Galatians 3

Sunday, 27 March 2016

…that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14

In this verse, Paul uses the word “that,” or ina, twice. The first speaks in response to verse 13 –

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.”

As this is so, then the law is fulfilled and annulled through Him. He has done away with all the precepts which it held, and He has broken down its limitations, meaning its exclusive nature as belonging to the nation of Israel alone. In so doing, “the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus.”

The exclusivity of Israel’s inheritance is gone. The door has been opened for the promises to Abraham to be lavished upon all nations through mere faith in the finished work of Christ. However, there is still an exclusive nature to this blessing. It is not granted automatically to all people. Rather, it is only for those who are “in Christ Jesus.” One must demonstrate faith in what God has done through Christ in order to be included in the blessings of Abraham.

After stating this, Paul then uses the word “that,” or ina, again. This is used next in sequence after the first instance. Not only has there been redemption from the curse of the law through Christ, but because of that there is the allowance that “we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Note the pronoun: “We.” Paul is a Jew, but he is writing to the Gentiles about a matter which concerns them. In his words, he shows that the same promise is given to both Jew and Gentile in exactly the same way. Release from the mandates of the law, and the granting of the Spirit, both come through Christ’s work. Further, they come upon all who simply believe!

The “promise of the Spirit” was prophesied in the Old Testament in passages such as Joel 2:28, 29. In fact, that passage was cited by Peter in Acts 2:16-31 to show that the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost was a fulfillment of that passage.

It should be noted that with the promise being fulfilled now in both Jew and Gentile in a demonstrable way, and which is then recorded in the Bible, an outward demonstration of the Spirit is no longer necessary. Paul shows in Ephesians 1:13, 14 that when a person believes in Christ, they are sealed with the Spirit as a guarantee of their salvation. Instead of an outward demonstration – “sight,” we are now to believe that the Spirit has been given – “faith.” The modern charismatic movement which claims one must have an outward demonstration of tongues is not only nonsense, it is also contrary to the idea of living by faith.

Life application: The law is ended; the time of the giving of the Spirit has come; and this is offered to any and all who will receive the work of Christ by mere faith.

How marvelous! How wonderful! Christ came, Christ lived perfectly under the law, and Christ died in fulfillment of the law – thus annulling it. And then my Lord died on the Cross of Calvary to pay the sin debt of every person who will simply say “I believe.” And to prove it, my Lord rose from the grave, victorious over death. The law which condemned is gone; the Spirit which gives life is now available. I am reconciled to God once again! Christ arose. Hallelujah, Christ arose! Amen.

Saturday, 26 March 2016

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), Galatians 3:13

In verse 10, Paul said that “as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.” He then went on to explain to us that that if the precepts of the law are not met by anyone under the law (and which no one can meet) that they are under a curse. Now to show the marvel of Christ, he says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.” If the law brought a curse, and if Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, then it must mean that the law is annulled through Christ’s work (as it is explicitly said to be in numerous NT passages).

Paul is obviously speaking of the Jews who were under the law, but his words are given to include the Gentiles in Galatia (and thus us!) who would stupidly presume to insert the law into our lives when it is fulfilled in Christ. Ellicott notes that, “The opening of this verse without any connecting particle lends sharpness and emphasis to the contrast. The Law brought a curse. There it stopped short. That was all it could do. The first thing that Christianity does is to undo this result of the Law by deliverance from the curse.”

Where the law failed, Christ prevailed over it and “redeemed us from the curse.” The word redeemed here means “to purchase, to buy up.” From that it gives the sense of “to purchase anyone, to redeem, to set free.” Paul is saying that it is through the work of Christ that we have been “purchased” and thus “set free” from the law (which brings a curse). So why would anyone attempt to reinsert (or to insert in the case of the Gentiles) that from which a purchase of redemption has been made, and which could only bring a curse?

Next, to show us how Christ did this thing on our behalf, he says that it is through Christ “having become a curse for us.” This was explained in Galatians 2:20. Christ became a curse under the law by becoming legally impure because, as Paul now cites from Deuteronomy 21:23, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”

Here Paul cites the substance of the Greek translation of the OT passage, but he notably leaves off the words “by God” after “cursed.” Paul knew that Christ was not cursed by God when He was crucified. The law deemed Christ, as it were, as accursed by having subjected Him to the type of death that a scoundrel would die. He died in fulfillment of the law, and in His death the law then cast Him out of its legal constraints by the type of death He died. Thus, when we join to Him, we also are also cast out of the legal constraints of the law. The law has no power over us because of this.

