The inability of the law and the power of faith.

Opening Comments:

Pray for Phyllis Brown.

Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word in Galatians 3:19-29 as we continue our journey through the book of Galatians we have titled “Freedom through Christ.”

Freedom is a beautiful word. The Cambridge English dictionary describes freedom as:

the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited:

a right to act in the way you think you should:

The state of not being in prison or in the condition of slavery

Freedom is a fitting word for what faith in the Lord Jesus Christ brings to us .

You see it was freedom from the bondage sin through faith in Christ according to His grace that Paul had preached when he was busy planting the churches of Galatia to whom he is writing here.

However, shortly after Paul’s exit from the region of Galatia, some false teachers, who became to be known as “Judaizers” began to work there way into the churches that Paul had planted. These Judaizers sought to make the churches just another sect of Judaism and came preaching a false Gospel of faith plus law and works.

This very oppressive theology had caused many of the Galatian believers to trade their freedom in Christ in for bondage.

Paul is writing to combat this false teaching and to defend the doctrine of Justification by faith through Grace in Christ alone. So, beginning in 3:1 and running through 4:7 Paul gives 6 proofs to the Galatian believers that faith in Christ is all that is necessary for salvation.

3:1-5 The Proof of their experience.

3:6-14 The proof of the scriptures. (Abrahams faith in God’s promise.)

3:15-18 The proof of God’s covenant and promise.

Today, from our text we will examine the next two proofs of Justification by faith in Christ alone as Paul demonstrates for us The proof of the law’s inability to justify and the power of faith in Christ

Let’s look at our text this morning. This is the Word of the Lord.

Galatians 3:19–22 NKJV

19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Galatians 3:23–29 NKJV

But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Introduction:

We have stated many times so far in our journey through Paul’s letter to the Galatians that his whole purpose in writing is to defend the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. The false teachers in Galatia were teaching that justification (the act whereby we are made acceptable to God) is not based in faith in Christ alone but in:

Doing our very best to obey the law of God and doing as much good as we possibly can.

By keeping the rituals, ceremonies and rules of Judaism. (the church)

The only problem is that none of these things can actually justify a person before God. Scripture is abundantly clear that it is Christ alone who has the power to justify. We cant possibly exert enough effort or work to make ourselves acceptable to God. That only comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we genuinely place our faith in the Lord jesus, God takes our faith and credits or counts it as righteousness. Paul has spent all of chapter three up to this point making this very clear.

But, what purpose then does the law actually have? If we are unable to earn righteousness by keeping the Law of God and doing the best that we can, then why did God give it inn the first place?

In the text before us, Paul answers these two questions for us by showing his readers the absolute powerlessness of the Law to save and in so doing proves that a person can only be justified or made acceptable to God only by faith in Christ.

Lets dive into the text before us this morning by examining:

The purpose of the law. (v.19a,22-23)

The inability of the law. (v.19b-21)

The power of faith. (v.25-29)

1.) The purpose of the law. (v.19a, 22-24)

A.) The law was given to reveal sin. (v.19a) `

The law was never given to make men righteous but to:

Make mankind aware of their sin and condemnation.

Show that we fall far short of God’s glory.

Stir mankind to pay attention to the fact that we are all sinners.

Stop boasting and self righteousness.

Awaken mankind to cry out for help.

Demonstrate our desperate need for God to save us from sin and death.

Arouse mankind to confess our need of a savior from the punishment of sin.

Romans 3:20 NKJV

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 5:20 NKJV

20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

Romans 7:7 NKJV

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

The law shows us the sin that is settled in the depths of our hearts. It serves to remind us how desperately we need the cleansing power of Christ to save us from our sin.

B.) The law imprisons mankind under the power of sin. (v.22-23)

The phrase “the Scripture” refers to the law of God. (The Mosaic law).

All of scripture is conclusive, all mane break God’s law and are under the dominance of our sin nature. We are confined like prisoners in the hopeless despair and solitary confinement in the dungeon of sin’s despair.

Romans 3:9–10 NKJV

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;

The law keeps us in custody, held in bondage and imprisoned to the power of sin. It does this by showing us exactly where we fail and fall short. It shows us every time we disobey and violate God’s law. It accuses and condemns us. The law is black and white, as soon as we violate it, it sentences us to death. It reveals the violation, condemns, and imprisons. It constantly points it’s finger of accusation toward man crying guilty.

C.) The law is man’s schoolmaster or guardian. (v.24)

In Roman culture, the tutor or pedagogue would have been a trusted slave who was in charge of the child's moral well being and would usher a child to and from school every day then later morphed into a personal teacher or tutor (school master)

Every day, the pedagogue would deliver the child safely to his teacher and then at the end of the day would bring the child back home safely.

