Galatians 3:10-29

In Galatians 3:1-9 Paul reminds the Galatians that they received the Holy Spirit and their salvation through faith, not through works. Paul’s basis for salvation by faith is the covenant that God made with Abraham. God credited Abraham with righteousness apart from the keeping of a law. God declared Abraham righteous because he believed, or had faith in the promise of God.

The promise that God made to Abraham was a promise for all who would believe. God promised that Abraham’s descendants would also inherit the promise that God made to Abe, and in Galatians 3:7 Paul says that we know God meant that those who have faith are the sons of Abraham.

Scripture also says that every nation would be blessed through Abraham, and Paul explains that is another basis for our understanding that salvation is by faith and not by works or bloodline.

The gospel saves every person, Jews and Gentiles, through faith and not by keeping the law. The crux of Paul’s argument against the heretics is the reminder of the truth of the gospel. But, this still leaves questions that need to be answered.

Salvation has always been graciously given to those who have faith. But, the Jews, and now the false teachers in the church are claiming that salvation is achieved through the keeping of the law. In light of the false teaching and misunderstanding of the gospel and the law there are some questions that Paul acknowledges we need to answer.

Questions like:

1. Does the covenant God made with Moses supercede the covenant God made with Abraham?

2. If the law doesn’t save us, then why did God give us the law in the first place?

3. Why can’t keeping the law save us?

4. Why does Jesus dying on the cross actually save us?

First, Why can’t keeping the law save us?

Look at Galatians 3:10–12 (CSB)

“10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed., 11 Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith., 12 But the law is not based on faith; instead, the one who does these things will live by them.”

No one can be saved by the law because no one can keep the law

Deuteronomy 27:26 (CSB)

26 ‘Anyone who does not put the words of this law into practice is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

God has always said that righteousness is connected to faith.

Habakkuk 2:4 (CSB)

4 Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.,

Those who keep God’s statutes will live…

Leviticus 18:5 (CSB)

5 Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord.

No one has kept his statutes, therefore how is anyone saved? The solution to the problem of the law is found in Christ. This leads to the next question we need to answer.

Why does Jesus dying on the cross save us?

Galatians 3:13–14 (CSB)

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree., 14 The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Paul references Deuteronomy 21:23 (CSB) which says, “23 you are not to leave his corpse on the tree overnight but are to bury him that day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.”

Jesus did not break the law, and yet Jesus died a lawbreakers death.

Jesus redeemed us, the law breakers, from the curse of the law when he hung on the cross. He literally took on the curse that our sin deserves and redeemed us in the process.

As Paul says, the death of Christ was not just for those who were descendants of Abraham, the purpose of Jesus’ death was to link the promise that God made to Abraham to everyone who believed in Jesus.

As we saw in Galatians 3:1-9 the receiving of the Holy Spirit is again tied to salvation. Salvation is evidenced by the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the HS is received by faith in Christ through the grace of God.

In the next few verses Paul explains why the covenant God made with Moses doesn’t negate the one HE made with Abraham, and why the promise was to those who have faith Christ rather than to those who are blood descendants of Abraham.

Does the covenant God made with Moses supersede the covenant God made with Abraham?

Galatians 3:15–18 (CSB)

15 Brothers and sisters, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to a validated human will. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed,, who is Christ. 17 My point is this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously established by God and thus cancel the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise; but God has graciously given it to Abraham through the promise.

First, the promise God made to Abraham was to a singular seed. Abraham’s son Isaac was the forerunner of what was coming through Jesus. Paul makes the argument that the promise was not to the seeds of Abraham, but to the “seed”, and that seed was Christ. Therefore, the promise is bound up in Christ, and all those who have faith in the Son of God receive the inheritance of that Son which is righteousness and eternal life.

The law was given to Moses to 430 years after the promise was made to Abraham. The inheritance God promised was not based on the law, the law had not been given. The covenant God made with Abraham was always based on faith. If God shifted salvation from faith to law then God would in effect be taking away his promise and condemning Abraham.

This leads to the next question: If the covenant God made with Moses doesn’t supersede the covenant He made with Abraham, why then did God give us the law in the first place?

If the covenant God made with Moses doesn’t supersede the covenant He made with Abraham, why then did God give us the law in the first place?

Galatians 3:19–26 (CSB)

19 Why, then, was the law given? It was added for the sake of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not just for one person alone, but God is one. 21 Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if the law had been granted with the ability to give life, then righteousness would certainly be on the basis of the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power,, so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe. 23 Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. 24 The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. 25 But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul points out that the law was given because of sin. God makes His covenant with Israel through Moses, and provides a correction and a direction to guide His people on how to live for Him.

The law serves to reveal our sin and our need for Christ. The law leads us to depend on God and not ourselves.

This is why moving away from faith to works is a movement away from God. Adding works as the basis for receiving the Holy Spirit is a move away from the truth of the gospel rather than the fulfillment of the gospel.

The Scripture, or the law, condemns us and holds us in judgement. Israel was in a place of crying out to God for redemption and for salvation from the bondage of sin. In the same way that God used Moses to free Israel from Egypt, the Jews understood they needed redemption from the bondage of the law.

The law provided a cover, or as Paul called it a guardian, like a teacher or instructor who shows you the ways until you are ready. The law was given for the purpose of guiding and preparing people for the one who was to come.

(Luther quote)

“Here one must say: “Stop, law! You have caused enough terror and sorrow.” … Then let the law withdraw; for it was indeed added for the sake of disclosing and increasing transgressions, but only until the point when the Offspring would come. Once he is present, let the law stop disclosing transgressions and terrifying. Let it surrender its realm to another, that is, to the Blessed Offspring, Christ; he has gracious lips, with which he does not accuse and terrify but speaks better things than the law, namely, grace, peace, forgiveness of sins, and victory over sin and death. - Martin Luther

As Martin Luther points out, Jesus has come speaking something better than condemnation… he has come speaking grace and forgiveness. He has come to bring victory over sin and death.

Therefore, to go back to the law is to go away from Christ. To live by the law is live according to death rather than to live by grace and life.

God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled in Christ, therefore everyone from every tribe, tongue, and nation, that believes in Jesus is an heir to the promise God made to Abraham.

Galatians 3:27–29 (CSB)

27 For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. 28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.

Righteousness is viewed like a covering or clothing. If you have faith in Christ then you are saved, you receive the Holy Spirit. Paul calls those who are baptized… signifiying that the cleansing work of God is what saves, not the works of men.

Rather than being clothed in the sin stained garments of your own works, you are now clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

In Christ there we lose our distinctions and find our new identity as Christians.

If you belong to Christ, then you are an heir to the promise God made to Abraham of righteousness and eternal life.