No Plan B

Excellent. Well, folks, Galatians chapter 3, as we get back into this series this morning,

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

having had a little break last week. It's great to think about last week, wasn't it? Jesus saying that

he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that reminder to be a church that's driven by that zeal

to reach lost people with the good news of Jesus. But we're back in this morning at Galatians chapter

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

3. So come with me to verse 15. And maybe to get us started, I wonder if you've ever heard the joke

about Michael O'Leary, the owner of Ryanair. He walks into a pub in Dublin one evening and he asks

for a drink. And the barman nods, goes to the till and says, that'll be 65 pence, please.

Wow, that's cheap, says Michael O'Leary. Ah, says the barman, but that's just the price for the drink.

You'll be wanting a glass as well. And back to the till he goes. Ryanair is the masters of the

hidden terms and conditions, the changing terms and conditions. What is it we'd say today? Someone

has moved the goalposts. You know that phrase? Have you ever used it? The terms have changed.

What's going on? Where can we stand? What's true in life? Friends, here's the wonderful thing that

we can be strengthened by from this passage today. And it's that the God of the Bible is a God of

wonderful consistency. There's no shadow of change due to him. And if you're in our world, if you're

living your life in this world today and you're thinking, I don't know what's going on. I see so

much change. I don't know who to trust. And this passage is for you, my friend, because it tells you

about who the God of the Bible is. And at the heart of this, it tells us that he's the God who is

wonderfully trustworthy. And if you're after a story in your life just now, one that's maybe bigger than

what you can see, then it doesn't get much older than this. Someone that's been tried and tested and

not found wanting, but found to be wonderfully delivering. He's the God of wonderful consistency.

He's not like the football manager who switches formation at halftime because who knew Harry

Maguire couldn't play in a back three. Or the politician who gets wind of shifting public opinion

and so rose back on manifesto pledges. Or like the tradesperson who rings you up saying,

listen, perhaps I underestimated how long this is going to take and how much this is going to cost.

You know, I just love those phone calls. No, human beings are like that. Our world is like that.

But this passage here is telling us, if you take one thing from this, let it be this, that this

God isn't like that. He never goes back on his word. And in his wisdom, he really has planned

the end from the beginning. And that kind of God we can totally trust with our uncertain times

and our uncertain lives. And we're going to find exactly where specifically we can entrust them

today in this passage. Here's the thing though. Paul knows there's a rumor that's doing the rounds in

Galatia. All about how we're made right with God. Essentially, the rumor is that God has ditched plan A

and he's now moved to plan B. The word standing at the center of plan A comes up eight times in these

verses. And it's always worth when you're reading the passage looking for words that are repeated

because it more often than not gives you an idea into the center of the passage. Did you pick up the

word? It's the word promise. That's the word that's at the center of plan A. The phrase at the middle of

plan B, however, is keeping the law. And Paul's arguing in this passage that God's never had a plan B.

You can't even really call it plan A. It's just always been the plan. A plan that centers on a promise

that God made that cannot be, verse 15 and 17, a plan that cannot be set aside.

And so as we enter the game at verse 16, see the connection to what we thought about last time

about the promises God made to Abraham back in Genesis 12.

promises of a place, promises of a people, promises of blessing that through him and his line would come

to the nations of the world. And key to the argument in this passage is the timeline.

those promises were made 430 years before the law was even a thing.

But see who Paul says these promises that God made were specifically made to. Do you see it?

Do you see it in the passage? And that word, according to Paul, isn't plural.

That word is singular. Now we're building up a case here that we're going to hopefully,

magnificently come back to at the end. So these details are all really important, okay?

It's singular. Do you see him say it? So God made these promises, not so much to a people,

but to a person who would come down Abraham's family line. You with me? Right? What does he say?

That person is Jesus. Didn't quite get the arc or the PowerPoint.

So Jesus, even though he comes way later in the Bible story, is no late addition.

He's in the father's mind, even as he speaks these promises to Abraham.

Now Jesus is the one who deserves the blessings of God.

Jesus is the one who will inherit the promises of God.

So these promises in Genesis 12 are made to Jesus.

Park that thought for where we're going to finish in about 15 minutes time, okay?

Promises made to Jesus.

So Paul anticipates a question at verse 19.

If it's always been about that promise,

then what on earth was the point in God giving the law to his people?

Do you see the question?

Great question.

And the law there is almost like it's an umbrella term for the Ten Commandments

and all the periphery laws and the sacrificial system that God had given to his people.

And Paul simply anticipating the question, what on earth was the point in all of that?

Because up until this point in the letter, you could be forgiven for thinking that Paul is anti-law.

Like he's encouraging people now to ditch it.

But Paul's attitude to the law in this letter is a lot more nuanced than that.

Paul knows, and remember his background, we thought about it a few weeks ago,

his background having been raised in the school of Judaism.

