Lenten Midweek 4

Galatians 3:19-4:11

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ we continue tonight with this beautiful letter which proclaims that we are saved not by what we have done, but by what Christ has done for us. He chastised the Galatians as fools for forsaking what they had received in Christ. For they had received the blessing that all the Sons of Abraham had longed to see the Promised Offspring who would rescue us from the powers of sin and death.

We did cut a few verses here for the sake of length, but you will see that Paul asks the question that is on everyone’s mind. If we are saved by the promises of God that were given to Abraham, if salvation is by faith, and not by works of the Law. Then why on earth did God give us the Law???

Wouldn’t it have been so much easier to just have the Gospel, and do away with this confusion entirely? The Law was added because of transgressions. On our own we think that we are decent people, that while we may not be perfect, we are in no ways as bad as that one guy. We think of it like a contest with prizes, and that in order to get a prize, we don’t have to be the best, we just have to be better than the other contestants. So we justify ourselves and claim that we are innocent of wrong doing because there is someone worse than us.

The Law opens our eyes to the truth, that God doesn’t look at our neighbor when He calls us a sinner. It isn’t a race or contest against your neighbor to see how well you are doing. The only thing you will be compared with is the Law. What does the Law say?

You shall honor and respect your father and mother, and that extends out to all leaders. You shall not commit murder, which includes hatred and name calling. You shall not commit adultery which means that union is only for husband and wife, you shall not steal be it great or small, you shall not bear false testimony, which means no gossip and no lying. The last two that you shall not covet what God has given your neighbor. In short be satisfied with your life. The Law asks have you done this or not?

This why the Bible says that before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned, for the Law was put in charge, but it was a harsh master, that showed no mercy, but cared only about what you did or did not do. Since no one was able to keep the Law, it condemned everyone as sinners and sentenced them all to die. Only a fool would look at the Law with longing and want to be back in its chains.

This is why the children of Abraham, looked ahead to that promised offspring who is Christ Jesus our Lord. For what Jesus did for us was fulfill the requirements that we could not so that we might be saved by faith. For Christ was born of Mary and was subject to the same Laws that had enslaved us and put many to death, but by fulfilling the Law, He bought us from our slavery to sin that we might be adopted as the children of God.

That is why the Scriptures say, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. It doesn’t matter who you were before, if you were jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female, for we are all clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness.

Baptism covers us with the holy life of Christ who fulfilled the Law for us that we be freed from the condemnation of the Law. As though this were not enough, He has also gave to us the spirit of sonship into our heart that together we might cry out Abba Father. Because we are no longer slaves, but sons of God and that means we are also heirs and will receive a portion of what Christ has won for us, that is eternal life. This is why we can pray with all boldness for we are not strangers to God, but sons of God who have received the good things that were promised in Christ.

Without knowing who Christ is and what He has done for us, we would still be slaves. For indeed the only thing we would know is the Law, and that is why the Law is found in all the different religions of the world, but they do not contain the Gospel, the Good news that is found in Christ alone. They focus on what you can do for your salvation and trying to secure your place in paradise. That is why Paul said at the beginning of this letter that there is no other gospel. The world understands the Law in part, but they refuse to take it to its conclusion.

There is a beautiful passage here in v9, where he says but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? There is a difference between knowing someone and being known by them.

Think celebrities, politicians, whoever is famous and great. Everyone knows their name and who they are, but it is far different if they know you by name. Which would you rather have to be one of the many that know them, or to be on those that is known by them. Since you are God’s son, and you are an heir of paradise, that means not just that you know who God is, but God knows you as His child. You are no longer a slave, but a child of God through the waters of Baptism.

So why do you want to give that up? Here Paul chastises them thinking that by following the Old Testament Ceremonial law, that they will become children of God. No! They are already children of God, just as you are, not by your works, but by Christ.

So my brothers and Sisters in Christ, remember who you are, and that God has given you the Spirit of His Son, so that might cry Abba! Father. For we are no longer slaves to the Law to be condemned and cursed unto death, but Christ has come to set you free from this bondage, that you might rest assured that your sins are forgiven, and that you a place in His Kingdom. In Jesus name. AMen.