Sermon
Galatians Chapter 3 | Chris Osburn
Publisher transcript
Transcript
-
Certainly good to see everybody who has made it here this
-
morning with us. We're going to be studying and
-
Galatians 3. I was not excited when this
-
chapter landed on me. You got it.
-
I got to be honest with you because this is tough.
-
This is a tough chapter. When I read it, I went, what in
-
the world are we talking about here, trying to understand and
-
to put it all together and I even, you know, texted waiter,
-
you know, earlier this week, he was asking how the study was
-
going. I said man this is like a
-
72-ounce Tomahawk Steak that I'm trying to ingest in one sitting
-
and it just it's a tough tough. Chapter 4.
-
It was for me, at least. So I hope I don't Make it more
-
confusing than what it is. It's my whole point.
-
I want to make sure that we understand what the word of God
-
is teaching us today. I considered using the new Kings
-
James to read out of, but for he's for me and hopefully for
-
the congregation, I'm going to be studying out of the English
-
Standard Version. It's just a little easier for me
-
to read through it. So that's the, that's the
-
version that will be up on the screen.
-
So if you are turn to Galatians 3, you can either follow along
-
in the in your Bible or I'm going to have it up here on the
-
screen. So we'll start what read through
-
verse 25 and then we'll get into our study.
-
It says there. Oh, foolish.
-
Galatians who has Bewitched you? It was before your eyes that
-
Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
-
Let me ask you only this. Did you receive the Spirit by
-
works of the law, or by the hearing with faith?
-
Are you? So foolish.
-
Have you begun by the spirit? Are you now being perfected by
-
the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in
-
vain? If indeed, it was in vain, does
-
he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles?
-
Among You do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith
-
just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as
-
righteousness. Know then that it is those of
-
Faith who are the sons of Abraham and the scripture
-
foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith.
-
Preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying and you shall
-
all the nations be blessed. So then those who are of the
-
faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith for
-
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse for it is
-
written cursed, be everyone who does not abide by all things
-
written, in the book of the law and do them now, it is evident
-
that no one is Justified before God by the law for the righteous
-
shall live by faith. But the law is not of Faith.
-
Rather the one who does them shall live by them Christ
-
redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for
-
us for it is written. Cursed, is everyone who hangs on
-
a tree, So that in Christ Jesus, The Blessing of Abraham might
-
come to the Gentiles. So that we might receive the
-
promised Spirit through faith to give a human example, Brothers,
-
even a man-made Covenant. No one anoles in, or adds to it
-
once it has been ratified. Now, the promises were made to
-
Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say an to the an to
-
offsprings referring to many, but referring to one and to your
-
Offspring. Who is Christ?
-
This is what I mean. The law which came 130 years
-
afterward does not annul, a covenant previously ratified by
-
God. So as to make the promise void
-
for, if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by
-
promise but God gave it to Abraham as a promise.
-
Why? Then the law it was added
-
because of transgressions until The Offspring should come to
-
whom the promise had been made and it was put in a place
-
through Angels by an intermediary.
-
Now an intermediary. Your intermediary implies more
-
than one but God is one is the law of in contrary to the
-
promises of God certainly not for if it'll I'd been given that
-
could give life than righteousness would indeed be by
-
the law but the scripture imprisoned, everything under
-
sin, so that the Promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be
-
given to those who believe. There's a lot in that chapter
-
and we'll get to the final verses later on, but there's a
-
lot. I'm going to have 3 points.
-
I'm not going to go verse by verse through the chapter, but
-
I'm going to kind of give an over arching explanation of.
-
So what this chapter is referring to what it means, what
-
it means for us. And the first point I want to
-
deal with is Abraham. The second point is going to
-
deal with Moses and the third point which is the most
-
important point is going to deal with Christ.
-
And so we're going to see how kind of one Builds on another
-
going through our study. So we'll start with our first
-
point. Which deals with Abraham.
-
And my first point is God's covenant with Abraham shows us
-
the necessity of Faith. God's promise shows us the
-
necessity of Faith. So if we remember Paul, if you
-
were here the past couple months, when Wade's been going
-
through the first couple chapters, Paul is writing to a
-
church where there were some false teachers, these were
-
called judaizers and these people were claiming okay, you
-
can believe in Christ, but then you need to be circumcised.