Paul knows that the law that God gave Israel after he saved them from Egypt

and called them out to be his special possession is a glorious thing.

It is a revelation of just how good and how different

and how just and how holy and how perfect and how loving this God is.

And if you want to know what it looks like to keep the law,

just look at Jesus who kept it perfectly and who kept it joyously.

In fact, you read Psalm 119.

It's a psalm that's all about the beauty of the law.

Paul's not against the law.

How could he be?

But he is against people thinking they can use it

as a means by which they try and get right with God.

So what was the point then?

Paul's going to give us three things in this passage.

Now, if you're a note taker, I've tried to break this up into three Es.

And if you're thinking about the Bible and how it fits together

and how you can understand particularly the Old Testament

and light of the new and Jesus coming,

friends, this is a great thing to get into today

if you want to understand the Bible story.

Are you with me?

Here's the three things.

If you're taking notes, three Es.

First purpose was to expose people.

Verse 19, do you see in the passage here,

the law was given because of what?

Transgressions.

Do you see it?

That word there, it just means overstepping the line,

overstepping the mark, crossing the line.

What we would say as parents, if you're like me,

you've gone too far this time, right?

What was thin ice is now cracked.

So the law was given so that God's people would know

what is right and what is wrong in God's eyes.

I guess it's a bit like the scene in The Lion King

when Mephasa says to Simba,

that shadowy place, don't go there, right?

Elfin graveyard, don't go there.

Why?

Why?

Because it's for your good that you don't go there.

It's for your good that you don't go there.

And I think that's why so much of it is in negative form.

Again, it's because of the hardness of the human heart.

We need to be told what is not good for us to do, right?

Like God's saying to his people,

it's not good for you or your neighbor

or your community for you to do that.

But you know what?

It is good for you and your soul

and your community and your neighbor

if you'd go this way.

And so the law, if you like, it does two things.

It curbs sin, stops them doing things

that God knows is harmful.

But here's the other thing.

Think back to Mephasa.

What does Simba now know?

He knows where not to go.

Mephasa has named it.

He's named it.

And that's what the law does.

It names sin.

Names it.

So it's not like anger and murder and stealing and envy

weren't a thing before the law.

No, those things, if you like,

now God has written down on paper

so that you see it.

God's named it.

So you see that you've crossed the line

and you see it in a new way

and you see it for the evil, for what it is.

And by naming it, verse 21,

you see that no one gets righteous

by trying to earnestly and perfectly keep it.

You can't do it.

The law, it exposes.

Exposes us.

Exposes you.

And because that's true,

secondly, verse 23,

it enslaves you.

Enslaves you.

That's the image that the custody language there

is meant to conjure up in our minds.

Twice Paul says it, doesn't he?

Verse 22, first of all.

And verse 23,

the law had you locked up.

It found you guilty.

It found you facing life in the cell.

Enslaved you.

So God's people were meant to look at the law,

understand that they couldn't keep the law perfectly,

and conclude that I am up the creek without a paddle.

It enslaves you.

And thirdly, verse 25,

it educates you.

So Paul uses, and we'll riff on this for a little bit, right?

He uses that word, do you see it in the text?

Guardian.

In the Greek, it's pedagogos, that's it there,

but it is someone who is in authority over you,

and whose job it is,

because of that authority over you,

to teach you.

And a big function of the law

was to teach you about and get you ready for

Jesus.

And here's how this plays out

in your quiet times,

in your Bible reading,

in our Bible reading every day.

You're reading Exodus, for example.

That whole rescuing people from slavery stuff,

what's the point?

Paul would say,

in its own unique way,

it was to teach you things

about the person and the work

of Jesus,

ultimately.

You're reading Leviticus,

what's the point of the day

of atonement,

all this stuff about

me needing to offer a sacrifice,

and blood needing to be shed

for my trespasses.

What's the point?

Paul would say,

in its own unique way,

it was to teach you something

about your heart,

and about the person

and work of Jesus.

And this is what you get,

particularly in the first five

books of the Bible,

history.

You get types,

you get pictures,

you get,

as you move on in the story,

you get prophecies.

The law

is prepping you

for Jesus.

And all of that

made me think about

my old biology teacher

at school.

His name was

Dr. Williams.

Right?

I sat in his class

for about four years

trying to learn biology.

I remember,

I don't tell him this,

I remember one phrase

from all that time

that he taught me.

Do you know what it is?

You'll never guess.

Three words.

Larger surface area.

Everyone know

what I'm talking about?

Yeah?

No?

Right.

Larger surface area.

It's all I can hear

in my mind.

Right?

So every time,

here's how this plays out,

every time we get

some new flowers

in our house,

I get the stems,

and the first thing I do

is I cut them

at a right angle.

Anyone else do that?

