Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
Oh, that we would learn to trust in the one Man's obedience and the free gift He provided.
Is It The Works of the Law Or the Hearing of Faith?
Galatians chapter 3
Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain; if indeed it was in vain? 5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?; 6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." The book of Galatians is a defending of the faith message. The gospel message must always be Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Last week we mentioned Peter learned to live like an Gentile believer. We see the distinctions made between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believer; Paul concluded that all were justified by Jesus exclusively. I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Paul begins in this 3rd chapter with some very strong language. “O foolish Galatians! Harsh but not without merit! Who has bewitched you? Again, harsh but justifiable! By trickery and cunning the Galatians were being drawn away from the mainstay of the gospel. It is one reason we find Paul saying he was determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The cornerstone of the gospel is Jesus Christ and Him crucified; anyone moving you away from this truth should be considered accursed. Paul questions the Galatians and gives them two options to choose from. Did you receive the Spirit by the work of the law, or by the hearing of faith? What shall we choose? The only correct answer is by the hearing of faith! How does God work and do miracles among us? Again the choices are only two. Does God do His work by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? This is read over material for many Christians. They read it over and keep going. What if we stop and consider the truths being revealed in this passage.
God does His works by the hearing of faith and we receive exclusively by the hearing of faith and there is no other way to receive. For the just shall live by faith. The object of biblical faith is exclusively in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The question is needed and necessary if we are going to walk away from the foolish and walk in unity with the working of the Spirit. Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Trusting in your own works or the works of the law is an activity of the flesh. It was not Abraham’s works that saved him; Abraham believed and it was counted for righteousness. It is exclusively the hearing of faith that bring righteousness to a man and there is no other way to walk in righteousness. Galatians 3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. Justification declared our innocence before God and it only comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You can not work your way into salvation. Only those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham; any other message is foolishness to be rejected. Is it the works of law, or by the hearing of faith? It can not be a mixture of the two. We can not begin by faith in Jesus and continue by being made perfect in the flesh. Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." There is two covenants and each has it own base principle to live by: Grace says “the just shall live by faith.”The law says “the man who does them shall live by them.” The scriptures are replete with example after example of comparing and contrasting the covenant of the law or the covenant of grace and truth. This passage here in Galatians 3 is but one of them. Did you catch the lesson of verse 12? The law is not of faith… the law is a constant examination of the performance of man. No one can be justified by the law because it was brought to expose sin and make sin exceedingly sinful. If you are under the law in any part you are obliged to keep the whole of the law. If you are under the law you are under the curse and must continue in all things which are written in the law. Grace, the hearing of faith if you will, brings justification from sin. So one covenant exposes sin and brings a curse and the other brings complete freedom from sin. Galatians 3:13 Christ has 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 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men:Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law; Jesus became a curse for us. So many try to bring the believer under the condemnation of the law in one fashion or another. They are preaching a perverted gospel. Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law. The blessing comes through Jesus Christ. Freedom comes through Jesus Christ. Redemption comes through Jesus Christ. Jesus is The Seed and there is no other that can bring us complete deliverance and the fullness of the blessings of God. Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. If the promise of redemption is found under the law there is no need for Christ. The promise of redemption came before the law and the law could not annul the promise confirmed by God in Christ. The law came to expose sin. The law is not against God it however shows a need for a deliverer. The law exposed sin but it could not bring or produce righteousness in man. Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. The scripture has confined all under sin by the law. The promise is availed of by faith in Jesus Christ and there is no other way to walk in the promise of eternal life. The covenant of the law is over every person, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. The law was the teacher showing us our need for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Let it be clear, don’t miss the truth of the next verse. After faith has come we are no longer under a tutor. We are not under law but under grace. It is the divine influence of God that brings us into faith and it is the divine influence of God that will keep us, and it is the divine influence of God that will take us home. Those who preach we are under the law of Moses are preaching bondage. It is time for the church to live under the greater glory found in the cross of Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. The bewitching factor needs to be removed from the church. We are sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to become a son. Any one moving away from faith in Jesus Christ is adding a bewitching factor to the gospel message. Be immersed in the truth of who Jesus Christ is and all that He accomplished on Calvary . It does not matter your background, where you come from, if you are a part of the haves or the haves not, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. In Christ alone I place my trust! If you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. 1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. John the beloved liked writing things and bringing it down to the nutshell. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The exclusive way to life is in Jesus Christ and there is not another way to eternal life. What you think of Jesus Christ determines your destiny in this life and the life to come. The object of your faith needs to be squarely in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. The Holy Spirit was pleading through John that we will continue to believe in the name of Jesus! Did you receive by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith. Did you catch the phrase… the hearing of faith! Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." This passage here in Romans 10 parallels much of Galatians 3. It is not preached very often, yet the truth needs declared; Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. The principle of the two covenants are articulated here again. The law of Moses says “The man who does those things shall live by them”. It is a man’s performance based covenant. The covenant of grace speaks in another way. It say a man who places his faith in Jesus will not be put to shame. The law looks to man’s works for righteousness; the new covenant trust exclusively in Jesus Christ for righteousness. The question needs to be posed. Are you so foolish? Having begun by faith in Jesus Christ will you now be perfected by trusting and improving your own performance? More to come…
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