The Scriptural Argument (Gal. 3:6–14)

6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 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.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. 10 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.” 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” 13 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”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Paul turns now from subjective experience to the objective evidence of the Word of God. We never judge the Scriptures by our experience; we test our experience by the Word of God. In the first section, Paul asked six questions; in this section he will quote six Old Testament statements to prove that salvation is by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law. Since the Judaizers wanted to take the believers back into the Law, Paul quotes the Law! And, since they magnified the place of Abraham in their religion, Paul uses Abraham as one of his witnesses!

I. Abraham was saved by faith (vv. 6–7).

6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

A. God’s righteousness was placed to Abraham’s account only because he believed God’s promise.

The word accounted in (v.6) means “to put to one’s account.” When the sinner trusts Christ, God’s righteousness is put to his account. More than this, the believer’s sins are no longer put to his account.

This means that the record is always clean before God, and therefore the believer can never be brought into judgment for his sins.

B. The Jewish people were very proud of their relationship with Abraham.

The trouble was, they thought that this relationship guaranteed them eternal salvation. John the Baptist warned them that their physical descent did not guarantee spiritual life. Jesus made a clear distinction between “Abraham’s seed” physically and “Abraham’s children” spiritually.

Some people today still imagine that salvation is inherited. Because mother and father were godly people, the children are automatically saved. But this is not true. It has well been said, “God has no grandchildren.”

II. This salvation is for the Gentiles (vv. 8–9).

8 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.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

A. The blessing of salvation was promised to all the nations of the world.

God preached the “Good News” to Abraham centuries ago, and Paul brought that same Good News to the Galatians: sinners are justified through faith and not by keeping the Law. The logic here is evident: if God promised to save the Gentiles by faith, then the Judaizers are wrong in wanting to take the Gentile believers back into Law.

The true “children of Abraham” are not the Jews by physical descent, but Jews and Gentiles who have believed in Jesus Christ. All those who are “of faith” (believers) are blessed with “believing Abraham.”

B. God’s great covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3).

1 “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

When you read those verses you discover that many different blessings were promised—some personal, some national and political, and some universal and spiritual. Certainly God did make Abraham’s name great; he is revered not only by Jews, but also by Christians, Muslims, and many others. God did multiply his descendants, and God did bless those who blessed Abraham. He also judged those who cursed his descendants (Egypt, Babylon, and Rome are cases in point).

But the greatest blessings that God sent through Abraham and the Jewish nation have to do with our eternal salvation. Jesus Christ is that promised “`Seed,” through whom all the nations have been blessed.

III. This salvation is by faith, not Law (vv. 10–12).

10 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.” 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

A. Salvation could never come by obedience to Law, the Law brings a curse, not a blessing.

Law demands obedience, and this means obedience in all things. The Law is not a “religious cafeteria” where people can pick and choose. Nobody could ever live “by Law” because the Law shows the sinner they are guilty before God.

Someone might argue that it takes faith even to obey the Law; so Paul quotes Leviticus to prove that it is doing the Law, not believing it, that God requires. Law says, “Do and live!” but grace says, “Believe and live!” Paul’s own experience, as well as the history of Israel, proves that works can never save the sinner; only faith can do that.

B. The Judaizers wanted to seduce the Galatians into a religion of legal works.

For the Christian to abandon faith and grace for Law and works is to lose everything exciting that the Christian can experience in his daily fellowship with the Lord. The Law cannot justify the sinner; neither can it give them righteousness.

The Law cannot give the gift of the Spirit, nor can it guarantee that spiritual inheritance that belongs to God’s children. The Law cannot give life, and the Law cannot give liberty. Why, then, go back into the Law?

IV. This salvation comes through Christ (vv. 13–14).

13 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”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

A. Jesus Christ bore the curse of the Law for us.

Now the believer is no longer under the Law and its awful curse. Paul’s reference to a “tree” relates to the cross on which Jesus died. The Jews did not crucify criminals; they stoned them to death. But in cases of shameful violation of the Law, the body was hung on a tree and exposed for all to see. This was a great humiliation, because the Jewish people were very careful in their treatment of a dead body.

Jesus He was not stoned and then His dead body exposed; He was nailed alive to a tree and left there to die. But by dying on the cross, Jesus Christ bore the curse of the Law for us. “The blessing of Abraham” (justification by faith and the gift of the Spirit) is now ours through faith in Jesus Christ.

B. Why would any believer deliberately want to choose bondage instead of liberty?

The word redeemed in (v.13) means to purchase a slave for the purpose of setting them free. It is possible to purchase a slave and keep them as a slave, but this is not what Christ did. By shedding His blood on the cross, He purchased us that we might be set free. The Judaizers wanted to lead the Christians into slavery, but Christ died to set them free. Salvation is not exchanging one form of bondage for another. Salvation is being set free from the bondage of sin and the Law into the liberty of God’s grace through Christ.

What is there about legalism that can so fascinate the Christian that they will turn from grace to Law? Legalism appeals to the flesh. The flesh loves to be “religious”—to obey laws, to observe holy occasions, even to fast. Certainly there is nothing wrong with obedience, fasting, or solemn times of spiritual worship, provided that the Holy Spirit does the motivating and the empowering. The flesh loves to boast about its religious achievements—how many prayers were offered, or how many gifts were given.

Yes, there is a fascination to the Law, but it is only bait that leads to a trap; and once the believer takes the bait, he finds himself in bondage. Far better to take God at His Word and rest on His grace. We were saved “by grace, through faith” and we must live “by grace, through faith.” This is the way to blessing. The other way is the way to bondage. All that you need is in Christ!