“Justified, At Last!”

Scripture: Galatians 3:21-29

Last week, we continued with Paul’s argument against requiring the Gentiles to adhere to the laws of Judaism. It is no longer our following the law that restores our relationship with God – it is by faith in Christ that we are healed of our sins. It is no longer the Law of Moses that defines what a righteous life is all about – it is the teaching of Jesus Christ that we are to follow.

Today, Paul continues in his advocacy for faith over the law – that first, it is our spiritual experience that is in agreement with the gospel, and not the Law of Moses, and second, that because Jesus was both crucified and resurrected, that the old teachings were no long applicable.
Israel had always seen a direct tie between being descendants of Abraham and following the Law of Moses – they were inseparable. But Paul points out that even Abraham was justified and received God’s covenant by faith, and not by works (Genesis 15:4-6), and this proves that we have that promise, too. In that passage from Genesis, we read that it isn’t Ishmael or Isaac who would be Abraham’s heir, but “a son [who comes] from your own body”.
And who is this “son”? Ishmael was of Abram’s “body”, and so was Isaac! But God wasn’t referring to either one of these offspring – he was referring to Jesus. Jesus would be this one and only “Heir” of Abraham, and all who would come to believe in him would become descendants. The Law of Moses had been set in place until the Heir and Covenant could finally arrive.

Read Galatians 3:21-22

Some were saying that Paul’s teaching seemed to set a barrier between the Law and the Covenant. He never actually teaches this, although his words could easily be construed to mean that, but he emphatically denies the allegation. He has said before that the Law has made us aware of our sinful condition, but that following it can never make us one with God. He makes the point that there would only be a conflict if God had set the law as a means of life and righteousness, which never was the case! Since the entire world was, and continues to be, burdened by sin, apparently the Law was never intended to be a means to salvation for either Israel or the Gentiles. The Law is, therefore, important, only to the extent that it identifies our sin (Romans 3:19-20), and not as a means to counter its condemnation on our lives.

Jesus’ entire ministry to the people of earth was intended to point out this singular fact. There were some aspects of the Law that the Lord denied, and others that he tightened up, but there was far more that he upheld in place. In Matthew 5:27-28, in speaking about “Lust”, he says that it isn’t just a sexual act that is defined as adultery, but even a lustful eye is just as sinful. In the very next passage, in talking about divorce (Matthew 5:31-32), He makes divorce far more restricted than the law does. But on the other hand, in Matthew 15:1-3; 16-20, when confronted by the Pharisees because his disciples are eating without ritually washing their hands first, he says that any dirt that may enter the body in this way passes right out, but that it is true sin that makes us unclean, and he offers an entire list of acts that God sees as sinful, which, incidentally, come directly from the Law!

The point is, of course, that we are all prisoners under the power of sin! Not one of us is free of that curse, and not one of us is better off than anyone else without the grace that comes to us by faith in Jesus Christ! The Law – the true Law of God – has a very important function, though, in that it awakens us to the depth of the depravity that sin has created in our lives. And Israel wasn’t exempt from this condemnation any more than the Gentiles were.

Read Galatians 3:23-25

At one time, the Law had authority over us. We were “locked up” behind its bars, so to speak. Think of the law this way – that it is similar to the purpose and authority of a child care worker. The person is responsible for the care, protection, teaching, and behavior of the child, but the worker is not the parent. The worker has a set of criteria to work within, but, theoretically, has no actual relationship with the child. The worker gives no identity to the child - that is the purpose of the parents.

That is what the Law does. It gave us (the “children”!) a set of guidelines to live within until the Relative arrived to restore relationship and true identity to our lives. Right and wrong still prevail, but now it is because of relationship, and not just as a set of rules.

Paul tells us that we were in confinement by the law until faith was revealed by Jesus’ coming. But remember earlier in this letter, when Paul stated that “the gospel I preached is not something that man made up … I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12) Faith – the truth of God – comes not by our own understanding, but by the inspiration of God. Our part in faith is simply to receive it, and not through understanding, or creation, or modification, or anything else. God offers it, and we receive it.

Paul does offer one thought in verse 24 that we have to be careful of. The New International Version, as well as a number of other translations, read that “the law was put in charge of us to lead us to Christ”. Personally, I don’t see the law as something that reveals Christ to us, but is more of an overseer of our lives until we come to Christ. The Law has a very specific purpose, but I believe that we come to Christ by the leading of the Holy Spirit, not the Law.

But Paul’s statement that now that faith in Christ has come for us, the Law no longer has authority over our lives, is right on target. Now we look to the teaching of Jesus to understand how our life must be lived.

Read Galatians 3:26-29

And in the concluding verses to the chapter, Paul returns to God’s promise to Abraham. Remember that the Heir of Abraham is Jesus, and it is by faith in him that we receive the inheritance of salvation. Paul is very intentional in saying that we are all “children of God” – that Israel can no longer claim that distinction solely for themselves. The difference has nothing to do with blood lines, it isn’t about nationality, it isn’t about our status as citizens, it isn’t about our gender – it is based solely in the Blood of Jesus – either we claim it, or we don’t.

If we belong to Christ, we become heirs of Abraham and the promise - the covenant - that Almighty God made to him. The Galatians were being led astray by false teachers, who wanted them to remain imprisoned through the Law.
But we can’t simply discard all the rules of life, and live in whatever way makes us happy! That can be just as destructive for us, as the law is oppressive. Neither of those choices will ever be in our best interest, but a life lived in the love and teachings of Christ will always the better way.

The life that is lived in the ways of Christ is an eternal life lived in freedom. Claiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and living a life that reflects him, will bring us the one thing that the Law never can – a place in the Lord’s eternity. Praise the Lord for the way that he has created life in and for us.