Galatians 3:15-29 - Law VS. Promise

Remedy Church - 04/19/09

Previously, I had been blogging the sermon from my church each week, but I got slack and missed a couple of weeks. I was out of town on Easter weekend. However, I have no excuse for last week, so I am posting my notes today.  These are the notes from the Sunday before last. I will post my notes from the most recent sermon in a couple of days.  Hopefully I will be able to get back on track.

Remember, you can subscribe to the audio for these sermons by searching for Remedy Church on iTunes, or you can just go the church website.

INITIAL COMMENTS

Are we living for Christ in a way that we are following rules or in a way that we are worshiping? Are you a rule follower or a worshipper?

The law is not meant to add to the gospel, rather it is meant to point you to the gospel.

Most of us are all little legalists at heart – What are the issues you become legalistic about?

5 POINTS REGARDING THE LAW VS. PROMISE

1) The giving of the law doesn’t change the original promise/covenant (Gal 3:15-18)

- God gave the covenant to Abraham in Genesis 12:3

- This covenant – the blessing of all nations through Abraham’s offspring, who is Christ – was not negated or altered by the giving of the law through Moses 400 years later

- The covenant of blessing through Christ was still God’s plan

Then, why even give the law?

 - Paul foresaw this question, so he brings it up

2) The law was given because of sin (Gal 3:19-20)

- The law was actually given to increase transgression / sin (Romans 5:20)

- We didn’t know what sin was until God gave the law to expose our sin

- Also, not only does it expose our sin, but it causes us to want to sin (Romans 4:15; Romans 7:5)

- Our fallen nature causes us to desire the thing we should not do

- In summary, the law clearly defines sin, thereby exposing sin and causing more sin In other words, the law ensures damnation

3) Righteousness cannot be attained by law keeping (Gal 3:21-22)

- There aren’t two ways to God: Faith or Perfect Obedience

- There is only one way to God – receiving grace which results in Faith in Jesus Christ

3 possible responses to the law

1. We can rebel against it

2. We can show complete indifference

3. We can thirst for righteousness

4) The law was our guardian / tutor / schoolmaster until the promise, which is Jesus, came and created justification by faith (Gal 3:23-25)

- The law was both our guide to correct living and the judge declaring us guilty

- It sets the standard, but it is an unattainable goal

- How do you respond to the law?

5) Christ has made us all one (Gal 3:26-29)

- Salvation is available to every people group, gender, age, class, etc.

- These verses are speaking of equality regarding justification

    - Paul is not speaking to the issue of women’s roles

    - Not a support for egalitarianism or complementarianism

- God’s chosen people are those people he regenerates from all nations, not a particular nation or people group (Romans 9:6-8)

- God is looking for worshippers, not law-keepers

- To be an “heir according to the promise,” the only thing required is faith

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

If we are no longer under the law, put the promise,

- Then, we should be living for Christ, not a set of rules

- Then, our lives, work, actions, and thoughts should be for Christ - We have put on Christ

- Then, our response should be worship

MY THOUGHTS

We are sons of God –

Notice how Paul stated in Galatians 3:26 that we are all “sons of God.”  He doesn’t call us “sons and daughters.”  This isn’t a bad translation or a sexist remark.  His point is that regardless if you are a male or female, when you are adopted by God, you become a Son.  This is because only sons were full heirs.  In other words, only male children received an inheritance, and all Christians receive every benefit of being adopted by God.  We are all full heirs, regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, or age.  Our justification, adoption, and perfect standing are dependent solely upon his good, accomplished work and grace, not on any of our own characteristics or deeds.

We have put on Christ –

I usually just breeze past this phrase in Galatians 3:26-27, but I recently heard a great discussion of the importance of this phrase.  The NIV translates this phrase; you “have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  For me, this is a mind-blowing concept: to put on and be clothed with Christ.  Personally, I like the passive translation of the NIV, because this is something that is done for us as a part of our justification, not something we have the power to do for ourselves.

I recently heard an illustration that helped me to understand the significance of this phrase. The person was telling the story of young sheep being born and fed. Unfortunately, many mothers and babies would die during the new birth. Therefore, many babies would not have a mother to feed them, and a mother would not allow any sheep to feed unless it was her own newborn.  So, the farmers would skin the dead babies from one mother and put that skin on the baby sheep that no longer had a mother.  This way the mother would smell the newborn and think it was her own.  They were clothed in the skin of that mother’s true offspring.  This was the only way the farmers could keep the other orphaned newborns from starving.

Likewise, we have been clothed with Christ to make us acceptable in God’s sight. We have to take on the appearance of the only acceptable and righteous man, who is Jesus.  His righteousness is imputed to us, so that we might become sons of God.  There is no other way that we can be accepted.