-
You need to follow Jewish rule or the Jewish regulation in
-
order to be saved. So they were, they were adding
-
requirements to Salvation, that Jesus had already put in place.
-
And Paul introduces the doctrine doctrine of justification of
-
Faith at the end of Galatians 2. And then he starts to defend it
-
in Galatians 3 and fours, which were going to be Studying.
-
So we basically he's not bringing any new material to
-
this chapter that we're studying today, he's basically
-
reiterating reiterating what he's already started to develop
-
and he's bringing it to Bear upon the judaizers the false
-
teachers and what they were saying.
-
So he goes back to Abraham and he says okay you guys you
-
judaizers of talking about circumcision.
-
So let's go back to where circumcision began The Deal
-
started with Abraham and let's see how that how he was
-
justified and he begins to talk about the promise of God of
-
Abraham that is received by faith.
-
If we look in verse 6 of Galatians, 3 and says, just as
-
Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness
-
and he's quoting from Genesis chapter 15, Verse 8 of Galatians
-
3 it says and the scripture foreseeing that God would
-
justify the Gentiles by faith. Preached the gospel beforehand
-
to Abraham saying in you shall all the nations be blessed.
-
And so if you want to turn your Genesis 12, that's fine but
-
we're going to go back there for a little bit and and pull a
-
couple points out of there. What Paul is doing here in
-
Galatians 3 is he showing the necessity of faith?
-
He starts in Galatians 3 by giving basically six rapid fire
-
questions to the to the church, in galatia churches, in galatia.
-
He's basically saying, did you receive all the you would had
-
observing the law by obedience by your obedience, or by faith?
-
And he's making the case is basically rhetorical questions
-
that he's asking here. And that's when he reaches back
-
and talks about Abraham. He said, let's talk about
-
Abraham what he's doing. He's building a picture building
-
a case for his explanation. The people of God in the Old
-
Testament began with Abraham, he's the father of the people of
-
Israel and it all plays out and the New Covenant that we are
-
sons of Abraham. So if we look at Genesis 12,
-
verses 1 through 2, it says now the Lord said to Abram go from
-
your country and your Kindred and your father's house to the
-
land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great
-
nation and I will bless you and make your name great, so that
-
you will be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless
-
you and him who dishonors you, I will curse you and in all the
-
families of the Earth shall be blessed.
-
The promise that we see there is in verse 2, it says, and I will
-
make a great nation make of you a great nation and I will bless
-
you and make your name great, so that you will be blessings.
-
That's the promise that was given to Abraham from God.
-
And that's a big promise, and I don't want us to miss the point.
-
Abraham had nothing to do with this promise, that was given to
-
him from God. For all, we know Abraham was
-
made, even a pagan guy who was not seeking after God, but this
-
was initiated by God initiated by God.
-
So the first part of the Covenant with Abraham here is by
-
Grace God, blesses his people. That's what one of the points is
-
being made. It's not based on what Abraham
-
had done, but based on the initiative that the grace of
-
God, God making his Covenant with Abraham.
-
It's not Abraham going to make a deal with God.
-
It was God coming. To Abraham to make a deal with
-
him or make a covenant with him. I'm sorry.
-
It's even clearer. We can see that in Genesis 15
-
and what happened is. God said in Genesis 12 All
-
Nations on Earth are going to be blessed through you Abram.
-
But the only problem is, it didn't have a son?
-
How is that possible? How are all the nations going to
-
be blessed? If he didn't have a son?
-
He didn't even have an heir to his family.
-
He's going to have. How's it going to have a line
-
that's going to bless all nations?
-
When he can't even have a son with his wife, Sarah Genesis 15
-
verses 1 through 6 says, after these things, the word of the
-
Lord came to Abram in a vision Fair naughty room.
-
I'm your Shield, your reward shall be very great.
-
But Abram said O Lord God, what will you give me for?
-
I continue childless. And the air of my house is
-
Eliezer of Damascus. And Abram said, behold you have
-
given me? No Offspring and a member of my
-
household will be my Heir and behold the word of the Lord came
-
to him. This man shall not be your Heir.
-
You're very, you're very own son.
-
Shall be rare and he brought him outside and said, look toward
-
the heaven and Number the Stars. Stars.
