Living by faith in Jesus Christ alone! There is a bewitching factor in the church; mixing terms of covenant of grace with other codes rules and regulation brings confusion. Jesus came with a better covenant, base on a better Mediator, with better promises. Oh that we might turn our eyes upon Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.
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?
Remember last week, we left off with Paul ’s strong rebuke of Peter. Peter fearing brethren from James’ church ran back to the practices of Judaism. Paul told Peter you have learn to live like a Gentile believer, now why play the hypocrite to try and bring the Gentiles back under the law. We died to the law that we might be joined to Christ. Paul continues his rebuke turning his attention to the Galatians. Paul uses strong words “O foolish Galatians!” Who has bewitched you… It is time to get the witchcraft out of the church of Jesus Christ ! The Galatians received the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and now there was a bewitching of the truth. It is a twisting and turning of the good news of the gospel.
Galatians 3:2 This only I want to learn from you: D id 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?
Paul ask a heart searching question! D id you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? The answer to the question determines your victory or defeat. It is imperative that every believer gets it right! Obviously we received the Spirit by the hearing of faith! Faith comes by hearing and hearing of the Word of God! Are we so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are we now made perfect by our own good performance? It is time to stop the foolishness in the church; our salvations begins because of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We must not turn to the performance of the law or the traditions of men to be made right with God. The victory is found in Christ.
Galatians 3:4 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?;
The hand of God moving in our midst, does it happen by the works of the law, or the hearing of faith? It is the hearing of faith; the just shall live by faith! It begins with faith in Christ, we are kept by faith in Christ, and it shall end by our faith in Christ.
Galatians 3:6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
Our righteousness is derived from the same place is father Abraham! He believed God; it was accounted to him for righteousness. Those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
Galatians 3:8 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.
The Scripture has foresight! It declared God would justify the Gentiles by faith. The scriptures preached the gospel to Abraham long before the law. “In you all the nations shall be blessed” Those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
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."
Those who try and bring the believer under the law try and dice it up and say over there you are not under but over here you are. The scripture is clear, no dicing it! If you are under the law of Moses you must continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. Is it what Christ has done or is it our own performance? Brothers and sisters it is the hearing of faith alone that justifies us!
Galatians 3:11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
No one is justified by the law in the sight of God; the just shall live by faith!
Galatians 3:12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."
The scripture declares the law is not of faith! Law looks to the performance of man. The gospel points to the performance of the Messiah and what He has done for us! If you are compelled to live under the law you have stepped away from the life of faith!
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"),
Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Jesus became the curse for us by hanging on Calvary ’s tree! In Jesus Christ there is no generational curse left, no perversion, addiction, sickness, lack, sin or iniquity that the blood of Christ has not conquered. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.
Galatians 3:14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Jesus took the curse that we might be blessed. We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith! Mixing grace and law will clog up the receptors and short circuit the promise. The believer’s needs their receptors cleaned to walk in the promise.
Galatians 3:15 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.
Jesus Christ is “the seed” of promise; faith in Him alone brings the victory!
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.
The law could not add to the promise of Christ nor take away from the promise of Christ!
Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
The inheritance cannot come from the law! The promise is found in “the seed” Jesus.
Galatians 3:19 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.
The law does serve purpose! It is holy and righteous, but cannot produce life. The law came to make sin exceedingly sinful! The law shows the sinner he has need of salvation! This is the only legal way to use the law!
Galatians 3:21 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.
The law cannot produce life, righteousness, or justification. It can expose sin!
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.
There is none righteous no not one; the law makes that clear! The Scripture confines all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe!
Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
Before faith came we were all kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith that would afterward be revealed.
Galatians 3:24 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 law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. We are made just as if we had not sinned by faith in Jesus Christ; and there is no other way to justification. After faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor!
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.
For all are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus and there is no other way to become a son! Faith in Jesus is the baptism into Christ; and there is no other baptism that can save us.
1 Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The apostle Paul made clear distinction between water baptism and preaching the gospel. Paul declared Christ did not call me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. The gospel is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Faith in Jesus is the baptism into Christ.
1 Peter 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us; baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
The water baptism is the act of obedience following a genuine confession of faith. The water baptism is the antitype. It symbolizes what happened when you placed your faith in Jesus. The believer identifies with the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus took away the filth of the flesh at faith in Jesus; the water baptism gives a good conscience toward God.
Galatians 3:28 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
Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be justified before God. The heartbeat of the Father is for you to walk by faith. We are not under law but under grace. Practicing the Law of Moses or some tradition of man cannot make you right before God. It is Jesus Christ’ obedience that makes man righteous before a holy God, and there is no other way!
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