The Way - Day 048 (Galatians 3)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
Galatians 3
After having shared his background and firm stance on the gospel of grace, Paul now turns his attention to the Galatians. He begins by calling them foolish, meaning that they were not wise in listening to the false teachings of these Judaizers. They had caused many within the church to disobey what they knew to be the truth. Jesus Christ had permanently destroyed death and sin through His perfect sacrifice on the cross so there was no need for the Galatians to include human works into God's plan of salvation (3:1). Paul then asks them if they had received "the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" He goes on to ask if salvation began "in the Spirit" but was "now being made perfect by the flesh?" In verse 5 Paul again asks them whether Jesus Christ brings salvation "by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith." Paul points all the way back to Abraham (father of the Jewish nation) and how he "believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness." If this is true, only those "who are of faith are the sons of Abraham." Jews and Gentiles alike become the spiritual children of Abraham through faith because God promised that through his seed would "all the nations...be blessed." In verse 10 Paul makes a bold statement by saying that "as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse" and then quotes Deuteronomy 27:26 where it says "cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law, to do them." Keeping the law is impossible and therefore salvation can never come through the works of the law; in fact, James 2:10 says that "whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." Jesus Christ "redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." Jesus Christ purchased our freedom from sin by perfectly fulfilling the demands of the law and paying the death penalty which was commanded by the law (3:13-14). God made the promise to Abraham that through him all nations would be blessed and He has kept that promise by sending Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham, to die for the sins of all mankind (3:15-18); therefore, salvation could never be found in the works of the law!

So, if following the works of the law does not result in salvation then what is the benefit of the Old Testament law? Is it even necessary? In case people accused Paul of saying that the law was not important, he revealed the purpose of the law. The purpose of the law was to expose the sinfulness of man until the Seed of Abraham (Jesus Christ) was revealed (3:19-20). If the law was only necessary to expose the sinfulness of man and could not provide salvation, was the promise of a Seed against the law? Paul says "certainly not" because the law and the promise of God are not in opposition. "If there had been a law given which could have given life...righteousness would have been by the law"; however, God's word clearly reveals that everyone is under sin and therefore cannot be brought to salvation through the law. Paul then uses an illustration of a prisoner saying that "Scripture has confined all under sin that the promise of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." The disobedience to the revealed law kept us a prisoner of sin until faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ came (who perfectly fulfilled the law) and set free those who were held captive by sin (3:23). The law only served as a tutor meaning that it guarded our behavior and taught us what was right. Ultimately, the law helped us understand that we could not attain salvation on our own because of our sinfulness, but it brought us to Christ who was able to declare us righteous before God the Father (3:24).

Since faith has now come through the grace of Jesus Christ, we are no longer under the law (3:25). Does this mean that the law is not important? No! The moral standards of the law are still in effect because they are unchanging. The ceremonial law, driven by rituals and sacrifices, have been discontinued. Listen to what Paul says in Colossians 3:14, 16-17 "having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us...having nailed it to the cross.... So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." When you , by faith, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ, you become the sons of God (3:26). When this is done, all of us become one in Christ Jesus (3:27-28) and we are no longer labeled by our nationality; in fact, "if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Although non-Jews can never be physical children of Abraham, we become spiritual children through Jesus Christ and heirs of justification by faith.