-
If you are able to number them, then he said to him.
-
So shall your Offspring be? And here's what Paul quotes he
-
quotes from 15:6 of Genesis. It says, and he believed the
-
Lord and he counted it to him as righteousness.
-
So we're going to think about this for a second and what's
-
going to what's going on and how Abram was receiving this
-
promise? You know, by Grace God bless his
-
people and that Grace is expressed in radical promises.
-
God gave some radical Promises to the, to the children of
-
Israel in the Old Testament, we can read about and to Abraham.
-
And we see this through Abraham's life and it's evident
-
right here. God just said to Abram, you're
-
going to have as many descendants as the stars in the
-
heavens. He doesn't even have a son yet.
-
That's a pretty big bold promise that he gave Abraham when he
-
didn't even have a son. Not only does he not have a son
-
but he's 99 years old and his wife is Barren.
-
Sarah could not have children. You know, things were not
-
looking very promising for that, kind of promise to God, to give
-
to Abraham You know, even when God, you know, was mentioned to
-
Sarah that she was going to have a son, she laughed at.
-
You got to be kidding me. I'm gonna have a son.
-
I think any of us would do that, if we were told that at that
-
age, however, the picture was here, it was not, it was not
-
Abraham or singing or Sarah bringing anything to the table.
-
It's what God was bringing to the table for them in their
-
lives. Promises by his grace.
-
Now the question is, how will he receive the blessing of God?
-
How will Abraham receive the blessing of God that leads us to
-
the second part of God's covenant with Abraham Abraham by
-
Grace? God blesses, his people and then
-
through faith, God's people received his Blessing and this
-
is what Paul is talking about. This is how Abraham receive the
-
blessing of God, not by earning it or meriting it or doing
-
anything within his power to to gain that from God. he believed
-
basically what God was telling him, he believed that Abraham
-
did not do a thing, he believed God.
-
And that's what verse six set of Paul says.
-
In Galatians, it says in this is what he's quoting just as
-
Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness
-
righteousness before, God, credited Bree Abraham based on,
-
not what he has done, but based on what he believed, Abraham
-
believed God, it's what Romans 4?
-
19 through 21 talks about, it says he did not weaken in faith
-
when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead since
-
he was about 100 years old or even he considered the
-
barrenness of Sarah's womb, no unbelief made him waiver
-
concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith
-
as he gave glory to God. Fully convinced that God was
-
able to do what he had promised. That is why it was credited to
-
him as righteousness. Romans 4 says, the righteousness
-
of God was credit to him because he believed God had the power to
-
do what he has promised through faith.
-
And this is what Paul is talking about, what the judaizers, he
-
says, yes, he was circumcised, but when was he circumcised?
-
It's not until Genesis 17 that Abraham gets circumcised.
-
Paul talks about earlier in Romans 4 verse 10.
-
It says how then was it counted to him?
-
Was it before? Or after he had been
-
circumcised, it was not after but before he was circumcised
-
before he even did that, he was already justified by faith.
-
Not based on what he had done but based on what God had done
-
in his life based completely on his grace.
-
And this is the picture that Paul is trying to paint her.
-
He even quotes later in Galatians 3 from habakkuk 2:4 in
-
the Bible, says there, the just shall live by faith and, you
-
know, there was centuries ago when the Pope in one church had
-
said, you know, they were they were selling basically
-
indulgences for the church. The pope said, there's this,
-
this is special set of stairs at this one church, and if you come
-
and kneel and and kneel and every stair and pay some money,
-
you climb these stairs, you kiss, every stair, you pray.
-
And when you do that, and you get to the top, all your sins
-
are forgiven. That's not what the Bible
-
teaches. Basically what that was tapping
-
is they were just trying to raise money, is what it comes
-
down to raising money is what they were doing.
-
That's not living by faith. That's completely.
-
Contrary to what is taught in the scriptures and the real
-
reality of the scripture teaches us that those who know that they
-
have been saved, leave live completely different lives than
-
the rest of the world. And this is what was going on
-
with Abraham his life and the decisions he made were made
-
because he realized what God was doing it.
-
What God could do and the faith is expressed.
-
This faith is expressed in extreme obedience that Abraham
-
showed. He was Judge, Abraham was
-
justified by faith and what happens after that, after that
-
he was circumcised and even back in Genesis 12 before he was even
-
circumcised circumcised. God, gave him this promise.