The word for tree here, xulon, means “anything made of wood, a piece of wood, a club, staff; the trunk of a tree, used to support the cross-bar of a cross in crucifixion” (Strong’s). If a tree is that which gives life, and this is certainly what was on Paul’s mind, then as Ignatius notes, “Christ was nailed up for our sakes – of which fruit are we. That is, the cross is regarded as a tree, and Christians as its fruit” (Vincent’s Word Studies).

The symbolism is extremely rich and it points back to the very fall of man where this was written in Genesis 3 –

“So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:24

It is Christ who is the life and it is Christ who restores to us access to eternal life through His cross. It is the most amazing thing for us to consider. That hope in life which was lost is now again available through the death of Christ.

Life application: All who attempt to be justified by works of the law are under a curse. Those who claim to be “in Christ” and yet mandate works of the law are both heretics and under a curse. Keep far away from such depraved people.

Lord God Almighty, it is beyond imagination for me to grasp all that occurred in the death of Christ. We lost access to the Tree of Life, but through His death it is restored once again. We were bound under the harsh precepts of the law, and yet He became a curse for us so that we might be freed from the curse of the law. We were unrighteous and yet through Him we are made righteous. How can such marvelous things be! How great are You, O God. Thank You for the life, work, death, and resurrection of Christ my Lord. Amen!

Friday, 25 March 2016

Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Galatians 3:12

Paul’s last words were that “no one is justified by the law in the sight of God.” The obvious question then would be, “How can one be justified in God’s sight?” The answer is that “the just shall live by faith.” In order to show that this is true, he reached into the writings under the law itself and cited Habakkuk 2:4. Now, building on that, he begins with “Yet…”

This is a contrast to what is proper then, and that contrast is that “the law is not of faith.” In order to demonstrate that this is also true, he returns again to the law and cites Leviticus 18:5. If a person needs to “do” something under the law in order to live by that law, then faith is excluded. Doing a deed demonstrates an attempt to be justified by that deed. Thus, faith is excluded. Faith implies that one is not trusting in one’s own deeds.

Further, in order to be justified by the law then, as long as the man lives he would need to continue to do the things of the law. At no time could he stop doing those things and be considered just. As Albert Barnes notes, the law “requires unwavering and perpetual obedience.” Faith is entirely excluded from this type of life.

In the previous verse, the stress was upon the word “faith.” Now it rests upon the word “does.” The two are mutually exclusive. One can either have faith in Christ’s work in order to please God, or one can do deeds of the law in order to please Him. Paul’s words are a petition for the Galatians to think through the avenue they have taken.

Will they now introduce the Law of Moses when they had already exercised faith? If so, then Christ’s work in fulfillment of the law is set aside. In doing this, then they would have to fulfill the law perfectly with that “unwavering and perpetual obedience” mentioned above. It is a self-condemning act.

Life application: Ephesians 1:13 & 14 says that you receive the Holy Spirit when you believe in the gospel message of Christ. Paul has now shown that continuing in that faith is how the just person shall life. He has also now shown that pursuing the law is not of faith. Stand fast on the grace of Christ and do not be suckered into believing that you must observe some or all of the tenets of the law in order to be pleasing to God. In so doing, you actually become displeasing to Him. You have forsaken the work of His Son and gone about seeking your own righteousness.

Heavenly Father, it is most wonderful to start each day knowing that You are there! In You there is hope; in You there is contentment; and in You I find rest. Even when the world beats me up and tries to rob my joy, I have a place of peace for my weary soul. Should I need it in the day ahead, I know that it is there – because You are ever with me. Thank You for Your presence in my life. Amen.

Thursday, 24 March 2016

But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11

Paul has just shown that the law brings a curse. In order for the Galatians to understand this, he says, “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident.” The words, “…in the sight of God” are given as if we are already standing before God in judgment. In our trial, our life is being evaluated. What deeds of the law can justify us? The answer is, “None.”

But how can this be? The law was given by God. So how can it be that we cannot stand justified before Him by observing the law? The answer comes from the words of Habakkuk who lived under the law and wrote his words under divine inspiration. In his words he said, “…the just shall live by faith.” Within the law itself, was a requirement which necessitated faith in order to have one’s sins atoned for, the Day of Atonement. If faith was required for this to occur, then it showed that observance of the law had failed to justify anyone over the previous year. This went on, year after year, for the entire time of the law.

