Clarity on the Law, the Curse, & the Promised Spirit – Pt. 2

Read

Galatians 3:13–14 (ESV)

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Galatians 3:16 (ESV)

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

Galatians 3:19 (ESV)

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

Opening Prayer

Last Week

First question...

Who did Christ become a curse for?

Jew and Gentile alike...

Those two categories are inclusive of the entire human race...

Gentile means non-Jew.

So Jew and Gentile alike...

With the qualifier of those who put their faith in the promised Seed/Offspring…Jesus Christ.

Those are who Christ became a curse for.

Who did Christ become a curse for?

Those who put their faith in the Messiah, both Jew and Gentile alike.

Second question...

What Law(s) are Gentiles under?

We looked at Romans 2 & 3 to show that there is a law that is universal...

That both Jew and Gentile alike are under...

And that universal Law is the Moral Law of God.

What is the moral law?

It is what God commands of men towards Him and towards others, through all times.

Given to the Jews on Tablets of Stones...

But preceding that and to all others outside of the Jews...

It was written on the heart and the conscience bears witness to it.

Now, something I did not say last week.

I think will help us distinguish between the moral laws of God...

And other laws of God, which we would call positive laws (righteous laws).

Positive in that they are so because they are given by God.

So, in a positive law, God commands of us something that is not eternal, but can be for a specific person(s), tribes, nation(s)...

And that can be for a temporary period of time.

Obeying any positive law, if given to you to obey is the moral thing to do...

Because obedience to God is the moral law...

Which is binding upon all mankind everywhere.

God gave Adam a command, and the moral thing to do is obey...

But that command does not necessitate an eternal command.

There’s no opportunity for us to obey or disobey that particular command.

In the same way the ceremonial, cultural, & judicial laws of the ethnic nation of Israel were not given to non-Jews to obey.

And, now that the promised and true Offspring has come those ceremonial laws are done away with.

So, positive laws are righteous, yet temporary expression of obedience.

We have the Mosaic economy that is full of commands that are temporary...

But the obedience to those temporary laws would be considered the moral thing to do.

The moral law can be summarized as this.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

You shall love your neighbor as your self.

And all positive laws allow us to express obedience to the moral law of God.

Another thought on this is, for instance...

In the Mosaic covenant, what makes animal blood have the ability to make one ceremonially clean?

It is not inherent in the animal sacrifice and blood.

Only because God has declared it to be, is it so.

So, the moral law of God is eternal and universal.

Positive laws of God are temporary and come into existence and cease at His command.

One more thing about this...

Just to recap what I said last Sunday.

Know this, the moral law of God doesn’t go away in the new covenant...

The curse for disobedience goes away because it was paid for by Christ for His people.

It is enhanced for those in the New Covenant

It is enhanced by being written on hearts of flesh.

It’s enhanced because we have now through regeneration…

Through the promised Spirit....

A disposition to love and obey God’s law.

And, so in Christ we transition from being under a covenant of works...

In which we must obey to live, eternally...

And, disobedience brings death, eternally...

To the covenant of works being fulfilled for us in Christ...

And, the moral law is now a light unto our path...

It is a guide to how we can please God...

And a reminder of what Christ has done for us in His new covenant...

Which we participate in by faith in Jesus.

Now, to pick up where we left off last week...

Third Question

In addition to the moral law that all of mankind are under, what other laws were Jews under in the Mosaic economy?

They were under the ceremonial law or religious law of the Mosaic covenant.

They were under the judicial law of the Mosaic covenant.

All the laws in these categories were to distinguish them and separate them from the Gentile nations.

They had more purposes, and we’ve discussed them in this series...

But, they were to separate ethnic Israel from the Gentile nations.

Separation in at least these ways:

In who and how they worshipped.

In how they dressed and what they ate.

In what was legal and not legal.

In how crimes were punished.

These laws in the Mosaic covenant were temporary.

They were set in place until the fulfillment of the promised Seed.

The true Son of God came.

Once the true seed of the woman came, the Savior...

Things would change dramatically...

Let me read John 4 and here what Jesus says about the ceremonial/religion laws of Israel.

This is the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.

John 4:19–26 (ESV)

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

Do you hear what Jesus is saying?

This is incredible and critical to understand.

Paul is teaching us elements of this here in Galatians.

At the time Jesus said this, the Jews have it right.

Jerusalem is correct.

But that is going away.

The hour is coming where this mountain in Northern Israel...

Nor Jerusalem, neither will be the place to worship God.

The hour is coming, and as a matter of fact is here now because of me…the promised Seed/Messiah...

Worship is going to be re-established:

The Old way of worship…sacrifices, priesthood...

Done away with...

Because of the old types & prophecies being fulfilled in the antitype…Jesus Christ.

The New way of worship is in Spirit & Truth...

Established & Directed in the New Covenant, through the commands of Christ.

Because of the finished work of the Messiah.

Because of the inclusion of the Gentiles into the true people of God.

Because of the establishment of the New Covenant in my blood.

This is not new. This is in the OT, but revealed in greater detail in the NT.

Regarding the cultural and dietary laws...

Listen to what Peter was shown...

Acts 10:9–15 (ESV)

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.

And, when Peter went to Cornelius, this is what Peter had to say...

Acts 10:28 (ESV)

28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean

Peter tells us that there is no longer a distinction between Jew and Gentile...

Because out of the nations God is building a people for Himself.

Now, the NT epistles expound upon this...

They re-enforce this in how the church now worships God through Jesus Christ.

The book of Hebrews goes into great detail to elaborate on how the ceremonial law, dietary laws, sacrifices, priesthood, etc. of the Mosaic covenant are fulfilled in Jesus and done away with.

Jesus is superior to angels.

Jesus is superior to Moses.

Jesus is superior to the priesthood as the Great High Priest.

Jesus is the Mediator & High Priest of a Superior covenant.

Jesus’ sacrifice is once for all time.

Jesus is the Founder & Perfecter of our faith.

Jesus is the King of an eternal, unshakeable Kingdom.

Galatians 3:16 (ESV)

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

Galatians 3:19 (ESV)

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made,

So, listen to what Paul is saying here and in future verses...

And what the NT teaches us...

The true Kingdom of God and the true People of God are not those connected to Christ carnally...

But, those connected to Christ spiritually, by faith.

The ethnic/fleshly identity to the Messiah, as being marked out by physical circumcision, is done away with...

Why?

Paul says because that marking out...

That nation has served its purpose.

What was its purpose?

To bring, through the flesh, the promised seed of Genesis 3:15...

The promised “offspring” singular of Abraham.

The seed of David who would bring an eternal Kingdom of God.

And, so ethnic Israel has been privileged with the patriarchs, the oracles of God, the giving of the law, and the covenants of promise...

Glory to God...

Now God calls them to keep connection with Him...

Through His Son, who was the point and fulfillment of all that has happened thus far.

Stay connected to me through faith in the promised seed of the woman, Jesus Christ...

If not you will be cut off from the true vine...

Which is Jesus Christ.

More on this next week, but let me close with...

Hebrews 13:20–21 (ESV)

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Closing Prayer