The greeting.
Grace, peace and mercy to you beloved in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I trust that you are in the Spirit on this day to worship our holy Lord.
Beloved, please take out your Bible to the book of Galatians. I will read for us Galatians 3:6-14. Hear the perfect word of our perfect God. Read.
Galatians 3:6. Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE “– 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The prayer.
Let’s pray for God’s assistance in our worship of Him. Pray.
The context.
Last time together we looked at Galatians 3:1-5. You remember there that the apostle Paul criticized the Galatians for defecting from the true gospel in favor of a false gospel. The Galatians initially believed in Jesus Christ as the Savior of their sins and the one that procures all the blessings of God to those that believe in Him. True. Then the Judaizers came along and tricked the Galatians into believing that they must also keep the ceremonial and moral laws of Moses in addition to trusting in Jesus in order to be saved. False.
For that Paul opened with, you foolish Galatians who has bewitched you.
We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone.
Then Paul went along and appealed to their own personal experience as professing Christians. Do you hear of Christ by the preaching of the Law? Did you receive Jesus by your law-keeping or when you believed? Were you given the Spirit when you believed or when you tried to keep the law? The clear rhetorical answer to all of these questions is we received Christ when we believed in Him. (Jn.3:16, 36, Rom.10:1-17) We are justified by faith alone in Christ Jesus alone. Not by works of the law as he says over and over.
And after we believe in Jesus and after we freely receive the Holy Spirit then we labor to obey God’s law. But the obeying is not meritorious. We do not earn God’s favor. We are not earning or meriting rewards. And certainly not rewards unto our justification or salvation. We obey because we have been graciously saved. We obey because we believe. The believing in Jesus is the root. The obeying Jesus is the fruit. (Mt.12:33-37)
And even our obedience needs cleansing by the blood of Christ. Even our best obedience to the law of God still has so much sin in corruption in it which requires the forgiveness of Christ. (WCF 16.1-7)
Abraham is justified by faith alone in Christ alone.
Now what Paul does here is very wise. He moves from appealing to the experience of the Galatians to prove these doctrinal points on the gospel to now he introduces Abraham.
Paul says, not only are you Galatians justified by faith in Christ and not by any of your law-keeping, Abraham was also declared just before God by simple faith in the gospel of Christ and not by any of his obedience to the law.
Paul is doing a few things here that we should take notice of.
The appeal to Scripture to prove we are justified by faith alone.
V.6-9. The first general thing that he does is he appeals to Scripture to prove what he is teaching is true.
This is why the Holy Spirit calls the Bereans more noble than those in Thessalonica, because when they heard the preaching of Christ crucified for sins, they searched the (OT) Scriptures daily to see if this was true. And of course, it is true. (Acts 17:11)
Beloved, when we hear anyone speaking anything having to do with religious or moral things we ought to go to the Scriptures. If they are not in agreement with the word of God, then those things have no holy light in them. (Isa.8:20) Beloved, test every spirit, test every teaching, test every teacher from the word of God. (I Jn.4:1-5)
One of the hallmarks of the Protestant Reformation was that it was a revival of true Christianity based on the Bible. The Reformation was a back to the Bible movements. The Reformers sought to clear away the religious man-made traditions of the Roman Church that had choked out the word of God and the gospel of Christ. (Mk.7:1-10, Mt.23:1-39)
J.C. Ryle said, many times when you read the ancient church fathers you realize that you are no longer breathing in the atmosphere of the Scriptures. He meant, that when you read them, that they are saturated with the religious traditions of men, not the Bible, the word of God.
It is interesting that this book of Galatians is so foundational to the Protestant understanding that we are justified before God by faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice without any of our works. Sola Fide. Faith alone.
