're blessed with believing Abraham and you're the offspring of Abraham, and Abraham is your spiritual dadah. I think this would be a good time to pray for physical Israel we are spiritual Israel but this is a good time to pray for physical Israel, with everything that's happened, and let's pray for that right now. Father, in the name of Jesus, your word instructs us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray in Jesus' name for peace. We pray that evildoers would be punished, we pray that your justice would come in and we pray that you would preserve and protect civilians and that the order of God and the plans and purposes of God would be wrought in that place.

49:10 In Jesus' name, amen, hallelujah, amen, hallelujah. Verse seven, verse eight, and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith. Preach the gospel to Abraham before saying In you, all nations shall be blessed. When God said to Abraham In you, all nations shall be blessed, you know who was talking about us right here in Queens. Do you know how many nations are in our church in Queens? Over 80. Look around, it's a beautiful sight. Over 80.

49:51 And I'm not talking about over 80, like my grandfather came from Ireland. When I say over 80, we took a survey. People who say no, I am an immigrant, like you from Ukraine, right, and like me from former Yugoslavia. And where were you born, kwak? Hong Kong. Where were you born? South Korea? The list goes. You're American, right, but second generation. Your parents are immigrants, but 80, first 80, all nations. Here we are saved, believing in Jesus. Amen. The gospel was preached to Abraham saying in you, all the nations shall be blessed, verse nine. So then, those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

50:32 Say this out loud I'm blessed, I'm blessed With believing Abraham. Now, what is the blessing of Abraham? Righteousness. Righteousness people are it is to be very accurate righteousness, justification by faith. Abraham was justified, not by doing something, but by believing God, and God put it on his account that he's righteous and justified. That's the blessing of Abraham. However, there are other blessings connected with the blessing of Abraham, intertwined if you will Examine Abraham's life. What happened to him after he believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.

51:15 Well, one thing that happened immediately after was, it says, that his sheep and his goats and his heifers and his bulls and everything, just kept multiplying and multiplying, so much so that he had such a high class problem that the grass couldn't keep up with how his animals were multiplying. So prosperity and abundance is part of that blessing. Another thing is that he was supernaturally protected over and over and over again. That's a part of the blessing of Abraham. So recognize that. As you say, justification by faith. Don't stop there. Too many Christians stop at forgiveness. Forgiveness is important. I preach it 90% of the time but that's not the destination.

51:59 That's just the open door through which you enter and then there's a whole giant room of goodies for you to explore. So many people don't get to explore the goodies they're so happy with forgiveness. I'm thrilled. I stare at forgiveness every day. What a beautiful door this is. Oh hallelujah, this is wonderful. But then I cross the threshold. Amen. I feel like only 30% got that. Are you catching this? Amen? All right, okay, we won't judge by sight. So then, those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham, verse 10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse For it is written.

52:45 Why are they under a curse if they're living their life under the law? Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. That's the curse, because you can't get an A-minus. Can you imagine? Imagine if you kept? You can't. But if you kept the law perfectly for 50 years and then in your 51st year you slip up and now failed. Can I take a do over? Nope, but I got an A-minus. Nope. One break of the law, one sin, and you're disqualified. No wonder we need a savior. And that's the curse of the law, for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written.

53:30 Cursed is everyone does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, verse 11. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith. And that's a verse out of the Old Testament, out of Habakkukuk or Haggai, I forget which one, one of those two, it's not in my notes. But that no one is justified, that's the part where you just go in the Old Testament, right. But I try to model transparency, vulnerability, I try to model a work in progress, so you get some of that too sometimes.

54:20 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith. Yet the law is not a faith. The law is not a faith. It's what you do. You can plainly see it. But the man who does them shall live by them. And then he says something so beautiful that we really got to get in our heart. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Hanging on a don't get weird and caught up and go. Well, jesus was on a cross and what you know. Cursed is everyone on a tree Just means somebody who didn't have a proper burial, someone who was left on a fence post or a tree.

55:08 Under the Levitical law, that person was considered cursed. And this is what's important for us to get Some real world. Daily application is when you think of yourself, think of your life, realize that you are blessed beyond a curse. There are Christians who believe that they can be both blessed and cursed at the same time. If they do right, they're blessed. If they mess up, god will curse them and they're walking civil wars. They have no peace. They don't even know who they are in Christ. Imagine living under that threat that if they mess up, you're going to mess up. You don't have to, don't have faith to mess up. But up until now and that day there you're going to fall and then you should expect a curse.

