SCRIPTURE: GALATIANS 3
FAITH OR OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW (vs. 1-12)
Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham. “All nations will be blessed through you.” (v. 8). So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law”. Clearly no one is justified before God by the law because “The righteous will live by faith.”. The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree”. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
THE LAW AND THE PROMISE (vs. 15-25)
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. The law introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
The purpose of the law was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. The law is not opposed to the promises of God. If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
SONS OF GOD (vs. 26-29)
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, slave nor free, make nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
THOUGHTS:
Paul stressed that they should begin their Christian lives in the power of the Spirit, and grow by the Spirit’s power. They should focus on Christ as the foundation of their faith instead of requiring them to keep the Jewish laws before they can become Christians. Paul showed that real children of Abraham are those who had faith, not those who keep the law. Abraham himself was saved by his faith. All believers share Abraham’s blessings. This is a comforting promise and a great heritage for us as a solid foundation for living.
The law cannot save because breaking even one commandment brings a person under condemnation. The law can do nothing to reverse the condemnation. It is Christ who took the curse of the law upon himself when he hung on the cross. He did this so we would not have to bear our own punishment. The only condition is that we accept Christ’s death on our behalf as the means to be saved. Trying to be right with God by our own effort does not work. Paul pointed out that by trusting God and believing in his power, we can avoid failures.
God’s covenant with Abraham shows that faith is the only way to be saved. The law shows how to obey God in a grateful response. Faith does not annul the law, but when we realize how sinful we are, we are driven to depend on our faith in Christ alone for our salvation.
All believers are one in Christ. We must not allow differences – race, gender, social status, educational background, – to separate from our fellow believers. All believers participate in the promise of God that we are blessed as children of Abraham.