And now we have another of the Reformation principles – Sola Scriptura, Bible alone. What this means is that the only rule for our faith and life or doctrine and practice is the Bible alone. (WCF 1.6-10)
I am well aware that there is no Bible passage that explicitly says, Bible alone. However, through good and necessary deduction, the Bible does teach that only the Bible is the word of God and that we are to appeal to the Bible alone as our standard of truth. (2 Tim.3:14-17, Acts 17:11)
Jesus appeals to the Bible to confirm what He says is true. The apostles appeal to the Bible as the basis of truth. Neither Christ or the NT apostles appeal to the traditions of men or of the “church” to teach or prove any religious truth. In fact, Christ criticizes those within the church that live upon the traditions of man and thus nullify the word of God. (Isa.29:19, Mt.22:29)
Notice that Paul infers that all Believers can read the Bible for themselves, that we can find the truth of the gospel in the Bible for ourselves. Notice that Paul does not say, oh you need the “infallible” church authority to understand the Bible.
The appeal to Scripture that Abraham was justified by faith alone.
Now Paul uses specific Scriptures dealing with Abraham to prove his point. First, as regards to Abraham, Paul was very shrewd to bring him up. Remember he is trying to win back the Galatians away from the Judaizers. (Gal.1:6-9)
The Judaizers were those Jews that professed Jesus as the Christ plus they said you needed to get circumcised and keep the law of Moses in order to be saved, in order to be considered a child of God. Acts 15:1-5 tells us that these men came from the ranks of the Pharisees. These men in part based their acceptable standing before God based on their religious lineage, especially their physical descent or relationship to Abraham and Moses. (Rom.9:3-8, Phil.3:1-14)
They would boast we Jews are children of Abraham, or Abraham is our father. We Pharisees are disciples of Moses. (Jn.9:27, Jn.5:45-47)
What about Abraham after the flesh? Did Abraham come from good and godly stock? Was Abraham raised in a holy godly God-fearing home? No. Abraham was born Abram and he was raised by pagan grandparents and parents. Abram was raised to worship false gods. He was raised a heathen. Like the Gentiles of Galatia.
Joshua 24:1. Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges and their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2 Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. 3 ‘Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.
Oh, what a blow to religious pride. Oh, what a blow to religious legalists that think they are good people descending from good people. This is the problem with basing your religion on man-made religious tradition – you don’t know what the Bible says. The Bible says, Abram came from heathen stock.
Abraham was a sinner, descending from sinners. (Rom.3:9-18) Therefore, no one can claim physical descent from this man was the basis of their right standing with God. Abraham was a saved sinner. Saved by the grace of God. And saved by faith in the gospel promise of God. Just like the Gentiles of Galatia. (I Cor.1:27-31)
Beloved, let no one glory in the flesh before God. It is not our physical lineage that puts us in a right relationship with God. It is the pure grace of God in Christ.
Let’s take a look at that.
Paul uses Abraham and not Moses. This is important. God gave the gospel promise to Abraham. God gave the Law to Moses. (Jn.1:17) Paul is defending the Gospel against corruption by adding law, so he appeals to Abraham. As Paul says in Romans the gospel promise comes before the Law. The codification of the Law on Sinai to Moses does not nullify or alter the gospel promise given to Abraham. (Rom.4:14-15, Gal.3:17-19)
In V.6 and V.8. Paul quotes Genesis. Beloved, the NT appeals to the OT to confirm the truth of the NT. The Bible is a harmonious whole. The OT is the preaching of the gospel in seed form. The NT is the preaching of the gospel in full bloom. The NT church should use the OT scriptures. (2 Tim.3:14-17)
In V.6. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6.
Genesis 15:1. After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” 2 Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Abraham was told by God that a descendant (a seed, a son) would be born to him in whom the blessings of God would come. The son of promise. This is more than just Isaac. This is the true Son of promise Christ. (Gal.4:21-31, Gen.17:15-27, Gen.15:4, Gal.3:29)
This is the gospel of Christ in seed form. Abraham believed that shadowy gospel promise. And God reckoned it as righteousness to him. Abraham was justified by believing.
Abraham was not justified by works of the Law.
And in V.8 he quotes Genesis 12:3, with an additional reference to Genesis 22:17.
