Freedom: Law leads the way
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
(Cliffahanger)
(story) - a person is holding on by their fingers off a cliff. they are dangling there and cry out “can anyone help me?” Much to amazement they hear a voice from above say “Yes I can, but you must let go first!” The person says “but if I let go I will fall.” and the heavenly voice says “If you let go, I will catch you!” There is silence for a moment and the person replies “Is there anyone else up there who can help me?”
What do we need to let go of, what did the Galatians need to let go of?
Our Works?
Our ways?
Our efforts?
Man has a hard time trusting God and God’s plan for salvation, for it calls for us to believe, to have faith that is not based on any works on our part. We are to have faith like that of Abraham that justified Abraham. Faith is not a N.T. way, it was found in the O.T. and Paul had offered up Abram’s faith as proof.
God’s grand plan to save sinful man is not by works, not by the law, but by faith in Christ Jesus who now has been revealed. Faith trusts God and let’s go even when it does not make any sense and we think we are going to fall. It can be, is, a little scary at times letting go of the ropes that keep us in bondage
Consider what ropes we need to let go of.
Rope of knowledge
Rope of science
Rope of works
Rope of merit
Rope of charity
These different ropes are not a bad thing, but they keep us in a kind of bondage that Christ went to the cross to set us free from. These things cannot save us, it is simple faith, faith like a child (Mt18:2-4); faith the size of a mustard seed (Mt17:20) those can get you off the cliff, letting go of the ropes and land you safely into the Savior’s arms.
The Galatians what they had started in the Spirit (Gal3:3) after hearing the truth have people telling them different and they are becoming bewitched (Gal3:1). People have come from Jerusalem (Act15:1) and told them they needed faith, grace and works, to cling to a rope that could not save them in the first place.
Tonight we continue in Galatians and Paul gives the reason for the Law.
Purpose was to prepare way for Jesus
Purpose was to prepare way for Jesus
Revealed faith replaces the Law that kept them in bondage. Paul gives the reason for the law in our passage.
First, I think it is important we see where they were prior to our passage
22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Questions to consider (not on screen or outline)
What did the scripture do? - shut up everyone under sin
Why did the scripture do it? - to give the fulfillment of the promise to those who believe
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Before faith came, man was under law, law of sin and death for all, law of Moses to the Jews. All were kept in custody under the law. In one way the law and sin are almost synonymous.
FF Bruce, Bible scholar and former professor at University of Manchester said it like this
“To be ‘under the law’ is in practice to be ‘under sin’ - not because law and sin are identical, but because law, while forbidding sin, stimulates the very thing that it forbids.”
(Prison of sin)
Sin is the jailer, the law is the Warden, oftentimes in a prison of our own making because we all fall short. But Jesus, by faith, is the bonds man, the attorney to get us out of jail/prison.
The law was the tutor to reveal to us sin and lead us Jesus.
Some background to the illustration to help us to understand.
In Roman/Greek culture there were many slaves, some of which were educated and they were made child-guardian (tutor’s) to the owners children. They had specific tasks they were responsible for. 1. To protect the child. 2. to inoculate virtues of manhood and character. 3. To escort the child to the teacher. So in other words they were to show the way to the teacher, to lead the way, but they were not the way.
The slave (guardian-tutor) was not the father, did not give life to the child, just as the law did not give life to the Jews, the law, just as the slave just regulated their life.
Paul’s illustration shows us a couple of things about the law.
Jews were born shut up under the law, and then they learned relationship.
They were born into a covenant relationship with God, then they learned about God, but it was not by faith , for the law is not of faith (Gal3:12).
The works of the tutor (slave-guardian) was to lead to faith in Christ.
The works of the tutor was to prepare the child for maturity, until such point the child under the care of the tutor became of age and no longer needed the tutor.
The reason for the law was to prepare the peopled, the nation of Israel for the coming of the Christ, to have the maturity under faith that Abraham had and knowing that Christ is the fulfillment of the seed promise made to Abraham.
The ultimate goal of God’s grand plan is to save sinful man who was made aware of sin because of law, the plan was faith in Jesus. The law demanded perfect adherence and reminded people they needed a Savior from the law.
