Justification by Faith Galatians 3:1-14

Introduction:

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Galatians 3:1–14 ESV

O 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 hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having 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, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of 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 is hanged 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.

Prayer

Attention Getter:

Have you ever felt the pressure to earn your salvation through your own efforts? Maybe yet, have you ever had any experiences with legalism?

Relevance:

This passage is very relevant because legalism is a sin that many of us have a serious chance of falling into if it is left to ourselves. We must be very careful because it is very possible that we would fall into the temptations of seeking justification by our own works.

Legalism = Dependence upon the works of the law rather than personal faith in Christ for Salvation.

Goal:

My Goal for this message is that those who are in Christ will find true Righteousness through Faith in Christ and not in their own works.

The way that I plan on achieving this goal is by drawing on three major points from the text. (1) The Folly of Legalism (1-5­), (2) The Example of Abraham (6-9), and (3) Redemption from the curse of the Law (10-14).

The Folly of Legalism (Galatians 3:1-5)

Paul's Rebuke (v. 1): Paul expresses shock and disappointment at the Galatians' desertion of the gospel.

Paul’s Tone: Paul is expressing the seriousness of what the Galatians are doing. For Paul, this is not something that we need to joke about. Rather, he must use strong language with a firm tone. This is much like when a father must yell at a son because he is in eminent danger.

The Galatians knew the Gospel: Paul was the one who spent time preaching to them. Through Paul’s preaching of the gospel, they were made aware of the full gospel. Which they received in faith.

The Charge Paul gave them: It should be noted that Paul was not saying they did not have faith. The charge that Paul gave was that they were not obeying the gospel any longer. They had fallen to legalism.

The Source of Power (v. 2-5): Paul reminds the Galatians of their initial experience of receiving the Holy Spirit through faith, not works of the law.

It is important to understand that Paul is going to be asking them to recount their own spiritual experiences.

Paul’s questions to the Galatians: Through Paul’s questioning of the Galatians, he is trying to call them to recount their personal experiences. He asks five questions, and all five questions are supposed to give the same answer. This answer is meant to take them out of the dangerous lie of justification by one’s own works. Paul knows that this is impossible for any man to do. Thus, it is crucial that he calls them to remember the truths of their own experiences. Paul is asking these questions to get them back to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Rather, than being in the dangerous doctrine of legalism.

The Danger of Legalism:Legalism robs believers of the freedom and power that come from faith in Christ.

Brothers and sisters, I want to caution you that in living day to day don’t seek justification by your own works. This is a very easy thing for us to fall into. I want to encourage you to wake up and preach the gospel to yourself. Remember how it is that you received the Holy Spirit. Not by your own works. Rather, you received the Spirit by hearing with faith.

The Example of Abraham (Galatians 3:6-9)

Abraham's Faith as the Model (Verse 6)

Scriptural References that claim Abraham was righteous because of his faith:

Romans 4:1–3 ESV

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Genesis 15:5–6 ESV

And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

James 2:23 ESV

and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.

"Just as Abraham believed God": Highlighting Abraham's foundational faith. Paul is using Abraham as an example of a man who was counted righteous because of his faith. Abraham has a very big role in the scope of Scripture.

"It was credited to him as righteousness": Exploring the significance of righteousness through faith. The reason that Abraham was counted as righteous is because of his faith.

Drawing parallels between Abraham's faith and the faith of believers in Christ. Brothers and sisters, it is very important for us to understand that Salvation through all the Scriptures comes by faith. Interestingly, though we experience it in different ways. For example, we are looking back on the cross. Our faith is found in looking back to what Christ did on the cross. While Abraham had faith in what was to come. So, we are looking back and believers in the Old Testament had faith in the cross to come. But both in the New and the Old Testament, faith is a requirement for salvation.

The True Sons of Abraham (Verses 7-8)

"Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham": Emphasizing the spiritual lineage based on faith.

"Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith": Discussing the prophetic aspect of God's plan for salvation.

Examining the inclusivity of God's promise to Abraham, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles.

The Promise to Abraham (Verse 9)

"So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham": Reinforcing the blessing of justification by faith. It is promised that when we rely on faith we are blessed along with Abraham. Brothers and sister, let this bring joy in your heart. Find comfort knowing that by your faith, you can be considered blessed. You can be seen as righteous in the eyes of the Father who looks upon you and sees the righteousness of Christ.

Redeemed from the Curse of the Law (Galatians 3:10-14)

Cursed by the Law (v. 10-12): Paul quotes from Deuteronomy, emphasizing that those who rely on works of the law are under a curse.

The purpose of the Law was originally to reveal righteousness and sins to the nation of Israel. There is no sinner that can keep the law in its entirety. Because of this, anyone who depends on his/her personal observance of the law is subject to the curse. There is not one person who is able to fulfill the law by their own power. If it is left to themselves they will fail every single time.

When it comes to justification, there is no one who can be justified by the works of the Law. Rather they are only able to be justified by the finished work of Christ’s finished work. Brothers and sisters, I must remind you that salvation is found not in the law, rather it is found in the work of Christ. Through faith in him we are able to be considered justified before God.

Christ's Redemption (v. 13-14): Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through faith.

Christ took on the curse that we were meant to have and bore it on the cross in our place. It is through this action that we were able to be made just before a Holy and Just God. Through this atoning death on a cross we were given peace with God the father. The curse that was once on us has been bored from Christ. It was on the cross that Christ did not bore his own curse, instead he was bearing the curse for all his people.

The blessing of Abraham is the spirit of God.

The Purpose of Christ's Sacrifice: Christ's sacrifice on the cross fulfilled the law's demands and opened the way for Gentiles to receive the promised blessings through faith.

Conclusion

Summary:

I. The Folly of Legalism (1-5)

II. The Example of Father Abraham (6-9)

III. Redeemed from the Curse of the Law (10-14)

Restatement of Thesis: My Goal for this message is that those who are in Christ will find true Righteousness through Faith in Christ and not in their own works.

Call to Action: Let us embrace the truth of salvation by faith, rejecting any form of legalism, and living in the freedom and blessings that Christ has secured for us.