Genesis 12:1. Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Genesis 22:17. indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
Galatians 3:7. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
Beloved, could it get any clearer? Of faith. Justify the Gentiles by Faith. The gospel – the believer. Those of faith are blessed (are justified) with Abraham, the Believer.
Paul is saying to the Galatians you did not need to be circumcised before God reckons you righteous. Abraham was declared righteous before God before he was circumcised. You do not have to keep the Law of Moses before you are considered just before God. Abraham lied about his wife – twice, he was a law-breaker, yet he was still justified by his faith in the coming Messiah. (Gen.12:11-17, Gen.20:1-16) Yes, Abraham’s faith was proved to be genuine or his faith was justified when he offered Isaac, but he was justified before God years before that by faith in the gospel of Christ. (Gen.22, Jas.2:21-23)
Paul us saying, Galatians you do not have to “do” anything to become children of Abraham. The moment you believed in Christ and His atoning sacrifice you became a child of God, a son or daughter of Abraham, with like faith of Abraham. (Jn.1:10-13)
Beloved, a true Jew is not one outwardly by physical circumcision but a circumcision of the heart, by Spirit wrought faith in Christ. (Jn.3:1-9, Jn.3:16, Rom.2:25-29)
Romans 4:15. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. 16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.
The appeal to Scripture that no one is justified by works of the Law.
V.10-14. So we can say that was the positive or the constructive part of Paul’s scriptural argument in favor of his gospel of Christ crucified, His finished work on the cross, or his gospel of justification by faith alone in Christ alone proved by father Abraham.
Now here in this second section Paul is going a bit on the offensive we may say. This is his negative teaching. Here he is going to again appeal to Scripture but this time he is going to attack the main error of the legalist Judaizer that we are saved or justified before God in part by our own law-keeping.
Paul is going to take the Bible and say, the Bible says, a resounding, no!
Galatians 3:10. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE “– 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The curse for law-breaking.
V.10 he quotes Deuteronomy 27:26. Notice this time Paul is going to appeal to what the Law says about the Law.
Deuteronomy 27:26. Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Notice how Paul is contrasting the blessing of God for believing the gospel of Christ and now here for failing to obey the Law of God you have the curse of God. Believe the gospel be blessed by God. Seek your justification or righteousness by your law-keeping and “if” you do not keep or do (all) the Law and you will be cursed by God.
Beloved, legalists that tout the law and their law keeping are ignorant of the penalty for any law breaking. God’s curse.
This indicts every human being that has ever lived or will ever live, except Jesus Christ. (Rom.3:9-18, Rom.3:22-23, Rom.6:23, I Jn.3:4)
Oh Beloved honestly, why do professing Christians persist in running to the Law, which they cannot and do not keep for their right standing with God. Christ saves. The Law condemns.
And all the people said – Amen. True. They agree with God. In public. At least for a moment.
Please notice this as well, because it is very important as regards to refuting the false gospel. The false gospel is adding our works of the Law to our faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit puts them as polar opposites as regards to the blessing of justification, being declared righteous before God. You cannot mix law and gospel. God says so.
So the real question is this. Does the Bible teach that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ? Or does the Bible teach that we are declared acceptable to God by our Law keeping?
Does God saves us alone? Or do we save ourselves? Even if you put it, He graces us to save ourselves? Are we saved by believing? Or by doing?
V.11 he quotes Habakkuk 2:4 summarizing the gospel of faith in Christ.
Habakkuk 2:4. Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. (Rom.1:15-17, Gal.2:16, Heb.10:38)
The requirement for law-keeping.
V.12 he quotes Leviticus 18:5. This is a very interesting portion of God’s law to use. It deals with all manner of sexual sins. I will not read those to you. I will just read the quoted verse.
Leviticus 18:4. ‘You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. 5 ‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD. (Rom.10:5)
But this is a significant portion of God’s law, especially to people that thought they could merit their justification by their law keeping. In this context, the Holy Spirit says, if you are not utterly perpetually sexual clean, no immoral thoughts, affections, words, or deeds then the Law will curse you.