Why?

Larger surface area.

Yeah?

No.

Okay.

Larger surface area.

I learned this stuff

from him.

He was kind of prepping me

for what life

would be like

in the real world

when I graduated.

Okay?

But here's the thing

about Dr. Williams.

He's taught me stuff,

but he didn't take

any snash.

Didn't take any nonsense.

He was no stranger

to the dishing out

of detentions.

He taught me stuff.

I was under his authority.

And in the same way,

the law,

says Paul,

the law

was your teacher.

It was your guardian

teaching you

and disciplining you.

But you know what would be

the weirdest thing,

going back to Dr. Williams

for a minute,

the weirdest thing,

is if he phoned me tonight

and he said,

are you remembering

your homework

for Monday morning?

I tell him

to get on his bike.

Because the moment

I walked out that door

of his class

at the end of sixth year,

our relationship

totally changed.

And that's what Paul

is saying

has happened

with the arrival

of Jesus

in terms of

your relationship

to the law.

the law

has served

its exposing

and enslaving

and educating

purpose.

It has

done

its job.

It's done

its role

because

now

Christ,

the one

who

the law

was getting

you ready

for,

the promise

inheritor

has

arrived.

So do you see

in the context

of Galatians,

Paul is saying

it doesn't make

any sense

for you

to go back

to the law,

to think

and that's

how you get

right with

God.

If you do

that,

do you see

how you're

just self-admitting

yourself to

prison?

Now

Christ has

come,

Paul says,

verse 29,

by faith

you are

now

Abraham's

seed.

Whoa,

whoa,

whoa,

whoa,

whoa,

whoa,

whoa,

whoa,

wait a

minute.

Time out.

I thought

Jesus was

Abraham's

seed.

You've

just told us

that,

Paul.

I thought

Jesus alone,

singular,

you made a

big thing

about that.

I thought

Jesus alone,

singular,

inherited the

promise.

Correct.

Well,

how does

that work?

And friends,

this is where

it gets

really good.

Paul would

say,

it works

because of

your,

verse 29,

faith,

because of

your faith,

and notice

this,

you belong

to him.

Do you see

it?

Got to see

it.

You belong

to him.

now,

imagine

one with

me that

one day

a team

of scientists

discover a

new tallest

mountain in

the world.

It's twice

the size of

Everest.

It is more

dangerous than

Kilimanjaro.

In fact,

so treacherous is

it that no

one has

ever or

will ever

have any

hope of

getting to

the top.

Except

one day

a woman

does.

No team,

no Sherpa,

no nothing.

She overcomes

all the odds.

She reaches

the summit.

She plants

her victor's

pole at

the peak.

And let's

assume they

get mobile

coverage at

the top of

the mountain.

She takes

a selfie of

herself,

posts it on

Instagram with

the caption,

we did it.

We did it.

Sorry,

we?

Well,

it turns out

this woman is

carrying a

child.

We did it.

Now,

question for

you,

how did

the child

come to

share in

her victory?

Not by

doing anything

other than

being one

with the

woman.

Now,

friends,

Jesus,

through his

life and

his death

and his

glorious

resurrection,

is the

great

victor.

Unrivaled,

unmatched,

unrepeatable,

no one

can topple

him from

his throne.

To him

alone belong

the blessings

of God.

To him

alone belong

the promises

of God.

And we

sang that

song earlier,

Christ is

victor.

Jesus is

the victor.

But my

friends at

Nidri would

call that a

kingdom

banger.

Okay,

looking forward

to learning

it.

Christ is

victor.

And I

love singing

songs about

the victory

of Jesus.

But here's

the question,

what on

earth does

that have

to do

with me?

Friends,

if your

faith is

in Jesus,

the answer

to that

question is

everything.

Everything.

His

victory.

victory.

Because we

are one

with him.

The promises

he's inherited.

The future

that he has

won.

The victory

over sin

and death

that's his.

How do we

share it?

We belong

to him.

That's it.

That's it.

We belong

to him.

And if

you're feeling

today like,

what on

earth am I

doing with

my life?

Is there

any future?

Is it

worth keeping

on going?

Life is

so hard.

Friends,

this one's

for you.

You

belong

to him.

Can I

just give you

two quick

things that

that means

to try and

whet your

appetite for

next week?

You've got to

come back

next week

and Ian

will take

us through

the first

little bit

of chapter

four,

which is

golden.

Two quick

things that

that means.

Firstly,

it means,

friends,

that there's

a new

me.

Because I

belong to

him.

In Christ,

you are

someone who

has been,

verse 27,

clothed with

Christ.

You see the

language?

Put off the

old,

you've put

on the

new.

You are

a child

of God.

That is

who you

are.

It's not

speculation.

It's

declaration.

You have

new

privileges.

You have

a new

future.

