June 25, 2006 - To Free Christians Everywhere: Galatians Chapter 3

Audio Version Available

By: Rev. Steve Bass

June 25, 2006

Scripture Meditation: Galatians 3

INTRODUCTION

• This morning we're going to be looking at Galatians chapter 3
• I want you to remember that sentence- it may be the most comprehensible thing I'll say all day
• See here’s the thing- interpreting the 3rd chapter of Galatians is tough
• You talk about chewing on spiritual meat
• Galatians 3 is like chewing on a cheap steak that’s been left on the grill too long- it’s make- your-jaws-ache tough
• That’s because it deals with some deep and profound ideas and concepts
• Now I'm going to TRY to make this as simple as I can
• BUT...
• I’m not going to dumb it down-
• Because you need to see the spiritual and intellectual power of Paul’s thought process
• So hang in there with me- because GOD has some important things to say to us this morning

A QUICK REVIEW

• But before we begin- let’s have a quick review of what we've learned so far
• The Galatian Christians were confused
• They had come to know Christ through Paul’s evangelistic ministry. He'd taught them that-
• Salvation was a free gift of God’s grace secured through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross
• And that God’s grace was activated in their life by simple faith in Jesus
• But then men from Jerusalem arrived on the scene claiming to represent Peter and the other disciples. They said that...
• Simple faith in Jesus wasn't enough
• In order to be fully saved you had to:
• Believe that Jesus was the Christ
• AND obey the Jewish Law
• In chapters 1 & 2 Paul had...
• Defended his credentials as a legitimate spokesman for Christ
• Boldly proclaimed the good news about Jesus the Christ
• AND proclaimed a believer’s freedom in Christ
• Beginning here in chapter 3 Paul starts to explain how salvation by grace through faith works

YOU FOOLISH GALATIANS

3:1 You foolish Galatians!

• Somewhere in the book 20 Things A Pastor Should Never Do there’s a rule that says: Never call your congregation names from the pulpit- they don't like it!
• Well- here Paul is violating that rule
• He is calling the Galatians fools
• J. B. Phillips translates this verse: O you dear idiots of Galatia
• Read what the Bible says in Psalm 53:1
• In other words: Paul’s not just calling the Galatians foolish idiots
• He’s making a larger point about the Galatians fascination with the Jewish Law: When you reject the good news of God’s grace offered through faith in Jesus
• you're behaving like atheists!
• you're acting as if God doesn't exist

Who has bewitched you?

• The Greek word translated as bewitched is baskaino
• It literally means to fall under a spell cast through the power of the evil eye
• According to popular folklore of the time-
• A human being would fall under the spell of the evil eye
• By gazing at it for a long period of time

Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

• Paul’s point is simple:
• You were taught the absolute truth about Christ and Him crucified
• But like fools you took your eyes off Jesus- and started focusing on the lies being taught by the men from Jerusalem- and that’s where you got in trouble!

I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN JUST ONE THING

Galatians 3:2-4

• Let’s say you're a parent with a school-age child
• When you send your kid to school you expect them to learn something- right?
• The question is: At the end of the year- how are you going to know if they've learned what they're supposed to know?
• The government’s answer are E.O.G.s (End Of Grade tests)
• The bane of teachers everywhere
• In theory-
• If your child gets a good E.O.G. score
• Its proof that she learned something
• Now let’s take this to the spiritual realm: How can you KNOW that you're really saved?
• According to the Bible the proof of your salvation is the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life
• Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-7
• The point Paul is trying to make to the Galatians is simple: The presence of the Holy Spirit PROVES that you are REALLY saved!
• But he doesn't stop there. Notice what he asks:
• When did you receive the Holy Spirit?
• Was it when you fulfilled some requirement of the Jewish Law?
• OR was it when- by faith- you received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord?
• Obviously it was when- by faith- they received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord
Galatians 3:5
• The message being taught by the men from Jerusalem suggested the Galatians hadn't experienced the fullness of life in Christ
• That somehow Paul’s Gospel was short-changing them
• Robbing them of the deeper relationship with God they could experience if they obeyed the Jewish law
• Paul’s point here in verse 5 is:
• Look- you have...
• The forgiveness of sin through Jesus’ death on the Cross
• The guarantee of salvation through God’s grace
• The power and presence of the Holy Spirit in your life
• And the absolute assurance of eternal life in Jesus’ name
• That’s IT! That’s what it means...
• To be saved
• To enjoy the blessings of being a part of God’s covenant community!

