Arguing for Grace

Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 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. What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 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. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 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. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

INTRO: Do you like to argue? I know a few of you who do… my kids do. My mother-in-law often tells them that they would argue with a fence post. Arguing isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. In fact, a little over 500 years ago, a monk named Martin Luther made an argument that would radically change the direction of the Church… we reference that day as Reformation Day.

It’s providential in a way that today is the anniversary of Reformation Day and we are studying Paul’s argument for salvation by grace through faith… this is the same argument Martin Luther made! Before we jump into the text, I’d like to give you a brief overview of Reformation Day written by Dr. Stephen Nichols, the president of Reformation Bible College:

A single event on a single day changed the world. It was October 31, 1517. Brother Martin, a monk and a scholar, had struggled for years with his church, the church in Rome. He had been greatly disturbed by an unprecedented indulgence sale. The story has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. Let’s meet the cast.

First, there is the young bishop—too young by church laws—Albert of Mainz. Not only was he bishop over two bishoprics, he desired an additional archbishopric over Mainz. This, too, was against church laws. So Albert appealed to the pope in Rome, Leo X. From the De Medici family, Leo X greedily allowed his tastes to exceed his financial resources. Enter the artists and sculptors, Raphael and Michelangelo.

When Albert of Mainz appealed for a papal dispensation, Leo X was ready to deal. Albert, with the papal blessing, would sell indulgences for past, present, and future sins. All of this sickened the monk Martin Luther. Can we buy our way into heaven? Luther had to speak out.

But why October 31? November 1 held a special place in the church calendar as All Saints’ Day. On November 1, 1517, a massive exhibit of newly acquired relics would be on display at Wittenberg, Luther’s home city. Pilgrims would come from all over, genuflect before the relics, and take hundreds, if not thousands, of years off time in purgatory. Luther’s soul grew even more vexed. None of this seemed right.

Martin Luther, a scholar, took quill in hand, dipped it in his inkwell and penned his Ninety-Five Theses on October 31, 1517. These were intended to spark a debate, to stir some soul-searching among his fellow brothers in the church. The Ninety-Five Theses sparked far more than a debate. The Ninety-Five Theses also revealed the church was far beyond rehabilitation. It needed a reformation. The church—and the world—would never be the same.

One of Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses simply declares, “The Church’s true treasure is the gospel of Jesus Christ.” That alone is the meaning of Reformation Day. The church had lost sight of the gospel because it had long ago papered over the pages of God’s Word with layer upon layer of tradition. Mere tradition often brings about systems of works, of earning your way back to God. It was true of the Pharisees, and it was true of medieval Roman Catholicism. Didn’t Christ Himself say, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light”? Reformation Day celebrates the joyful beauty of the liberating gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is Reformation Day? It is the day the light of the gospel broke forth out of darkness. It was the day that began the Protestant Reformation. It was a day that led to Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and many other Reformers helping the church find its way back to God’s Word as the only supreme authority for faith and life and leading the church back to the glorious doctrines of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It kindled the fires of missionary endeavors, it led to hymn writing and congregational singing, and it led to the centrality of the sermon and preaching for the people of God. It is the celebration of a theological, ecclesiastical, and cultural transformation.

So we celebrate Reformation Day. This day reminds us to be thankful for our past and to the monk turned Reformer. What’s more, this day reminds us of our duty, our obligation, to keep the light of the gospel at the center of all we do.

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/what-is-reformation-day

This was Paul’s point as well in his letter to the Galatians. If you’ve been studying with us over the past few week, you remember that Paul has called the Galatians to turn from their errant ways. They had been deceived by the Judaizers who taught them that in order to be saved, that is- counted righteous in God’s sight, one had to adhere to the Jewish Law and the traditions of the Jews.

In last week’s message, we observed Paul present a scriptural argument for salvation by grace through faith. Today, we are going to explore the expansion of Paul’s argument in the second half of Gal. 3. This is a logical presentation that solidifies his points and helps us to wrap our minds around how the Gospel applies to our every-day lives beyond the point of salvation. We will also see what role the Law played and plays in Christianity.