And you

have a

new

calling on

your life.

Kevin

de Young

in his

great little

book called

The Hole

in Our

Holiness

says this

rather cheekily

and I love

it.

He says,

God does

want you to

be true to

yourself.

But the

you that he's

talking about

is the

you that you

are by

grace and

not by

nature.

Yeah?

The

you,

the new

you,

the you

that you

are by

grace.

He wants

you to

be true

to yourself.

No,

they owed

you.

Do you

see what

he's

saying?

God

has saved

us for

radical

holiness

that baffles

the world.

And I

take it if

growing as a

Christian is

being transformed

more into

Jesus'

image,

if it was

a joy for

Jesus to

obey the

law,

friends,

it's going

to look like

that in

our lives

as well.

We're going

to think

about that

in a few

weeks'

time.

Not saved

by the

law,

but as

we follow

Christ,

I take it

this will

be all

over our

lives.

Number two,

it means that

there's a new

we.

And this is

bigger here.

Because you

belong to

him,

you belong

to each

other.

God's

holy

blessings of God in the same way? Do you see how God has created a radical equality among you?

Remember we saw a few weeks ago how Peter, he withdrew himself from the Gentiles because of

the sneers of these Jewish teachers that had come up from Jerusalem, who said to Peter,

you're eating with who? You're eating with them? I wonder if the Gentiles in Galatia might just

have been feeling like second-class citizens in God's kingdom. Like if God's people were all to

board a flight, they would be shown right to economy while the Jews would go left to business.

Why? Well, because they've got the history, they've got the law, got all the stuff, got all the stories.

Remember Jewish men in this day would pray each morning thanking God that he hadn't made them a

Gentile, a slave, or a female. Categories that would have meant an awful lot in terms of the social

hierarchy of the Roman Empire as well. Paul says, see when it comes to being children of God? Not so.

And that's why verse 28, friends, is so, so explosive. And it is the proverbial cat in among

the pigeons. And remember in the context, it's all about being God's children, probably more accurately

God's sons. Again, that's not the gender stuff there is specific and important because it's all

about inheritance. We'll see that more next week. But here's what Paul writes, there's neither Jew nor

Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

All one in Christ Jesus. Now, understand that the distinctions haven't disappeared.

But the barriers have been demolished. And the relationship between you all has totally changed.

Imagine a community like that living in the Roman Empire.

A CEO working in Mayfair in London, hanging out with a single mom living

in the east end of Glasgow. They're one. Why are they one? Well, they're one in Christ Jesus.

See how radical that is, what he's saying.

Oh, friends, you are all one in Christ Jesus. Listen, just as we close,

our doorbell went at 6.43 on Monday evening.

And I opened it and there was a lady standing there.

And she said, it's Graham, isn't it? And I could see where the conversation was going.

And I almost thought about saying no, but I thought, no, I'll go with this one.

So I nodded. And she said, do you mind me asking who you are planning to vote for at next year's election?

And at that point, I was so grateful for four little children who poked their heads around the door

at that precise moment. And she read the room and got the vibe that now maybe wasn't the time

for a long, deep and meaningful conversation.

But here's the thing. See, as I closed the door and said my goodbyes to her,

I wondered why that question made me so uneasy.

And I think the answer that I came away with is that we're all aware just how divisive a question that is currently.

And if you like it, that is just a difference of opinion.

But you look at our world, friends, and it is full of so much inequality.

Economic inequality, social inequality, ethnic inequality.

And we don't have any answers for it.

And this week of all weeks has helped us realize the evil that exists in human hearts

and the divisions that there are amongst the peoples of our country.

And so do you see how glorious a picture that is?

In a world that is so divided and hotly so, do you see how precious and beautiful

and stunning the unity and diversity, the radical equality that God has brought about through his son?

In his multinational, multi-generational, multi-lingual people of faith,

that somehow, somehow, through the cross of Jesus, he has made them one.

And it's all because God doesn't have a plan B.

This is the plan.

And this is what Jesus is doing.

He is building his church.

And so maybe, listen, maybe put it at this point.

As we move towards communion,

since we pass it around to each other, friends,

take a moment just to look the other person in the eye.

Right?

Just think to yourself,

brother and sister in Christ.

Let me pray.

And so, Father, we're just so thankful this morning for Jesus.

Jesus, who is our life.

Father, we thank you for the forgiveness and the newness of life that we have in him.

That nothing in our hands that we bring simply to the cross we cling.

Naked run to you for dress, helpless run to you for grace.

Thank you that Jesus is an all-sufficient saviour.

So, Father, I just pray, Lord, that you would remind us this morning of the glorious unity that we have.

What we were thinking about a few weeks ago,

this snow globe, this little microcosm of this global reality across the church,

that in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith.

So, Father, be with us as we move to a time of communion now.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.