-
And, and after that promise was made than Abraham packed up all
-
of his bags, And he said God I'll go wherever you want me to
-
go because of what you've done for me.
-
He leaves his family and all that was familiar to him left it
-
all behind sold. All his possessions and that's
-
extreme Faith. That's extreme faith.
-
He went to a foreign land where he was living in tents just
-
trusting in God to lead him every step of the way we get to
-
Genesis 22 Abraham. Finally has that son that God
-
had promised him which was Isaac.
-
And once he had that song that son, what does God say to him?
-
God says you take that son, your only son and you go and you
-
sacrifice him. You build an awful firm, you
-
take him up to a mountain and you sacrifice that son that I
-
promise to you. Your Offspring were going to
-
come from. now, if I'm Abraham, I'm thinking How many roadblocks
-
are going to put in front of me before I get this promise that
-
you're telling me about but Abraham has that radical Faith
-
where he's going to do whatever God tells him to do.
-
So Abraham does it or he almost does it until God stops him and
-
he takes his and he raped to the mountain and raises the knife
-
over his son and and God, of course, stops in the provides a
-
ram for him, that's living by radical Faith.
-
Listen to Genesis 22, 15 through 17, it says, and the angel of
-
the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said
-
by myself, I have sworn declares the Lord because you have done
-
this and have not withheld, your son, your uncle Only son, I will
-
surely bless you and I will surely multiply your Offspring
-
as a stars of the heaven, and as a sand, that is on the seashore.
-
When I read this, something, caught my attention.
-
I read this verse and I went, you know, we've been talking to
-
all along about how this was all by grace, through faith and God
-
says, to Abraham because you did this.
-
Now I'm going to bless you and if if we're not careful we can
-
we can see that that doesn't quite aligned with living by
-
faith. You know, at that point was
-
Abraham earning the blessing of God and the answer is certainly
-
not. He was not earning the blessing
-
of God. Basically, Abraham was living by
-
his faith and it's the same picture.
-
We he's got a promise from God. He's got trust in God, he's
-
believing in God. And his life is the outworking
-
of that Faith. The outworking of what God has
-
done for him. It's not trying to earn
-
salvation and Hebrews 11. We get to the hall of faith and
-
these Heroes of Faith were doing extraordinary things.
-
Hebrews 11 33 through 38, it says who through faith conquered
-
kingdoms enforce, Justice obtained, promises stopped, the
-
mouths of lions. Quenched, the power of fire
-
escaped. The edge of the sword were made,
-
strong out of weakness, became Mighty, and War.
-
Put forward armies to flight, women receive back there dead by
-
Even some were tortured refusing to accept release so that they
-
might rise again to a better life, others suffered mocking,
-
and flogging and even chains and imprisonment they were stoned.
-
They were sawn into they were killed with the sword.
-
They went about in skins of sheeps and goats destitute
-
Afflicted, mistreated of, whom the world was not worthy.
-
People lived by grace through faith live extremely different
-
lives than the rest of the world.
-
Old completely different lives because they believed God and
-
they don't know, they need the stuff of this world.
-
They know that they don't, this stuff that we have doesn't need
-
to be held on to, we don't need to.
-
We don't need any of that thing, because we know God is good, and
-
God is all sufficient, and God can provide whatever we need, he
-
is enough. So these people believed in God,
-
and that belief, they believe that he's enough for him, they
-
were not saying, well, I've got all this.
-
Is Grace through faith, you know, so I can just indulge in
-
all the sin that I want to. And all the things that this
-
world has to offer, we can do that because of the grace of
-
God. That's not living by grace
-
through faith and people who live like that.
-
Know, so little of Grace and so little of faith So Abraham
-
received the blessing of God by grace through faith that leads
-
us to the second point, which is Moses.
-
God's covenant with Moses. What we need to understand.
-
Is this Covenant with Moses? What the judaizers were saying
-
back in Galatians? 3 was okay, Abraham.
-
We understand Abraham, you know, Faith with Abraham.
-
We see that but then God gave a covenant with Moses that involve
-
law. And the judaizers were saying,
-
you know, God used to operate with his People based on grace
-
through faith. But now, he's put into place
-
this law that we need to follow. So Moses here, he tells us what
-
we need to do, what we need to do with all that.