So, if you have a bulletin, I invite you to follow along using the sermon guide on the inside flap. Our message is entitled “Arguing for Grace.” Let’s dive in.

The first thing we notice Paul do in his argument is to

Expose Fraud (15-21)

Verses 15-18 give us an illustration of Paul’s argument that the promise of righteousness was not given through adherence to the Law as the Judaizers taught. Instead, Paul points out that this promise was made to Abraham some 430 years BEFORE the Law was given to Moses. Anyone who can do math can see where he is going with this.

He likens it to a contract between 2 men- If I make a contract with James and it is ratified or executed, then you, a 3rd party, cannot come in and add additional terms or take away terms that have already been established.

God made a covenant with Abraham - btw this covenant was one that did not require Abraham to ‘do anything.’ If you remember, Abraham simply believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

This covenant was a promise that was given to Abraham and his ‘seed’, that is Christ (v.17). Therefore, Paul explains that God in His sovereignty already had this salvation thing figured out. (Amen!!) We CANNOT earn it, and thus it would only be possible through God’s gift of grace.

The bottom line is that the Law was not given to nullify God’s promise. God never intended the Law to be the source of our salvation. If that would have been His plan, He would not have sent Jesus to bear our guilt on the cross! (21)

Now, you might be wondering: Well, what in the world was the Law for if not for righteousness? Paul knew you’d ask that question, look here at v. 19. (READ)

Paul says that the Law was added because of transgressions… The word “transgression” literally means “Going aside from”.

We must think about the context here: WHO did God give the Law to? Moses, right.

WHEN? After the Israelites were delivered from Egypt where they spent the better part of 200 years immersed in the Pagan Egyptian culture and many of those years they spent as SLAVES.

- They didn’t know anything else. They thought that being a slave was normal. They thought that idolatry was normal, sexual perversion was normal. What they had adopted as normal was not aligned with God’s character.

Thus, says Paul, the Law was given in part to define and detect sin.

ILL: A few years ago, our a/c wasn’t working. We called a repair man and he said there was a refrigerant leak somewhere… but finding the leak was not possible with the naked eye. In order to expose the problem, he had to add a dye to the refrigerant.

That’s truly the case with even the laws we have today. They are intended to show where people go aside from the best agreed upon practices for the community.

The Law helps to reveal God’s character and standard, and show us where we are out of alignment. This was especially important because the Israelites had been set apart by God to reflect His glory, to be a light unto the nations of the earth.

And this Law was a temporary provision. Verse 19 says… “until the seed would come...”

Do you know what a temporary provision is? It’s like a spare “donut” tire… or the respirator in the hospital. Neither were intended to be permanent solutions. (Surely, Paul would argue, you would not assume a temporary measure to be greater than a permanent promise?!?)

The Law was given to instruct until the Messiah came… until the promised redeemer would give His life a ransom for many.

There’s more we could say, but what we need to see is that Paul takes the Judaizers’ teaching and exposes their fraudulent claims that one must keep the Law and tradition in order to be saved.

Discuss: How does the Law reveal our sins? How is obedience to the Law different than surrender to the Law-Giver?

But Paul goes further in his argument. His next step is to:

Establish Faith (22-27)

Look at verses 22-24. (READ)

Again, we should understand that the Law was given to the Jews- God’s chosen people. They were to be a light to the nations. The Law was not given to the Gentiles. Instead, the Gentiles were intended to be led to faith in God through the testimony of the Jews as they lived out the promise of God to make them a great nation that would bless all nations. (Sounds an awful lot like the role of the church…)

The Scripture - including the Law-Paul said, has revealed our sin in order to lead us to Jesus Christ. The Law does not make us sinners, but it shows that we already are sinners.

James says that the Law is like looking into a mirror and seeing our dirty faces… but you don’t wash your face with the mirror!! You need the cleansing blood of our Savior Jesus Christ!!

Paul explains to Timothy:

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Six: The Logic of Law (Galatians 3:15–29)

There is a lawful use of the Law, and there is an unlawful use (1 Tim. 1:8–11). The lawful use is to reveal sin and cause men to see their need of a Saviour. The unlawful use is to try to achieve salvation by the keeping of the Law.

