Galatians 3:26-29
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For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
How is verse 26 connected to what was said previously? It shows the transition between law and faith. So we have the law as our tutor, right? But when faith in Jesus has come, we are no longer under a tutor. We are under faith. And this faith makes us into sons of God, not slaves of sin.
What’s interesting is this guys… last week we understand that a tutor (verses 24-25) is basically a child guardian, right? But when verse 26 talks about sons of God, this is actually talking about adult sons. So it’s like a graduation in a way from law to faith. From childhood to being adults. So if a Christian in Galatia was wanting to get back to the law, it’s like someone who wants to be a child again.
One commentary says:
As I have told you last week, it’s silly if any Christian in Galatia wanted to be justified by the law after being saved through faith in the Lord Jesus. It’s like someone wanting to return to prison after being set free.
now that Christ had come, the Galatian believers were adult sons through faith and were no longer under a Jewish slave-guardian. Why should they seek to revert to their inferior status?
One commentary says
Campbell, D. K. (1985). Galatians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 600). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
As I have told you last week, it’s silly if any Christian in Galatia wanted to be justified by the law after being saved through faith in the Lord Jesus. It’s like someone wanting to return to prison after being set free.
Imagine if you’re a Christian in Galatia. The Judaizers told you that you needed the law as well as faith in Jesus in order to be justified. But Paul has been clear in this passage hasn’t he? You are a child of God because of your faith in Jesus. It has nothing to do with the law.
Galatians 3:
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
As Christians, the Galatians have been baptized into Christ. They were immersed into Christ. Their old selves were crucified with Christ. And because of this, they have put on Christ. To help you understand better what it is to put on Christ, I want to illustrate it by a sports example.
Before I got into the basketball team at college, I already played basketball. It’s an enjoyable sport and I got into it. But after I entered the basketball team at Howick College, I was given a uniform. When I put on that uniform, things changed. All of a sudden I’m not just a youth who likes to play basketball during my break times. I represent Howick College now with basketball. I get to go outside the school to play against other school teams. I have put on a uniform that changed me as a student.
One commentary states:
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 3:26–27
In the Roman society when a youth came of age he was given a special toga which admitted him to the full rights of the family and state and indicated he was a grown-up son.
So what does it mean to put on Christ? It means that you have a new identity as a Christian (derived from Kalisher). When you first have faith in the Lord Jesus, you have put Him on, like you have put on a brand new uniform. Things are not the same after you do. About putting Christ on, one commentary says:
When you first have faith in the Lord Jesus, you have put Him on. Things are not the same after you do. About putting Christ on, one commentary says:
“This is not a temporary condition for the sake of a certain occasion - it is a transfer of ownership, a new identity. Whatever was before I was saved has ceased to be… The same new identity is given to both Jew and Gentile who believe. That is why all believers in Jesus are called Christians - people who belong to Christ and resemble Him...” (Meno Kalisher)
So what does putting Christ on look like? What difference does it make when someone has put on Christ? Have a look at verse 28.
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.
So what difference does it make when someone has put on Christ? It makes all believers to be on the same level. Who they are do not make them any more special than the others. If you want to put it in a term we would understand, all the believers are wearing the same uniform. All of us as Christians are one in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me give you some examples of how this plays out in real life. I’m going to give you three separate categories that show that all Christians are on the same level.
What difference does it make when someone has put on Christ?
All Christians are on the same level because:
Your nationality does not make you better than another Christian.
For example, the law that separated the people of Israel to other nations do not make a Jewish Christian better or make them on a different level to a Gentile Christian. The Judaizers was trying to make Christians to live more like a Jew, right? They require them to observe the law to be justified. But Paul was saying to them, there is neither Jew nor Greek.
2. Your personal situation does not make you better than another Christian.
Just because you’re a Christian who is not a slave does not make you more of a child of God than the Christian slave. That distinction does not matter. You can work at Countdown or Microsoft and either way, you’re not more of a child of God than the next Christian.
3. Your gender does not make you better than another Christian.
For example, the law that separated the people of Israel to other nations do not make a Jewish Christian be better/or make them on a different level to a Gentile Christian. The Judaizers was trying to make Christians to live more like a Jew, right? They require them to observe the law to be justified. But Paul was saying to them, there is neither Jew nor Greek.
Just because you’re a Christian man does not make you better than a Christian woman, and vice versa. We are all children of God through faith in the Lord Jesus.
But notice that what I have been sharing with you so far is not talking about roles within Christianity. It is talking about your status. You are all children of God regardless of your nationality, personal situation or gender. But roles are different. A Christian child still needs to obey his/her parents. The Christian child should not say to his/her parents, “Since we’re all children of God, you need to obey me too.” This is not what is talking about. There are still different roles within the body of Christ that functions differently, but they are children of God regardless. They are all one in Christ Jesus.
Talking about verse 28, one commentary says:
“There are some who claim that this verse abolishes all differences between men and women in all capacities of service in the church. But that is not the writer’s intention… Paul here teaches equality in salvation, not equality in ministry.” (Meno Kalisher)
Another commentary says this about the same verse:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Six: The Logic of Law (Galatians 3:15–29)
This does not mean that our race, political status, or sex is changed at conversion; but it does mean that these things are of no value or handicap when it comes to our spiritual relationship to God through Christ.
Let’s look at the last verse. Verse 29.
Let’s look at the last verse. Verse 29.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
If we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s offspring. I’m not saying that our blood becomes Jewish blood the moment we received Christ, but we are Abraham’s spiritual children. We are heirs according to the promise. Question, what promise do you think Paul was talking about in verse 29?
One possibility is . This was God speaking to Abraham.
“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
Just like Abraham was justified by faith, even now we have been justified by faith and not by the works of the law. Praise God that we are His children through faith and not through the works of the law.
Idea: As Christians, who you are physically does not make you better than another Christian because we are all one in Christ Jesus.