OPEN:
- When you were dating, were you ever dropped for someone else? What did that do to your emotions?
DIG:
- To what extent was the Galatians' conversion experience related to observing the Law?
- Why would anyone revert from a liberating spiritual life of faith to a legalistic spiritual life of works and performance? When have you gone in that direction? What caused it to happen?
- Was Abraham considered righteous by God through his faith or through his works (Galatians 3:6-9)?
- Who are the true children of Abraham? Who is eligible to be one?
- How does Jesus solve the problem that no one can earn their right standing with God (Galatians 3:10-14)?
REFLECT:
- What "additions" to faith might outsiders sense in your Christian circles regarding what they should do to be approved? How can you help break down these barriers?
The Doctrine Of Justification By Faith In Christ, 3:1-4:31
A. An Appeal To Experience And Scripture, 3:1-9
Synopsis: O foolish Galatians! Was it by doing what the law of Moses demanded that you received the Holy Spirit, or was it by believing and obeying the gospel?
1 O foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified?
The Galatians were not stupid; however, they were foolish. Paul had preached to them so plainly about the crucified Christ that they had a vivid mental picture of his dying upon the cross for their salvation. For the Judaizing teachers to come in and persuade them that in addition to obedience to the gospel, they needed to obey the law of Moses seems they had been bewitched. Did they not realize a Christ supplemented is a Christ supplanted?
2 This only would I learn from you, received ye the Spirit by the words of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
The issues can be settled with one question. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses, or by hearing, believing and obeying the gospel? The answer is obvious. The ordinary gift of the Holy Spirit came when one believed, repented and was baptized (Acts 2:38; Acts 5:32). They knew this. Paul taught faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).
Received ye the Spirit referred to the ordinary gift of the Holy Spirit for all Christians. This was obvious because it was by hearing and obeying the gospel (the hearing of faith) that one received the Holy Spirit. Christians received the ordinary gift of the Holy Spirit when they were baptized (Acts 2:38; 5:32). Some Christians received spiritual gifts by the laying on of the apostles’ hands (Acts 8:14-19). Spiritual gifts ceased after the death of the apostles; however, the ordinary gift of the Spirit continues throughout the Christian age.
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh?
The Galatian Christians had begun their spiritual life in Christ by believing, trusting and obeying the gospel of Christ. Now they were trying to grow spiritually by the law of Moses. This was foolish. The gospel was much better than the law of Moses in every way, as the writer of the epistle of Hebrews taught. The spirit referred to life in Christ. The flesh referred to living by the law of Moses without Christ.
4 Did ye suffer so many things in vain? If it be indeed in vain.
Had the suffering they had undergone as Christians been in vain? They were saying by their actions their suffering as Christians had been in vain. The last clause showed Paul hoped they would turn from the Judaizing teachers back to Christ and the gospel realizing faith in Christ was not in vain.
5 He therefore that supplieth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
He that supplied the Spirit and worked miracles among them was God. Paul asked did God do this because they obeyed the law of Moses, or because they obeyed the gospel of Christ. The answer was obvious. They received the Spirit because they believed in Jesus Christ and obeyed the gospel. How foolish they were to turn from Christ and his gospel. The Spirit referred to the indwelling Spirit as noted in verse two. The miracles referred to the spiritual gifts of I Corinthians 12.
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
The Galatian Christians were justified in the same way Abraham was justified. Paul quoted Genesis 15:6. This thought was repeated in Romans 4:3, 9, 21, 22. See Romans chapter four for a fuller explanation. Hebrews 11:8-9 and James 2:21-23 showed Abraham trusted in God and obeyed his commandments. Justification by faith did not exclude obedience. It did exclude works of merit or works of the law. This was the point Paul was making. Abraham was not justified by works of the law. He was justified by an obeying faith. The Galatians were saved just like Abraham. People today are saved by an obeying faith just like Abraham.
7 Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham.
In the Christian age, the true children of Abraham are those who live by faith in Jesus Christ rather than those who have physical lineage from Abraham. Jesus taught this also. Jesus taught that the sons of Abraham were those who do the works of Abraham (Luke 19:9; John 8:39-40; Matthew 8:11-12).
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed.