CONSIDER ABRAHAM

• And now it gets complicated. Let’s read on at verse 6
• Consider Abraham. You might say Father Abraham is the 600 lbs. gorilla that casts a shadow over the entire Old Testament
• The Bible makes it clear that God established a covenant relationship with Abraham through which all the nations on the Earth would be blessed
• So any question about salvation and justification MUST ultimately grapple with Abraham and that covenant
• Now if you were a Jew- Abraham was...
• First- and foremost- your biological ancestor
• But even more importantly- you would see him as the first person to become obedient to God’s Law
• Read Genesis 17:9-14
• By the time of Jesus- the Jews had taken Genesis 17 and built an entire theology of salvation and justification around it.
• According to the rabbis theory- Abraham became right with God when three things happened
• The things:
• First- God had offered Abraham the terms of His covenant
• You will obey me
• And I will bless you
• Second- Abraham became obedient to God by undergoing circumcision
• Third- because Abraham-
• Was obedient in the matter of circumcision-
• God justified him, and declared him to be a righteous man
• Evidently- this was the message the men from Jerusalem had been preaching to the Galatian Christians
• YES- You must believe in Jesus
• BUT- in order to be fully justified by God you got to be circumcised just like ‘Father Abraham’
• Here in Galatians 3:6 Paul says: Wait a minute!
• They're focusing on the wrong passage of Scripture!
• they've skipped what it says in Genesis 15:1-6
• Paul’s point is that God had declared Abraham righteous a LONG time before he was circumcised
• It was Abraham’s simple faith and trust in God’s Word that activated God’s grace in his life
• In other words: Abraham was saved by grace through faith...not of works lest any one should boast
Galatians 3:7
• So who were the REAL spiritual descendents of Abraham?
• People who-
• Could trace their biological ancestry back to Abraham?
• Or people who lived by faith and trust in God’s Word?
• Paul’s answer is: The REAL spiritual children of Abraham are those who believe and live by faith- just like he did!
Galatians 3:8-9
• With his experience on the Damascus Road- Paul realized that Jesus was...
• More than the Jewish Messiah
• He was the universal Savior
• The One who gave up His life on the Cross of Calvary
• So that ANYONE who believes on the name of Jesus will be saved
• Here in verse 8 Paul is pointing out that this wonderful truth-
• It may have been something he had only recently come to understand
• But it was God’s plan from the very beginning!
• Read Genesis 22:15-18
• I'm sure some of you are wondering: What in the WORLD has any of this got to do with me?
• Well- let me ask YOU a question: Are you Jewish?
• If you're not Jewish- then you're a Gentile
• Galatians 3 explains how God’s plan of salvation includes YOU!
• I'd say that’s pretty important- wouldn't you?

CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW

Galatians 3:10
• Here’s the problem with the Old Testament Law:
• The Law wasn't a collection of stray and miscellaneous parts-
• In other words: You had to obey some of it
• While ignoring or disregarding other parts of it
• The Law was a whole- a unity- and must be kept in ALL its parts- if it was to be considered kept at all
• Visual Illustration: Cutting Up A Shirt
• It’s kind of like this shirt (Cut in ½ then into quarters)
• Once you cut it in half-
• Do you still have a shirt?
• Of course not- you have a collection of rags
• The problem with the Law was that if you violated one law-
• It was as if you'd violated EVERY Law- because you had broken God’s Law
• And violating God’s Law brings on God’s curse
• Read what the Bible says in Romans 6:23
• In other words: The pay-off for violating God’s law is death- eternal separation from God in a hell prepared for Satan and his demons
• And here’s the thing: EVERYONE has violated God’s Law!
Romans 3:10-12
• If all this sounds pretty depressing- it’s only because it is
• No one can keep the Law
• Which means that EVERYONE is condemned by God
Galatians 3:12
• So what do you do? The only thing God asks you to do
• Rely completely on His mercy and grace activated by faith in Jesus!
• Do this and you will be assured of eternal life in the heaven God is preparing for His children!

CHRIST REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW

Galatians 3:13-14
• The key word in these two verses are redeemed
• The Greek word is exagorazo
• It literally means to buy out of slavery
• Under the Roman legal system a slave could be freed if they paid a certain freedom price established by their owner
• Of course- that created a Catch-22 problem:
• Slaves don't paid for what they do!
• That’s why they're called SLAVES!
• So how are you going to raise the money to purchase your freedom if you don't get paid?
• Well the answer is- you can't
• Which meant that- practically speaking- a slave would be doomed to a lifetime of slavery
• BUT- the Roman system allowed an outsider to come in and purchase the slave’s freedom for him
• In other words: What you couldn't do for yourself
• Someone else could do for you!
• Paul is thinking of this act of redemption here in Galatians 3:13-14
• Remember- he’s just established the fact that everyone is enslaved by the curse of sin and death
• With these verses he’s saying:
• Like a slave you had no hope of salvation
• But Jesus has acted as your redeemer- He has paid the price to secure your salvation!
• Here’s how He did it
• While He was on the Cross Jesus- who never sinned Himself- was technically judged to be guilty of ALL sin
• So that- in turn- God could technically judge you innocent of sin and righteous in His eyes
• And once again we come back to faith
• God has already done EVERYTHING that needed to be done in order to judge you righteous in His eyes
• All you need to do is believe in Jesus- and trust in what His death on the Cross accomplished!

CONCLUSION

• Since we're about out of time- let me skip down to verses 28 & 29
• The message being taught by the men from Jerusalem said that ultimately faith in Jesus wasn't enough
• That it wasn't enough to simply believe in Jesus
• That if you REALLY wanted to be saved you had to:
• Be circumcised and obey the Jewish law
• In other words: You had to become a Jew
• Paul’s point is that their argument is ridiculous
• Racial and sexual and ethnic and ancestral back-grounds don't count in the kingdom of God
• The bottom line is:
• If you belong to Jesus
• YOU are a child of God- PERIOD!
• The song says:
• Jesus, Jesus, Jesus;There’s just something about that name!Master, Savior, Jesus,Like the fragrance after the rain;Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,Let all Heaven and earth proclaim:Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,But there’s something about that name!
• Let us pray