Galatians 3 verse 1 – 14

Paul is writing to the churches that he founded on his first missionary journey recorded in Acts chapters 13 and 14. He travelled with Barnabas to what is now central Turkey via Cyprus visiting Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe.

Law or Gospel?

1:  You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2:  I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3:  Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4:  Have you suffered so much for nothing–if it really was for nothing? 5:  Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Paul is obviously angry with his readers inferring that there was a spiritual element to their folly. Paul means that they have been influenced by Satan himself through the arrival of the Judaizers from Jerusalem.

He reminds them of how he preached the Gospel to them, giving them a clear picture of Jesus dying on the cross to take the punishment for their sins, so that they could be forgiven and become righteous before God if they put their faith in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.

Paul then reinforces his argument by asking a question,  “Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?” Their answer can only be one thing, they put their faith in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit, (the two are inseparable), by believing what Paul preached to them.  It is pure folly therefore to submit to the rule of the Law which adds nothing to what they have already attained by faith.

We have to remember that the Law of Moses covered every aspect of life for a nomadic people seeking a permanent homeland. We as Christians believe that the rules and regulations laid down regarding life in the wilderness make sense but hardly have relevance for life in a modern suburb, and the rules regulating worship and sacrifice all found their fulfilment in Jesus and therefore no longer apply to us.

There are parts of the Law where God reveals his heart in respect of his relationship with his people and their relationship with each other, and these laws are encapsulated in the Ten Commandments which Jesus endorsed. Jesus also added an additional New Commandment that we, as believers, have love for each other in the same way that he loves us.

The problem with organised religion and human nature is that leaders tend to want to laud it over us and regulate the way we have fellowship, worship and work for God. Jesus said:

 “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8 : 31 – 32)

The important part of what Jesus said was if we are obedient to his teaching, then we will experience freedom from the slavery of sin. Which makes it important that we have good teaching on God’s word and at the same time allow the Holy Spirit to inspire and guide us so that we see God working miracles  and healings among us.

Children of Abraham

6:  Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

7:  Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.

8:  The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”

9:  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Judaizers looked to Moses and the Law for their authority but Paul played his trump card by taking them back in their thinking to the Patriarch Abraham who lived 430 years before the Law was given to Moses. God chose Abraham and his wife Sarah to be the parents of a great nation even though they were elderly and unable to have children. Abraham believed God’s promise and his faith was rewarded by the birth of Isaac. God had also announced to Abraham that, “ All nations will be blessed through you.” Paul interpreted this statement to mean that it was God’s intention that the Gospel would be preached to the Gentiles and their response in faith alone, like Abraham,  would make them righteous in God’s eyes.

Righteousness by faith alone

10:  All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

11:  Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”

12:  The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”

13:  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

14:  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

It is a well- known maxim that ignorance of the law is no excuse and can’t be used as a defence. Likewise if you break one aspect of the law you have broken all of it. This is why it is spiritually  impossible to live by the law as humans as in our frailty we are doomed to fail. Paul calls this inevitable failure a curse. We are redeemed, released from this curse by Jesus dying on the cross and becoming cursed in our place. Paul takes this idea from Deuteronomy 21 verse 22 where a man hung on a cross is cursed by God.

Paul sums up his thoughts in verse 14, “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” In Pauls’ mind the promise of the Holy Spirit and the blessings that come from putting our faith in Jesus as our Saviour and Lord are always one and the same and are to be earnestly sought after.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the great gift of your Son Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Fill us again with your Holy Spirit that we may walk our pilgrimage of faith knowing more and more of you and the many benefits that you offer to us your children of faith.

In the name of Jesus, Amen


Category: Sermons , The Bridge

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