-
We need to follow this law to to be able to be in good, graces
-
with God. So what they were saying was
-
basically that what Moses did trumped what Abraham had done
-
and that is not the case. That's what these judaizers were
-
saying. And what we need to realize is
-
that God's covenant, with Moses does not contradict his Covenant
-
with Abraham instead, God's covenant, with Moses
-
compliments, his Covenant with Abraham God is not contradicting
-
himself. This is what Paul in Galatians 3
-
15 vs. 15, 16 17 is talking about he said this does not
-
nullify what happened with Abraham in fact what God did
-
with Moses helps us understand better what God had done with
-
Abraham. They complement one another.
-
So with Abraham, God's promise shows us the necessity of faith.
-
And with Moses God's law shows us the futility of the flesh.
-
And that's a big set in. So I want to try to explain that
-
a little bit. God's law shows us the futility
-
of the Flesh in curing, Galatians 3, Paul mentions the
-
law over and over and over again.
-
Now, sometimes the New Testament when it when we see the word law
-
mentioned, it talks about maybe just the Old Testament, maybe
-
talks about, Just the Ten Commandments sometimes.
-
It's even talking about just the will of God or the authority of
-
God. But but specifically here, He's
-
referring Paul is referring to the Kent Commandments and the
-
requirements that were given to Moses back in Exodus and we see
-
in Leviticus numbers and Deuteronomy the whole picture of
-
the Old Testament. That's what Paul is referring
-
to. It's not talking about just the
-
word of God in general. All this.
-
It's talking specifically about the Covenant that God had made
-
with his people in Moses day. So what happens in Galatians 3,
-
and verse 10? He kind of goes back and forth
-
from verse 10 to about 25. He starts talking about what the
-
law can do. The law can't bring life.
-
Paul says the law can't bring Salvation the law, can't bring
-
righteousness, the law, can't do any of these things.
-
The picture here will Paul is talking about is basically
-
showing the in Attica, sweet and adequacy of the law and the
-
weakness of the law and the futility of the Flesh and in a
-
couple different ways. First of all, the law shows us
-
that we have all disobey God. Galatians 3:10 says for it is
-
written cursed, be everyone who does not abide by all things
-
written in the book of the law where he's quoting from.
-
Here is Deuteronomy 27. It says back there, anyone who
-
does not follow everything in the law is cursed.
-
The law demanded. Perfect obedience.
-
That is what Jesus would say. In Matthew 5, in The Sermon, on
-
the Mount, he's talking about the Old Testament, he gets to
-
the end and he says be perfect. Therefore as your heavenly
-
father is perfect and that's the standard.
-
Jesus is the standard of perfection, we disobey the law
-
of God and the law confronts us with the fact that we cannot
-
obey it perfectly, not one of us in this room can so what the
-
Lord is doing here is a couple of different things.
-
First the Old Law, exposes our sin.
-
The law exposes our sin. It brings sin are in our hearts
-
to light, Romans 6 & 7, talks about this.
-
What the law does, is it confronts us with the commands
-
of God and brings the sinful heart?
-
That is that we all have in US, it brings it to life and exposes
-
our sin. If there was no law, we wouldn't
-
know that we were sinning in the law, brings that to the surface.
-
So we know that we're imperfect and we need to do something
-
about it. Not only does it allow expose
-
our sin but the law actually intensifies, its inner it makes
-
it worse. In chapter or a verse 19 of
-
chapter 3. In Galatians here, it says the
-
law was added because of transgressions I don't have time
-
to get into all the language there.
-
But basically, Paul is saying that the law increases
-
transgressions, the more laws you at or transgressions are
-
going to have add another law. You're going to have another
-
transgression, it intensifies it.
-
It's the same thing that he says in Romans 5 verse 20, now the
-
law came to increase the trespass.
-
So, the law intensifies has and exposes our sin.
-
And as a result, confronts us with the cruel harsh, stunning
-
reality, not only do we disobey the law of God, but as a result,
-
we all deserve the wrath of God. The verse 10 of Chapter 3 of
-
Galatians. It says, for all who rely on
-
works of the law are under a curse for it is written cursed,
-
be everyone who does not abide by abide, by all things written,
-
in the book of the law and do them.
