Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction -

As we continue our study in the book of Galatians, Paul’s words on grace and faith leave us with a bit of a conundrum.

If we are not, as it was commonly believed and practiced, made right with God by our works and the keeping of the law, what then is the point of the law?

Why did God give it to begin with?

If we are, as we looked at last week, Sons of Abraham by faith, or believing that Jesus is who he says he is and has done what he said he has done on our behalf, then why in the world do we need the law?

According to legend, Tecumseh, the famed

It’s a little like one of my favorite chili recipes - I’m a man, I have three different chili recipes.

I put refried beans in this particular recipe.

Julie doesn’t like refried beans and I said to her, you really can’t taste them to which she asks, “Well, then why are they in there?”

What’s the point of the refried beans if they don’t add flavor to the resulting chili?

Now, I get to ask her that some question when she tries to put vegetables in our food.

What’s the point of broccoli?

Not just broccoli in things, but just broccoli in general.

In our text today, Paul will explain for us what is the purpose of the law.

Since it is not a list of things to do in order to keep God happy with us, we need to understand both WHY God gave it to us and HOW we are to use it.

And despite what might appear as a contradiction, there is a divine purpose in both the law and the gospel - and they both point us back to Paul’s main argument in this letter that we are saved not by works but by faith in Christ.

The Law Is A Curse If We Use It Improperly

Paul makes a pretty bold statement here right away.

He tells us that if we are relying on works of the law to make us right with God, we are cursed people.

Thankfully, Paul doesn’t just say it and drop the mic, he gives us some reasons why but they all lead to a simple conclusion - you and I were never meant to live under the structure of the law as a means to be right with God.

We

Those of you who know me well know I am not a handy man.

I don’t own a lot of hand or power tools.

Thus, I am often faced with a situation where my thoughts on how to do something are challenged by my lack of tools and I am forced to try and improvise.

It never goes well.

To use the wrong tool for the job is a recipe for frustration and disaster.

The same thing can be said when we use the tool of the law.

We need to see the law as a tool and if we want to benefit from it, which I think we can, we just need to learn how to use it properly.

The Judaizers used the law of God improperly, just as the Pharisees and Scribes did in Jesus’ time on earth.

Paul, in order to combat this, makes a pretty bold statement here right away.

He tells us that if we are relying on works of the law to make us right with God, we are cursed people.

Thankfully, Paul doesn’t just say it and drop the mic, he gives us some reasons why but they all lead to a simple conclusion - you and I were never meant to live under the structure of the law as a means to be right with God.

We were meant to live by believing God is telling us the truth about who we are and who he is.

We are called to be people who live by faith and not by sight.

Paul points out a problem to us.

If we want to be made right by the law, you need to keep ALL of the law.

The point is that I may go my whole life without stealing anything but when the officer pulls me over for driving too fast, my defense can’t be that I’ve never stolen anything.

They will tell me too bad, you were still speeding.

You can’t say that you’ll keep the speed limit from now on, because you still owe that one fine.

And you can’t pay that fine with your obedience because you are guilty.

If you want to be made right by the law, you know that you can never break even the smallest part of it.

Paul tells us that we are not made right by keeping the law - in fact, no one ever is.

You might go your whole life by never getting caught at breaking man’s laws.

But you will never go a whole life without breaking one of God’s laws.

Thankfully, we are not called to live by the law, but by faith in Christ.

That is what Justifies us.

It is how God intended for us to live - by faith.

We’ll come back to that in a moment.

Paul goes on to say that Jesus became the curse for us when he died on the cross.

He could do that because he did what we could not do - that is keep the whole of the law.

Paul goes on to say that Jesus became the curse for us when he died on the cross.

He could do that because he did what we could not do - that is keep the whole of the law.

But it is more than just not lying and not stealing.

It’s about walking in faith with God.

Sin cannot simply be violations of the Mosaic law because we know that Adam and Eve sinned.

They ate of the tree they were not supposed to eat from.

However, I am convinced that it wasn’t just eating of the fruit that tripped them up.

But the law is more than just not lying and not stealing.

It’s about walking in faith with God.

Sin cannot simply be violations of the Mosaic law or even the Ten Commandments because we know that Adam and Eve sinned and the law given to Moses hadn’t happened yet.

They ate of the tree they were not supposed to eat from.

However, I am convinced that it wasn’t just eating of the fruit that tripped them up.

It was that they believed the lies of Satan who asked if God REALLY said that they shouldn’t do it or they would die.

They no longer believed the truth about God that he loves them and wanted what was best for them.

They believed a lie.

They lacked faith and trust.

And we know that no matter what a person does, tells us,

We need to step back and remember that God created Adam and Eve to walk in fellowship with Him but when they sinned by ignoring God’s promises and listening to the enemy of God, they sinned.

I have and always will argue that before they ate the fruit, Adam sinned when he didn’t tell Satan that he was wrong, God said they could eat from any tree except for the one and that he needed to go.

Adam and Eve doubted God’s goodness and his love and thus no matter what they did it would be sin because it was not from a place of faith and trust in God.

So, let me ask you - how are you living your life?

Are you living by faith - that is to say a rock solid belief and trust that Jesus is who he says he is and has done and will do what he promises?

Or, are you trying to live by the law?

Are you trying to make yourself acceptable with God by your actions?

If so, you’d better know the whole of the law and I’ll tell you that even that won’t work.

The law is good because God gave it but if we use it improperly, we are destined to be cursed by frustration because we were meant to live by faith, not in keeping the law.

The Law Does Not Invalidate Paul’s Point

Paul shifts gears slightly and uses another illustration.

You have a contract with someone.

You are unsure of what the contract requires of you as an individual so you have some language clarified within the contract.

It does not change the contract but it doe change your understanding of the contract.

This is what Paul is driving at .

God’s promise given to Abraham neither changed nor was invalidated by what he gave to Moses.

What Moses received simply expanded on and clarified what God had given to Abraham.

But before we get there, we need to look a little closer at Paul’s other point.

Paul shifts gears slightly and uses another illustration.

You have a contract with someone.

You are unsure of what the contract requires of you as an individual.

I’ve made a point in earlier sermons in this series that the promise given to Abraham wasn’t a promise to make him the father of A nation but the father of many nationS (plural).

In other words, Abraham is the father of a multitude of nations that are brought into the Kingdom through faith.

Now, Paul makes an interesting observation and one worth a mention.

Paul points out that the promise was made to Abraham and his singular, not plural, offspring.

You would thing this would be plural offspring as well, but it is not because what Paul is driving that the blessings came to Christ and then through Christ to those of us who trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin.

The blessings of Abraham’s faith were then given to Christ who came so that others could take God at his word and be forgiven their sins by faith and repentance.

The Mosaic law does not invalidate the covenant given to Abraham which stood for 430 years.

The way people are made right with God is the same under the Mosaic Law as they were before it came to them.

It was the same way that Abraham was justified in God’s sight - by faith.

And it is the same way that we are made right with God today - by faith.

God made a promise, Abraham believed him (that is trusted or had faith) and God counted that faith as righteousness for Abraham - and all who have faith like Abraham.

Finally Paul asks the question in such a way that I think it clears it up for us.