Faith not of the Law but of Faith through Grace in Christ Jesus
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O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. 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.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” 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”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 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 neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Some of you know the truth have been preached the truth claim to believe the truth but somehow you have been bewitched.
Thoughts of doing more to gain more
thoughts of if i don't do this i wont get this
thoughts of well i have to do this in order to get that
These are in the same lines as the judiazers of Paul's day
anything added to the grace of christ in order to save
in order to keep is a gospel built on works not faith by grace alone
This is what the devil wants to do to us he wants us to spend more energy focusing on our short comings instead of focusing on the thanksgiving and grace of God
We do not work to earn anything
We work only
We shed sin not to gain favor in Gods eye no we do it because we love him and respect him because we care about him and want to make him proud
Some of you are trying to make up for lost time. Now hear me correctly thank you for your service but make absolutely sure its for the right heart set that it is out of gratitude of the gift God has given not out of a feeling of compulsion
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
1. Jesus became the curse for us
At the cross all our sins were laid upon Christ and therefore divine judgment fell upon Him
. There was no way of transferring sin without also transferring its penalty
. Both sin and its punishment were transferred to the Lord Jesus.
On the cross Christ was making propitiation,
It was a question of meeting the claims of God’s holiness; it was a matter of satisfying the demands of His justice. Not only was Christ’s blood shed for us, but it was also shed for God
: He "gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:2).
Thus, it was foreshadowed on the memorable night of the Passover in Egypt: the lamb’s blood must be where God’s eye could see it - "When I see the blood, I will pass over you!"
The death of Christ on the cross was a death of curse:
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree" (Galatians 3:13). T
the "curse" is alienation from God. This is apparent from the words which Christ will yet speak to those that shall stand on His left hand in the day of His power
- "Depart from me, you cursed," He will say Matthew 25:41
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
The curse is exile from the presence and glory of God.
When Christ cried out Father why have you forsaken me
In this momnet Chrsit bore the sin of the world the curse of the cursed and the punishment that Gods Holy justice demands
He became our curse He took not only a physical death on the cross but for the first time in all of eternity the Son was seperated from the father Becasue of me
Becasue of my sin, He was innocent
of the shame of my burden yet he gave himself for me out of His love he took the cup of the Holy wrath of God and drank it for me anf for you
How can we not praise Him the cup of wrath that would leave you for all eternity seperated from all good all peace all love in a place of nothing but dispair and torment christ sai I will take even that for you
How can we deny Him in this How can we not live as free men and woman with the love of God so pouring from our souls that it reaches our actition that our lives out of the eternal gratitude and love for him seek to please him not to gain anything but becasue he has already given us everything
Hebrews 13:12 - separated from the presence of God. He was like a "leper" - made sin for us. He was as the "brazen serpent" - made a curse for us. Hence too, the deep meaning of the crown of thorns - the symbol of the curse! Lifted up, his brow encircled with thorns, to show he was bearing the curse for us.
Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
He suffered outside the gate outside the presence of the father for us out of his love for you
what kind of love is this what kind of a sacrifice is this
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2. We were Justified by his sacrifice
being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
3. So because we have been justified can we or should we or does it make room for us to continue in sin?
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
Shall we sin — Go on in our transgressions; because we are not under the law — Under the law of Moses, or any mere legal dispensation which forbids sin, but gives no strength against it;
but under grace — A dispensation perfectly the reverse, offering pardon to the most guil ty, holiness given to the most depraved, and strength to the most weak and helpless! God forbid — That we should draw any inference so odious and destructive
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
4. Is there a contradiction in the Gospel of Paul and the Gospel of James?
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Summery
When Christ gave himself up on the cross he did not just die and physical deal and then raise to another physical death no He died not only a physical deal but He paid the price of our sin the price is the stored up wrath of the Father He gave himself up for us only to drink the full cup of Gods Holy wrath because of His great Love for you
By doing This Christ has offered us a pardon He has been the propitiation of our sin our payment has been made when he cried out it is finished you if you have surrendered to Him belong to Him not because OF WHAT YOU DO OR HAVE DONE FOR him BUT SOLELY BECAUSE he TOOK YOUR PLACE ON THE CROSS AND STEPPED INTO THE EXECUTION CHAIR THAT WAS WAITING FOR YOU AND SAID iLL DIE THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY
because OF THIS WE SHOULD HONOR HIM IN OUR LIFE NOT AS A REPAYMENT FOR WE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE PRICE WHICH WE WERE BOUGHT BUT OUT OF THE LOVE FOR him WHO FIRST LOVED US AND STEPPED IN AND BECAME OUR CURSE THAT FOR WE WHO HAVE ENTRUSTED OUR LIVES INTO HIS HANDS HAVE BEEN FOREVER JUSTIFIED OUR RANSOM HAS BEEN PAID OUR PARDON HAS BEEN SEALED OUR OF THIS LOVE GRATITUDE FLOWS FROM OUR HEART AND SOUL INTO HOW WE LIVE OUR LIFE WE LIFE A LIFE OF APPRECIATION AND THANKFULNESS AS A CHILD STRIVING TO MAKE YOUR FATHER PROUD
we DO NOT TO EARN OUR PLACE BUT WE DO BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AND WE ARE EVER THANKFUL FOR THE GIFT THAT WAS PAID FOR US
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