Justification means right standing with God. Justification means God treats sinners as though they had never sinned when they believe and obey the gospel. Gentiles are justified by faith. This was God’s plan when he spoke to Abraham saying, "In thee shall all the nations be blessed." They would be blessed in Christ. Christ was the seed of Abraham. Men today are justified by the same principle by which Abraham was justified. The term nation and Gentile are the same word in the Greek. Therefore, God said the Gentiles would be justified by the seed of Abraham. Gentiles can be true children of Abraham by faith in Christ. They could not be children of Abraham in the flesh. Gentiles do not need the law of Moses. The law of Moses will not save them.
9 So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.
The ones who are blessed with Abraham are those who are men of faith, who have believed and obeyed the gospel. No other men including fleshly Jews are blessed with Abraham in the Christian age.
The Curse And The Blessing, 3:10-14
Synopsis: The law pronounced a curse upon the disobedient (Deuteronomy 27:26). Christ redeemed man from the curse of the law when he was crucified by bearing this curse (Deuteronomy 21:23). Men are saved through faith in Christ. No man was saved by the law.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
Paul taught salvation was by faith. Now Paul expressed this teaching in a negative sense. The law did not bring a blessing. The law brought a curse. Paul quoted Deuteronomy 27:26 to prove this. If one did not do all that the law demanded, it was a curse. No one could do all the law demanded; therefore, the law was a curse.
11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith;
Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4 (Romans 1:17) to prove that men are justified by faith, not by the law of Moses. A man can not earn or merit salvation.
12 and the law is not of faith; but, he that doeth them shall live in them.
The law of Moses was not a system of faith. The law of Moses was a system of works as Leviticus 18:5 states. Works of the law are meritorious works whereby one trusts in himself and his goodness. The faith system means believing on Christ while trusting in him and obeying his will. These are two different systems.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree:
Man was under the curse of the law and was unable to save himself. However, God provided the remedy. God brought man back from the sentence of condemnation by the payment of a ransom, the precious blood of Jesus (I Corinthians 6:20; Revelation 5:9; I Peter 1:18-19). Jesus became a curse for men. Christ did no sin. God laid men’s sins on Jesus (Isaiah 53:6). His curse bearing was vicarious (II Corinthians 5:21). Deuteronomy 21:23 does not refer to death by crucifixion. It referred to the custom when the wrong doer had been executed; his dead body was "nailed" to a tree. He was hanged because he had broken the law and this brought both curse and punishment. The hanging of a living body to die was indeed a curse.
14 that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The promise to Abraham was fulfilled with the death of Jesus on the cross (I Corinthians 15:3). The promise was that through the seed of Abraham all nations of the earth would be blessed. By the death of Jesus on the cross, the curse of the law was removed and salvation came to both Jews and Gentiles. The blessing was salvation from sin. Salvation was not through the law. Salvation was through the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9). One received salvation by one’s obedience of faith.
"Faith
Alone"
“Are you so foolish? After
beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human
effort?” (Galatians 3:3)
“Pity me for
making a mistake once, but stupid me for doing it twice.” Can you remember your
life before Christ when you struggled and erred while seeking satisfaction in
life on your own?
No matter what
the activity, there was a hollow, empty spot in your spirit that could only be
met by the living Christ. Now as sweet and powerful as your new life in Christ
is, human tendency is to take charge by pushing God off of the throne of your
life.
This is like
repeating your first mistake when you did not know Christ as your Savior by now
ignoring Him even though you are His child in the Kingdom of God. Your human
nature wants to be in control, while God requires you to release control to Him
by trusting Him with your life.
Philippians
2:12-13 describes this tension, “Continue
to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in
you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”
Being in
control appears to create some certainty, while trusting God leaves the result
open and in His hands. You receive the Holy Spirit through your spiritual
rebirth In Christ; through the Holy Spirit, you live each day drawing upon
God’s wisdom, presence, peace, and power to complete the work He started in
you.
Philippians
1:6 expresses your walk in Christ, “Being
confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Turning to your own
ways through your own strength will only achieve earthly results; living by
faith in God through the constant work of the Holy Spirit will produce God’s
perfect and pleasing work in your life!
James 1:17-18 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting
shadows.”
Philippians
3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