-
We stand cursed beneath the law cursed.
-
This is what the law confronts us within.
-
The fact that you and I are cursed before God, we're still
-
talking about the law of Moses here.
-
We need to understand that and this is where Moses helps out.
-
When we read about Moses in Deuteronomy 27, which Paul is
-
quoting here, and what happens is he saying when you go to the
-
land, you're you're going to go beyond the Jordan and there's
-
going to be two mountainsides. And half of the tribe you're
-
going to put on one mountain side and the other half.
-
You're going to put on another mountain side and you guys are
-
going to face each other. And what Moses God tells Moses
-
to do is half of these people on One.
-
Mountainside are going to pronounce blessings And the
-
other side is going to respond to that.
-
We can read this in Deuteronomy 27.
-
The other half is going to pronounce curses.
-
The other one's going to pronounce blessings so imagine
-
you can you know we can see a seen thousands of people gather
-
on to Mountain sides. One side saying cursed is anyone
-
who does not obey his father and mother the other side replies.
-
Amen. Then they say, cursed is
-
everyone who leads the blind astray.
-
The other side says, amen, cursed is the one who does this
-
curse, is the one who does this, and they're yelling out a men's
-
cursing. Them blessings back and forth
-
that we can read about And the law was given to show us because
-
we disobey the law of God, everyone stands beneath the
-
curse of the law. So, what is this curse mean?
-
What does it cursing mean that we can read?
-
About cursed means that we stand condemned before.
-
God. The whole point of the law,
-
that's the whole point of the law.
-
It was not good to be standing before a holy God and to be
-
confronted with sin, it's not a good thing.
-
Because now to be confronted with the law because the law
-
exposes our sin before a holy God, we're standing there before
-
God, who is dead set against send hates, it can't can't even
-
be associated with it. You turn Li hates it and we're
-
covered with it. And that law has confronted.
-
That and right here, in verse 10, it says, cursed be, everyone
-
who does not abide by all things written, in the book of the law
-
and do them. When we see that we read a verse
-
like that, it should cause us to go into some sort of a Panic
-
mode, I guess you want to say, we're cursed before.
-
God, what do we need to do about that?
-
Where are we? What do we have to do?
-
What do we need? What can we, who do we go to?
-
How can we be saved? You know, there's an urgency
-
because we're cursed before God. So what do we do about that?
-
So also to what I noticed about this kind of a scary thought to
-
me. It says, it doesn't say cursed
-
are the atheists or agnostics or pagans?
-
no, it says, cursed are the people who try to obey God,
-
That's kind of a scary thought. Cursed are those who trying to
-
bring the law of life into their the law into their life thinking
-
that it's going to bring them life.
-
Cursed are those who, you know, when you use current
-
terminology, you know, Kershaw those who, you know, I read my
-
Bible, so many times a week, I do the best raising my family.
-
We go to church three, four times a week, whatever.
-
Maybe we do. All we can we're studying every
-
night. We're praying.
-
Every day were working, working, working working.
-
And in every 10 that we try to do that, the law says, guilty,
-
you're still guilty over and over again.
-
Guilty guilty this year guilty next year, the harder you try,
-
you're still guilty. It doesn't, you know, that makes
-
us feel hopeless, right? That's what it's supposed to do.
-
That's the whole point of the law, it doesn't make us feel
-
that way, if it doesn't make us feel that way, then when they
-
were missing the point, it says, stop trying to do these things
-
to earn favor towards God because you're not going to get
-
it right, period. Everything you do.
-
You're not going to get it right?
-
The law was given to show that you are disobedient to it.
-
And as a result, we stand under the curse and condemnation of
-
God. And that's the purpose of the
-
law that Paul is showing us here.
-
So, why is Paul telling us this? And some of the reasons, coming
-
Galatians, 3, verses 22, 23 and 24.
-
It says, but the scripture imprisoned, everything, under
-
sinned imprisoned, everything and then we get down to verse
-
23, it says now, before Faith came, we were held captive under
-
the law. So God through the word says, or
-
Paul is saying, here were like prisoners chained by the law.
-
The law exposes our sin at every turn and the law.
-
Intensifies has our sin and there's nothing we can do were
-
chained or chain before God. We can't get out were under his
-
Kirsten, his condemnation, we can't do anything the harder, we
-
try the worse. It is, Paul says, in verse 23.