55:52 God forbid, you are blessed. In Jude it talks about don't go into the error of Balaam. The error of Balaam was thinking that you could curse that which God has blessed. So this is an actual story in the Old Testament. Balaam was a witch assassin hired to curse the people of God. And here's what the Bible says. It's actually quite comical he went to curse the people of God. When you talk about Balaam, everybody wants to talk about his donkey. You remember Shrek the talking donkey? Oh yeah, the talk. Oh yeah, eddie Murphy and the donkey. Forget the donkey. A witch assassin tries to curse the people of God and he can't do it.

56:35 It's like he goes I curse, bless you. No wait, I curse, bless. The Bible says God turned the curse into a blessing. Why? Because it is impossible for Satan or some witch or anyone to curse that which God has already blessed. And you are blessed in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And a teaching came into the body of Christ around 20, 25 years ago, late 90s, early 2000s. And there's these fads that come into Christianity. Nothing but fads Sell out conferences, sell books, and there's this whole teaching on generational curses. I know why your life's a mess.

57:16 It's not a mess because you haven't surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus. It's not, which usually that's why it's a mess. It's because of generational curses. So you didn't know, but your great, great grandfather was a really bad guy. And then the point to the Old Testament. See, god said that he would visit your sin unto the third and fourth generation. So you now have an open door for curses and satanic abuse and for your life to be topsy turvy because of generational curses. I mean, like if we didn't have enough problems, right, but that's what the devil does, that's what a religion does. It comes and puts this weight on you that's not meant for you to bear.

57:57 So, literally, people were spending years of their lives and inner healing courses, inner healing conferences, trying to repent for their uncle Jojo's sin from 150 years ago, unearthing. All this just repenting and nobody changed. Nobody got loose, nobody got free. Curses ended up in more bondage. Christ was how much more do you want than God in the flesh? My wife told me I shouldn't yell so much in the first service, but I can't help it. God in the flesh became a curse. He exchanged places with you so that you could be blessed.

58:44 So who or what entity is going to curse you now that you are blessed? None, and that should be the confession of your mouth. 24, seven I am blessed. I am blessed, but faster. Sometimes in my life it actually feels like I'm cursed. I cannot diagnose all that, but what I do know is agree with what the word says. Amen, amen. Agree with what the word says. The more you agree with God's truth, the more you'll get the reality of that in your life. Let's close with verse 14. Worship team, come on up.

59:26 That the blessing of Abraham. Remember what that is. Yes, justification by faith, but also provision, prosperity, protection, abundance. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. That we might receive the promise of the spirit not by works, but through faith. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Isn't biblical Christianity so awesome? If the world could see Jesus as he really is and see the new covenant in its true glory, they would come running to him and wear the advertisements that Jesus has.

1:00:11 I know it's like Lord. How are you ever going to get the job done with us? You caught that first huh, but he's going to do it. We're going to see his power in New York City. We're going to see more people get saved. He's not looking for perfect vessels, he's looking for available vessels. Let's pray, actually, let's do this. Let's read those last two verses out loud. We do that in the first service. That'll be our prayer. Those last two verses 13 and 14, let's say them together. If you can get those up there again, then we'll open up the altar for prayer.

1:00:52 Say this with me Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written First is everyone who hangs on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Hallelujah, ministry team, come on up. Our altar is open to whoever wants prayer for anything at all, but leave here knowing that you are loved. Leave here knowing that you are forgiven and that we are all works in progress.

1:01:36 Yield to the Holy Spirit. You can say you're work in progress several different ways. I could say with the attitude of well, you're a work in progress and I kind of dismiss your issues, dismiss the fact that you may be addicted to some sin that's killing you, and I go oh, you're a worker, that's not what I'm doing here. I hope you realize that we're not just back slapping people going ah, don't worry about it. You like crack? Ah, you're a work in progress. A dull tree Ah, don't worry about it, you're a work in progress. No, this is stuff that'll kill you. God loves you, god's not abandoning you, he's with you. This is stuff that'll destroy your life, maybe even your kids' lives, but it's so that you understand that you are a work in progress. We don't dismiss sin, but we invite Jesus in and consider ourselves dead.

1:02:21 Amen. This is the City Light Church Podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in City Light Church, visit us at CityLightNYCcom. That's CityLightNYCcom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to CityLight Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.