WLC 138 What are the duties required in the seventh commandment? The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections,(1) words,(2) and behaviour;(3) and the preservation of it in ourselves and others;(4) watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses;(5) temperance,(6) keeping of chaste company,(7) modesty in apparel;(8) marriage by those that have not the gift of continency;(9) conjugal love,(10) and cohabitation;(11) diligent labour in our callings;(12) shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.(13) 1) 1 Thess. 4:4; Job. 31:1; 1 Cor. 7:34 (2) Col. 4:6 (3) 1 Pet. 2:3 (4) 1 Cor. 7:2,35,36 (5) Job. 31:1 (6) Acts 24:24,25 (7) Prov. 2:16-20 (8) 1 Tim. 2:9 (9) 1 Cor. 7:2,9 (10) Prov. 5:19,20 (11) 1 Pet. 3:7 (12) Prov. 31:11,27,28 (13) Prov. 5:8; Gen. 39:8-10
WLC 139 What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment? The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required,(1) are adultery, fornication,(2) rape, incest,(3) sodomy, and all unnatural lusts;(4) all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections;(5) all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto;(6) wanton looks,(7) impudent or light behaviour, immodest apparel;(8) prohibiting of lawful,(9) and dispensing with unlawful marriages;(10) allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them;(11) entangling vows of single life,(12) undue delay of marriage;(13) having more wives or husbands than one at the same time;(14) unjust divorce,(15) or desertion;(16) idleness, gluttony, drunkenness,(17) unchaste company,(18) lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays;(19) and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.(20) 1) Prov. 5:7 (2) Heb. 13:4; Gal. 5:19 (3) 2 Sam. 13:14; 1 Cor. 5:1 (4) Rom. 1:24,27; Lev. 20:15,16 (5) Matt. 5:28; Matt. 15:19; Col. 3:5 (6) Eph. 5:3,4; Prov. 7:5,21,22 (7) Isa. 3:16; 2 Pet. 2:14 (8) Prov. 7:10,13 (9) 1 Tim. 4:3 (10) Lev. 18:1-21; Mal. 2:11,12 (11) 1 Kings 15:12; 2 Kings 23:7; Deut. 23:17,18; Lev. 19:29; Jer. 5:7; Prov. 7:24-27 (12) Matt. 19:10,11(13) 1 Cor. 7:7-9; Gen. 38:26 (14) Mal. 2:14,15; Matt. 19:5 (15) Mal. 2:16; Matt. 5:32 (16) 1 Cor. 7:12,13 (17) Ezek. 16:49; Prov. 23:30-33 (18) Gen. 39:10 (19) Eph. 5:4; Ezek. 23:14-16; Isa. 23:15-17; Isa. 3:16; Mark 6:22; Rom. 13:13; 1 Pet. 4:3 (20) 2 Kings 9:30 with Jer. 4:30 and Ezek. 23:40
You see the Law offers no mercy and no hope to those that have in anyway been immoral.
The Law offers not one remedy for even one sexual sin or for any sin.
You see beloved if you try to treat sexual sins or any sins with the Law in order to defeat those sins or to drive them out, all you will do it strengthen them. You will do the opposite of what you intend. You will end up changing one form of law-breaking for another form of law-breaking. The outward form of sexual sins for the inward form. You will replace sexual sins with gossip, pride, bitterness, lovelessness and take pride that you are not immoral. (Col.2:13-23, Mt.12:45, Lk.11:26)
Whereas this is what the Gospel says.
I Corinthians 6:9. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
The gospel provision for law breaking.
V.13. he quotes Deuteronomy 21:23.
Deuteronomy 21:22. If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. (Gal.4:5, Acts 5:30)
Galatians 3:14. in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
We are back to the gospel of Christ crucified for our sins, for our justification. Christ hanging on a tree so that we might be saved. (Acts 5:30, I Pt.2:24)
Beloved, only believe in Him and all will be well. (Rom.10:17)
Amen
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