-
Now, before Faith came, we were held captive under the law in
-
prison until the coming. Faith would be revealed.
-
So, the law was put in charge to lead us to who to Christ that we
-
might be justified by faith. So here we are sitting in our
-
change, in our sin and in our ability to obey, God completely
-
or be right before. God based on anything that we
-
do, there's nothing that we could do to be in.
-
Good graces with God, we're cursed condemned.
-
And here stands Christ and he is completely righteous.
-
He has no sin in him. He is a lamb without blemish or
-
defect. He is right before God, he
-
alone, and he steps in and he says I'll take that curse for
-
you. All Barrel.
-
That's in I'll take the condemnation for you.
-
So now we're approaching the third most important point.
-
The first point God's covenant with Abraham what shows us the
-
necessity of Faith. The second Point, God's
-
covenant, with Moses shows the futility of the Flesh and the
-
third point of Galatians 3, God's covenant through Christ.
-
Christ shows us the price of Freedom, the whole point of the
-
law has been to show us that we need Christ.
-
We need him to save us. We need him in our lives.
-
We need him to do what we can't do.
-
We need him Jesus, fulfills the law of Moses.
-
That is everything. The Old Testament was building
-
to everything was pointing directly to Christ.
-
All the ceremonial laws, all the rituals of the sacrifices that
-
they would do all these different things.
-
The who book of Hebrews says they are all Shadows pointing to
-
one some substance and that substance is Christ.
-
Romans 10:4 says Christ is the end of the law.
-
Matthew 5 says that Jesus says, there, I come to fulfill.
-
I came to fulfill the law to complete with the law Jesus.
-
This fulfills the law of Moses. How did he do that?
-
Number one, Jesus fulfilled, the law by obeying, the law of God
-
for us. He lives right righteously by
-
faith perfectly righteous and there's no other person in the
-
Bible and no other religious teacher in the history of the
-
world that can claim righteousness.
-
Before God, based on their own Merit, only Christ.
-
He and obeyed the law of God for us.
-
But not only, did he obey the law of God he endured the wrath
-
of God, instead of us. He endured the wrath of God.
-
Instead of us Galatians 3:13 says there that he was.
-
He redeemed us Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by
-
becoming a curse for us. Those two words are for us, I
-
threw the most beautiful words in the Bible.
-
That we can read about. For us for you, for me, for the
-
person sitting next to you Christ.
-
Did that for us? He became the curse for us.
-
He died for us. He shed his blood for you and I
-
he died for you and I gave his life for you and I and he took
-
that Rod wrath of God. Do to us on himself.
-
He redeemed us, and that's a word that Paul uses here and
-
that was a word that was used in that day to describe how you
-
would pay the price to buy his slave.
-
So you could set him free redeemed, paid the price, he
-
took the curse upon himself. So what do we say to that?
-
One, hymn writer said nothing in my hand.
-
I bring simply to thy Cross Lake clean naked, come to thee for
-
dress helpless, look to the for Grace.
-
Val, I to the Fountain fly Wash Me savior or I die.
-
Some of you might recognize that that's Rock of Ages beautiful
-
words. That's what the law does.
-
The law says, you have got to have Christ you need Christ.
-
You desperately, need him, use Everything.
-
Jesus also completes the promise to Abraham He is the seed and we
-
look at verse 19 of Galatians. 3, it says, it's talking about
-
the law. It was added because of
-
transgressions until The Offspring should come to whom
-
the promise had been made to. Who is that scene?
-
We go back up to verse 16 and it says, now the promises were made
-
to Abraham and to his offspring. It does.
-
And it does it does not say into offsprings referring to many,
-
but referring to one and to your Offspring, who is Christ?
-
So this is why when we get to the Book of Matthew, he starts
-
with a bunch of names. We read a bunch of names and
-
lineage of Jesus, how Jesus came from Abraham.
-
He lived perfectly righteously by faith in the lines of
-
Abraham. He fulfills, the promise that
-
was made all the way back in. Genesis 12 through him, all
-
nations of Earth will be blessed and his death, his resurrection
-
from the grave. We hear can see can be credited
-
righteousness before God, because of Jesus.
