Lenten Midweek 3

Galatians 3:1-14

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, tonight we continue through the Epistle to the Galatians and we witness that Paul is frustrated with the church in Galatia to say the least as we read our lesson. Pointing out to them the method by which they were saved, which they are now abandoning the favor of God to become cursed in God’s Sight and objects of wrath. This is why Paul starts off by calling them foolish, for they think that worldly wisdom will save, when in fact they have become fools.

Now Paul here speaks to them quite boldly, lamenting the loss of the wisdom that they have in Christ. When he says O Foolish Galatians, the greek word there means, you are away from your mind, what is wrong with you? Indeed he claims that this shows they have been bewitched and are under some type of sorcery, that is to say under some type of evil and demonic influence for what they speak does not come from the true God, and must therefore be the work of Satan.

Paul then reminds them of salvation and our justification how we know we are saved and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Was it by the works that you did? Was it because you were a great and wonderful person? Was it because you were free from sin? Was it because you were circumcised? Or was it the work of the Holy Spirit by hearing with faith?

So if that is how God saved you, then you would have to be out of your mind, to think that you can make your salvation more certain by works of the Law, when the Law never saved you to begin with? If God made you his child without your works, the how can make yourself God’s child even more by your works, for it is God who did it in the first place.

For there were people who made much of being true Christians because of the works they did and claimed that they were more sons of Abraham, than the Christians who came later, but this is not to be, The children of Abraham are children of faith. This error does not go away, there are those who still to this day look at their works to prove that they are better Christians, or are True Christians as opposed to those who were saved by hearing through faith.

In the time of the reformation, there were those that claimed that a true Christian observed all the masses, festivals, joined the priesthood or monastic order, and so while others were christian, they weren’t as good as those who did all of these extra things.

In the 1600s there was a movement called pietism, and claimed that to be baptized and receive the Lord’s Supper is what Christians did, but true Christian did even more, and that is how you knew who true believers were.

In the 1800s, the temperance movement came through and said you might be a christian, but a true christian doesn’t smoke, drink, or dance.

In the 1900s we saw movements that claimed you had to know the moment of your conversion, feel the presence of the holy spirit, have the gift of speaking in tongues, etc. to be a true Christian.

What these movements each have in common is they move your eyes away from Jesus and have you look at yourself for assurance of your salvation. They proclaim that what Jesus did is not enough, Baptism is not enough, the Lord’s Supper is not enough, receiving the absolution is not enough, hearing the word preached is not enough, there is something that you must add.

But look at what Paul says here to those who claim that they are true Christians and sons of Abraham because they follow the Old Testament Law, first he says it is those of faith who are sons of Abraham. Which means these jewish men in Galatia who are trying to turn the gentiles into jews, aren’t real jews because they rely on the Law when Abraham was saved by faith. Therefore they are nto Abraham’s children.

Furthermore, these men who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. For if you are going to be saved by the Law, you must do everything, not the parts you like or find easy, you must do it all. Those who do not abide by the works of the all are cursed that is bound for hell.

The reason purgatory exists in catholic theology is because people didn’t knwo if they had done enough, so they have a place where they go to finish their penance for their sins so they could get into heaven. You saw this in the big revival churches where people would try to keep an always positive feeling and put on a good outward show that they are a christian but in trying to be always on fire for Jesus would inevitable burn out and fall away. You see this in churches who believe that the gospel is only for the unconverted, and once they are lay aside the Gospel to get to the real business of Christian living which is loving God, Loving their Neighbor, they burn out, because they make Christianity all about the Law.

If you have ever been in this boat, trying to win God’s favor and be assured of his grace, his love, his compassion for you, then you know that no matter how hard you try to remove sin, it was never enough because there is always more, because the Law says, do, but it never says to you done. For sin has robbed us of the ability to fulfill God’s Law, but the Law keeps demanding and expects more than you can accomplish and when you fail, it banishes you to hell. This is why it is a curse, a dark and abysmal place to be.

But look what Paul says here about Christ, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. Well what does that mean exactly? How could the Son of God be called cursed?

It’s because Jesus became sin for you. Jesus is there upon the cross and He has upon himself your sins and that is why he is called cursed. There upon the cross He suffers the wrath of God the Father against sin because he is the worst of sinners. He is worst dictator, serial killer, abuser, rapist, the drug addict, the degenerate, the fornicator, the atheist, the heathen, everyone that we would count as the worst of humanity, that is what Jesus becomes, and the full curse of the Law falls upon His head until He gives up His spirit, bows his head, and dies for you.

That is why Jesus is able to promise forgiveness to you, no matter how awful or horrible your sins might be, no matter how hated, mocked or insulted you are by the world and no matter how low you have been brought, Jesus became cursed for you that He God might speak to you words of blessing. Just how God blessed Abraham, the man of faith.

So you are saved not by anything you have done, but by all that Jesus has done for you, and what created this faith inside of your heart, it was the Word and by the Holy Spirit brought you to life.

So my brothers and sisters in Christ, do not let anyone try to convince you to complete your salvation by works, for cursed is everyone who relies on works for their salvation, whether they are in the 1st century, the 16th,17th, 19th, or 21st century. We are sons of Abraham by faith, and if we are Abraham’s children, then the promise that God gave to Abraham applies to you, and you are blessed for Jesus Christ, the promised offspring of Abraham, became accursed hanging upon that tree that God might say to you, welcome home my child. In Jesus name. Amen.