WORD From The Woods
Galatians 3
" O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. To give a human example, brothers: even with a man- made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean:the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."
Paul asks one of the most foundational questions in the beginning of this chapter, "are we saved by works or by faith?" That is really the most important question we can ask! And if you are saved, then Paul asks again, "are you being sanctified by works of the flesh or by faith?" Paul makes it abundantly clear that it is by faith in Christ's sacrifice on the cross that we are saved! And as true Christians we have the Holy Spirt living in us, doing the work of sanctification! There is so very much to be learned in this passage, but what I really want to focus on is the fact that we are saved by Grace through faith in Christ. I also want to look at how the promise of blessing to Abraham, was the promise of Christ's redemption through faith. As Paul points out, the law showed people how much they needed a savior! God promised Abraham that the whole world would be blessed through his offspring, not "offsprings plural" but "offspring singular." Who is this offspring? It was not Isaac, but it would be a descendant of Isaac. The offspring that would bless the whole world is Jesus Christ! When Christ came as savior, He tied all of scripture and even history itself together. We as Christians today share in the promise to Abraham. Believers before the cross all the way back to Adam, and believers after the cross all the way up to right now and into the future, all share in this same promise of blessing. This promise was and even now is the promise of Salvation! It is the promise of redemption and sanctification through faith in Christ who came as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, fulfilling the law but not nullifying it! As Paul puts it at the end of chapter 3, " if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, and heirs according to the promise." I don't know about you, but when I read about this incredible plan that God had, as He said, since before the foundation of the earth, I am absolutely astonished that a sinner like me can be a part of this promise of redemption! If you are not sure that you are an heir according to this promise, then put your trust in Christ Jesus today for your salvation!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-
Galatians 3
" O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. To give a human example, brothers: even with a man- made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean:the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."
Paul asks one of the most foundational questions in the beginning of this chapter, "are we saved by works or by faith?" That is really the most important question we can ask! And if you are saved, then Paul asks again, "are you being sanctified by works of the flesh or by faith?" Paul makes it abundantly clear that it is by faith in Christ's sacrifice on the cross that we are saved! And as true Christians we have the Holy Spirt living in us, doing the work of sanctification! There is so very much to be learned in this passage, but what I really want to focus on is the fact that we are saved by Grace through faith in Christ. I also want to look at how the promise of blessing to Abraham, was the promise of Christ's redemption through faith. As Paul points out, the law showed people how much they needed a savior! God promised Abraham that the whole world would be blessed through his offspring, not "offsprings plural" but "offspring singular." Who is this offspring? It was not Isaac, but it would be a descendant of Isaac. The offspring that would bless the whole world is Jesus Christ! When Christ came as savior, He tied all of scripture and even history itself together. We as Christians today share in the promise to Abraham. Believers before the cross all the way back to Adam, and believers after the cross all the way up to right now and into the future, all share in this same promise of blessing. This promise was and even now is the promise of Salvation! It is the promise of redemption and sanctification through faith in Christ who came as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, fulfilling the law but not nullifying it! As Paul puts it at the end of chapter 3, " if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, and heirs according to the promise." I don't know about you, but when I read about this incredible plan that God had, as He said, since before the foundation of the earth, I am absolutely astonished that a sinner like me can be a part of this promise of redemption! If you are not sure that you are an heir according to this promise, then put your trust in Christ Jesus today for your salvation!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-