-
We have received the blessing of God.
-
Christ, completes the promise of Abraham, Everything that we see
-
in Abraham points directly to Christ by Grace, he gives us
-
salvation. Paul is saying here in Galatians
-
3, what are you going to do based on all this stuff?
-
You know, what do you do to earn your salvation in light of this
-
gigantic picture that Paul has just taught the Galatians?
-
What are you going to do? Are you thinking that being
-
circumcised is going to make that big of a difference?
-
No, he's saying don't add to what Jesus has done for you
-
guys. Don't do it.
-
He is all that we need, you know, Christianity is not a
-
systematic way to make our life, better to work in to follow to
-
make all these principles to make our life better.
-
It's not how to be more moral of to be more good.
-
It's not the point. The point of Christianity is
-
that it's not what we can do and make ourselves a better life.
-
You know, I want to make myself have a better life.
-
That's not what it is. It's to have a new life.
-
Everything in the past is gone, we're living a completely new
-
way based on what Jesus has done for us, crucify yourself, Slayer
-
self. That's what he said in Juice.
-
Galatians, 2 verse 20 Crucified with Christ.
-
I no longer live myself dead instead.
-
Christ lives in me. By Grace, he give salvation to a
-
to us, through faith. We received his spirit in US,
-
Galatians 3 14 says, so that in Christ Jesus.
-
The Blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles.
-
So that we might receive the promise Spirit, through faith
-
Not only are we looking to the righteousness of Christ in
-
heaven as a basis by which we stand before.
-
God, the acts of the spirit of Christ is actually in US.
-
Put into us. And when that happens, that's
-
what radically changes Our Lives.
-
Not from the outside in, but from the inside out because we
-
are believing, and trusting and have faith, that Jesus and God
-
are going to do what they are going to do.
-
Our lives aren't look completely different than they did in the
-
past. We'll see more and more of that,
-
as we still complete our study through Galatians, It'll point
-
to some more of those. So, so for all that, maybe our,
-
you know, our church members here, Christians here, you know,
-
we struggle for years, having trying to make get it right, you
-
know, I'm gonna try harder this time.
-
I'm going to, I'm going to struggle.
-
Yeah, I'm struggling or wrestling for a victory or a win
-
over some particular sin that we may be dealing with, and we just
-
can't find that piece sometimes. With the struggles that we have
-
try harder this year, next year. Next year.
-
Next year, next year. We need to start stop relying on
-
ourselves to make these changes. I now outward works and look to
-
heaven and see the righteousness of Christ and know that we are
-
counted righteous simply by following the instructions that
-
we have had laid out before us by Christ himself.
-
And that's an astounding awe-inspiring truth that that
-
the galatian book of Galatians shows us.
-
So how do we get into Christ? Thankfully, Paul shows us how in
-
verses 27 through 29 of this chapter.
-
It says, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ.
-
Have put on Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek.
-
There is neither slave nor free. There is no, you have no male
-
and female for you are all one in Christ.
-
Jesus. And here's a key verse this
-
might sum up. We were talking about with
-
offsprings and if you are, Christ's, then you are.
-
Abraham's offspring heirs, according to the promise.
-
Amazing chapter. Really it really kind of
-
encapsulates, the whole picture of the Bible starting way back
-
in Genesis. What all had happened coming to
-
Jesus at that point in the New Testament and Paul really just
-
kind of lays it out. If you have time you want to
-
read it again on your own. It might hopefully it makes a
-
little more better sense than what it did originally.
-
So I hope I haven't muddied the waters are or confused anybody
-
but Paul really shows us the importance of Christ.
-
And we are baptized into Christ. Having put him on.
-
So do you believe that Jesus is the son of God?
-
if so, and you need to repent of your previous way of life and
-
change your life now live by faith because of what he's done
-
for you live, according to his work and we confess his name,
-
Firming that he is the Son of God and then we are baptized in
-
immersion of water baptized into Christ and he has us to his
-
church. Maybe there's one of that class,
-
maybe there's one who needs to just make a public confession or
-
just needs the prayers of the church.
-
At this time, we ask you to please come while we stand while
-
we've seen We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on
-
by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
-
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
-
information, or you would like to receive a free Bible
-
correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her
-
Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.
-
Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
-
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.
-
We would love for you to be our honored guest.