Shut up, kept in custody so that the promise by faith would later be revealed
Promise revealed (Lk24:27; 2Tim1:8-10)
27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
Jesus told man that from Moses on down with all the prophets they were speaking of things concerning Him.
Paul told Timothy that Christ was revealed, but you know, better yet to give the scripture. (have everyone turn to 2Tim1:8-10)
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
What did Paul invite Timothy to do (v.8)? - share in the suffering
How were they to do it (v.8)? - by power of God
How are we called (v.9)? - a holy calling, according to His purpose
Why were we called (v.10)? - brought from death to life, from mortality to immortality
Here consider another scripture picture (Mt19:16ff) is the story of rich young ruler who adhered to the law with exception of covetousness and pride . The law brought the man to Christ, exactly what needed to happen, but the man was not willing to let go of the cliff, that rope of self- worth, self-riches, self-righteousness and he missed out on eternal life.
The Law (guardian-tutor) fulfilled it’s purpose when the Savior came. Still the nation missed it and God had to destroy the temple and scatter the people. No way to follow the law anymore with the temple destroyed, for there was no alter, no priesthood, no sacrifice for all these things were now found in Christ and the new temple (the believer by faith). Those who believe in the Son became son’s of God (Gal3:26)
Here is a quote to consider by Warren Wiersbe
“The law cannot change the promise, the law is not greater than the promise. But the law is not contrary to the promise, they both work together to bring sinners to the Savior.”
The Law and the Promise
The Law and the Promise
The law fulfilled (Mt5:17) as Christ said, He is the seed of Abraham, and Israel is being called out of prison (being shut up under law) (Gal3:22) to adulthood no longer needing the tutor (Gal3:25). God’s law in the Old Testament has served it’s purpose, for it prepared the world for Christ.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
The long wait is over, generations have passed (Mt1:17), the world had been prepared (Mt3:1-3). Don’t discount the law it had some significant purposes
The law revealed sin
The law was intended to control behavior
Where the law could not justify the sinner; it leads the sinner to the One who will justify by faith.
A look at the law vs. Faith:
(Faith vs Law)
The law cannot justify, and God will not acquit the guilty (Exo23:7)
But God will justify the believer (Rom4:5)
Under law judgment condemns the wicked (1Kng8:32); and all are guilty (Rom3:10-12)
Under faith one is baptized into/and are clothed in Christ (Gal3:27)
Going from Sons of God to Children of God, taking our old children’s clothes off and being clothed with Jesus Christ, in the Greek culture this is equivalent of taking the children’s garment and putting on the puritan toga, that of an adult.
From childish ways, to adult ways putting away the childish things (1Cor13:11) - with it comes adult responsibilities too (Col3:12-14).
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Law could not make you at one with Christ; Faith in Jesus brings us into that union.
And that brings us to (v.28)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
We are all one in Christ Jesus. There is no sliding scale on placement in Christ. No social economic or political place, no ethnicity taken into account, for we are all one in Christ.
In this world you may still be a retired baker or a newspaper man, a teacher or a bill collector, but in Christ you are Sons of God by faith. You may be a democrat or a republican, or even an independent but there is no difference in eternity you a child of God a chosen people, a holy nation, God’s own possession.
God’s free gift is justification by faith, available to all
The law could never make us heirs of God; faith makes us heirs according the promise (Gal3:29)
The promise made to Abram was not nullified by the law, the promise included the gift, the gift received by faith before the law for even after the law was not of faith so the promises supersedes the law.
16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.
The promise spoken, to the promise fulfilled in Christ and by faith makes us Abraham’s seed, recipients of the promise and the blessings.
So the take away today, the application is to know that we cannot by knowledge, not by works, not by tradition be saved. We are saved, justified by faith, set free as children of promise. Let go for God has you!
(Invitation slide 1 - Children of promise)
We hold in our hands the great truths that tell us who we are in Christ Jesus and that we are free! Free from the bondage of sin!
May we take this truth, justification by faith that has set us free out and share it with others, and be reconfirmed in ourselves by the Word daily.
Invitation
Don’t be a cliffhanger looking for someone else to help you. Look to Jesus, let go of all the ropes that can keep us in bondage or take us back into bondage.
(invitation slide 2 - clothed in Christ) song (exit slides)