Thus, Paul writes to the Galatians, the Law was meant to guide the Jews or be their tutor in order to lead them to Christ. The Jews were, as Paul says in v.23, being matured in the Law so that they could be prepared for Jesus.

But now faith has come (25) and the tutor is no longer our guide. We are, through faith in Christ Jesus, sons and daughters of God! (26)

This is difficult for many to grasp. But hang with me for a minute. The Law is good and profitable. It points us to Jesus- reveals God’s character and helps us to understand what does and does not align with His values. Without the Law, we would not see this clearly. But we are adopted, not through keeping of rules, but through faith in Jesus.

It is the power of God in us through faith that has baptized us in Christ Jesus. Through faith in Him, we have put to death the old, and have surrendered ourselves to the Lordship of our Savior.

Life under the Law, as the Judaizers pushed for, was a life as a slave. But now faith has come, and through Christ, we are no longer slaves, but instead we are heirs with Christ!!

People have a hard time with this… perhaps we think it impossible for God to grant such a gift. Maybe we see ourselves and we say, “I’m not worthy”. Friend, you want to know something? The best part about what Paul is trying to argue is that grace is offered not on the basis of your worthiness or my worthiness, but on the basis of JESUS CHRIST!

It’s not the Law that grants you acceptance and righteousness, it’s not your works or your knowledge, but the substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross some 2000 years ago!

What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!!!

The fraud has been exposed and faith has been established. Now, in order to see this in our lives today, let’s continue to Paul’s final objective in this argument. Taking all this into account, Paul spends the last verses of chapter 3 and actually all of chapter 4 to:

Discuss: How would you describe your faith? What do we do with the Law?

Emphasize Freedom (28-29)

Let me just read verses 28-29 again (READ)

Now, obviously Paul is not saying that there are no physical differences between individuals. Rather, Paul demonstrates that in Christ, we all have the same standing.

In other words, because we have been baptized in Christ, we don’t stand before God and claim the societal advantages that you may see today. It does not matter what your history is. It does not matter what your ancestors did. It does not matter what color skin you have, what kind of job you work at, what translation of the Bible you have... It does not matter how tall you are or how skinny you are.

It does not matter if you meet any cultural threshold or not, IF you have trusted in the finished work of Jesus Christ and have surrendered to His lordship, you are all ONE church. There are no handicaps or advantages!

Friends, all believers throughout time will one day be worshipping God together around His glorious throne!

What Paul is saying is that we no longer bear the burdens of fitting in with the culture nor do we bear the burden of trying to be perfect. No, we are free in Christ!

In chapter 4, Paul explains that we have been adopted into God’s family… we belong to God.

It is His Holy Spirit which indwells us (We talked of this last week) - He seals us and marks us as sons and daughters of the King. This same Spirit is the One that cries out within us to God on our behalf. It is the Spirit living in us that allows us to use the sacred prayer language of Jesus when He cried out to God, saying Abba Father!

The Galatians, I think, were acting just like the Jews who were following Moses… the Gospel which Paul preached freed them from the bondage of sin and also from the condemnation which comes through the Law. Yet, just like the Israelites, the Galatians longed for the yoke of bondage because in it they felt safe/ comfortable. The Judaizers were selling a feeling of accomplishment and self-gratification through their works-based teaching.

What does the Christian life mean to you?

Do you delight in God’s Word because it points to Christ? Or do you see it as a burden?

Do you look forward to our times of corporate worship and fellowship because you desire to grow?

Or are you acting out of obligation and convenience?

Discuss: What does freedom in Christ look like? How does this freedom affect your actions?

Church our Christian life ought to take on new wonder and meaning as we realize all that we have in Christ! And all that we have in Him- freedom, family, eternal life… is by GRACE not by Law!

I’d like to close by reading an excerpt from Martin Luther’s explanation of the Apostle’s Creed:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

https://markchanski.com/2012/10/30/reformation-day-a-brief-beautiful-summary/

Is this your confession this morning?

Have you experienced God’s grace? Is Jesus the Lord of your life? If you have never trusted in Christ’s saving grace, I invite you to come forward and allow me to share with you how you can be adopted into His family today.