This is the same function the law carries out. It is designed to lead mankind to Christ, the true teacher. It does this by showing us how utterly incapable we are at securing our own righteousness. We must look to Christ as the source of true righteousness and acceptance from God (justification).

Application: The law was never designed to create righteousness in man but to show man how utterly unrighteous he was. It was to point mankind too their need of a savior. The law condemns, but Christ sets us free from the burden of sin. The simply is meant to drive you to Jesus through faith.

2.) The inferiority of the law. (v.19b-21)

If you stand legalism (strict adherence to the law) next to faith, you truly see just how inferior it is. How do we know that the law does not justify mankind before God?

A.) It was temporary. (v.19b)

The law had a certain path to run and once that path was complete it was set aside. It was meant to have only a temporary purpose and life span. It was to extend from Moses to Christ.

Christ is “the Seed” to whom the promise of righteousness was given. God’s intention was never for the law to be the way of salvation, but to serve a temporary purpose.

Since Christ has come, He is now the standard for mankind. He fulfilled the law, he is the pattern of how life ought to be lived.

John 1:14 NKJV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

This doesn't mean that the law has no value today. We can’t just cut it out of our Bibles and pretend like it doesn't exist. Christ fulfilled the law, they are a part of his righteousness and nature. To get rid of the law from the Bible would erase part of our understanding of Christ and his nature.

Matthew 5:17 NKJV

17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

B.) It came through a mediator. (19c-20)

God gave His law through two sets of mediators, first through angels and then through Moses. God was it’s author and Giver and was present on Mt.Sinai when it was given to Moses. But, in a way not fully explained in scripture, the law was given by God to Moses through angels.

Acts 7:53 NKJV

53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

Hebrews 2:2 NKJV

2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

Moses stood as the mediator between God and man in the giving of the law. The law was a second hand thing, but not God’s promise. The promise of grace and righteousness through Christ comes from God Himself.

Abraham received God’s promise directly, which makes it far superior to the law because it involves a personal relationship with God.

The law was transactionary. God had responsibilities and man had responsibilities. Man had to keep the law in order to receive God’s blessing. This made righteousness conditional under the law. But the promise of grace and righteousness through Christ came directly form God and no one can break it.

Family relationship between parents and children regarding love and rule keeping.

C.) The law can’t give life. (v.21)

It is only words and rules. It’s cold and lifeless and can only demand obedience and leaves you on your own as you struggle to obey.

It has no life giving power.

But this is not the case with Christ. He is a person and a life. He can put His spirit in you. His life sets the standard and his spirit empowers you to obey and follow Him.

Hebrews 7:19 NKJV

19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

3.) The power of faith. (v.25-29)

What the law cant do for you, faith in Christ can. It is Christ who can bring us face to face with God. The power of faith in Christ is the only thing that can truly free us from the bondage that the law brings.

A.) Faith in Christ makes us the children of God. (v.26-27)

Faith brings us to focus on Christ and not ourselves. In placing our faith in Christ we honor the Son of God and the scriptures tell us that accepts that faith as righteousness and clothes us with Christ and his righteousness and relationship with the Father.

The phrase “put on” is the picture of putting on clothes or covering oneself.

This means that Christ is covers us.

B.) Faith in Christ brings unity and eliminates all distinctions and prejudice.(v.28)

Every beliver stands on equal footing before Christ. No one is accepted for any other reason than faith in Christ and he accepts all who come to Him in faith.

In Christ there is no color, nationality, sex, social status, or any other differences. They don’t matter. What matters is that we are all on a journey to grow and be conformed into the image of Christ together soo we love, accept and grow closer together as members of God’s family.

Romans 10:12 NKJV

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

If we walk together in Christ we will notice the petty things that divide us will fade away.

How? By the power of the cross. In Christ the ground is level.

C.) Faith in Christ makes us heirs of the promise. (v.29)

God made a promise to Abraham (we’ve discussed this the last two weeks.) Jesus was the heir of that promise, therefore if a person is in Christ, then you to will inherit the promise made to Abraham.

What was that promise?

God’s acceptance, righteousness, and living forever in the new heavens and earth as a child of God.

Romans 8:15–17 NKJV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Conclusion:

Paul’s conclusion is simple. If you have come to God in faith, then the law has no power over you. It has served its purpose in pointing you to faith in Christ. Faith is far superior to law. Our life must be rooted in faith in Christ not in the works of the law. The law demands obedience or else, but faith brings a relationship based in love from the father shed on us through Christ.

Where is your trust today?