What Habakkuk (and later Paul) explains is that it is impossible for the law to justify anyone because there was already a way of being justified by God, which is through faith. This was seen in Abraham and it was seen each year on the Day of Atonement. As there cannot be two means of obtaining justification, and the law is not that means, then it must be faith alone which justifies. No other means can come in and replace what has been established by precedent.

In this verse, stress is placed on the word “faith.” Because of this, it needs to be determined if this is active or passive faith. If passive, then it is speaking of trusting God; taking Him at his word. If it is active faith, then it would mean “living faithfully.” What Paul is speaking of is the passive faith of trust. This is what Abraham was credited for. This is what atoned for the sins of the people on the Day of Atonement, and it is what justifies us now. We believe God’s word and He imputes to us His righteousness. After this, we can then demonstrate active faith through living faithfully, but our failure to do so will not negate His imputation of righteousness to us.

David found this out several times. His failure to live faithfully did not negate his standing before God because of his simple trust in God’s mercy and grace.

Life application: All things come from God. The only thing that we can give Him which can be credited to our account for righteousness is to believe. When we do this simple thing, taking Him at His word, we stand justified before Him. From that point on, we can then add in praise, worship, and faithful conduct as a means of pleasing Him, but we must first demonstrate that we believe His word before those other things can find their proper place.

Heavenly Father, You have shown that what pleases You is faith in Your word. What else could we give to please You if we don’t first trust Your word? Help us to be faithful and pleasing to You by standing on what You have already shown us about Yourself and what You have done in human history through Christ our Lord. After that, we will surely be acceptable to You in other ways as well. Give us a burning desire to know and to accept Your word for what it truly is – life and light to guide us all our days. Amen.

Wednesday, 23 March 2016

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Galatians 3:10

The words of this verse seem harsh against the law itself, but this is not the case. One might ask, “Why would God give a law which then brought a curse?” Paul will, in time, answer this. But what is obvious is that this is so. If one is under the law, there are certain requirements which must be met. However, it is obvious that none could meet them as is to be directly inferred from the law itself.

Leviticus 23:26-32 prescribes a Day of Atonement for the people of Israel. It was a day which was given for the atoning of the sins of the people. If the people did not sin, then such a day would be unnecessary. However, this day was not just for those who sinned and not for those who “didn’t sin.” In verses 29 & 30, it says this –

“For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. ³⁰ And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.”

Further, the fact that tablets of the testimony were placed within the Ark of the Covenant, and then covered with the mercy seat, implies that mercy was required for what was contained within the ark. If it were not so, there would be no need for a mercy seat.

Therefore, it was the assumption of the law itself that every person would require atonement each year. None were exempt from observing the Day of Atonement because all had broken the very same law which prescribed the giving of this day. This is why Paul then cites the law itself by saying, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

He cites the substance (not a direct quotation) of Deuteronomy 27:26. Deuteronomy 27 goes through a long list of curses for those who violate the law. It then sums up all of those curses with verse 26. However, the listed curses of chapter 27 are merely a portion of all of the other precepts of the law. In other words, the curse of verse 26 is not limited to the list found in chapter 27; those curses are one part of the whole law. And this law includes the Day of Atonement rites.

Therefore, if a Day of Atonement is mandated, then one was required to observe it in acknowledgement of the guilt they bore before God. If they didn’t observe the day (maybe because of trusting in their own righteousness, or for whatever reason), then they were cursed for not fulfilling the words of the law. However, if they did observe it, there was the acknowledgment that they needed the atonement for having not observed the law.

Therefore, the law itself was based on grace. The precepts of the law could only bring condemnation, but the law understood this and thus it offered this annual grace. If one relied on “works of the law,” they stood condemned before God and were under a curse. This doesn’t not mean that they weren’t expected to adhere to the law, but that they were not to trust in their adherence to the law in order to be justified. They were to trust in the continued grace of God.

In the verses ahead, Paul will continue to explain the purpose of the law and then detail the reason for Christ’s coming in relation to that law.

Life application: Paul has noted that any who attempt to be justified by works of the law (meaning the Law of Moses) are under a curse. If this is where you have placed your hope, then your condemnation is just. Put away your self-idolatry and place your faith in Christ’s fulfillment of the law.

Heavenly Father, being in Your presence is the sweetest spot of all. Here we are, a race of people doing everything possible to run from You, and yet You sent us grace… You sent us Jesus. Now because of Him, we can again be in Your presence and have the eternal guarantee of fellowship with You. Thank You for having given us the covering for our sins and rebellion through His shed blood! What a great God You are. Amen.